PDA

View Full Version : Sustainable fuels to power RAF jets


SLXOwft
12th Dec 2020, 18:21
Apologies if this has been previously promulgated on PPRuNe.

No doubt timed to coincide with the virtual climate summit Ben Wallace retrospectively announced the change to the Defence Standard for Aviation Fuel. In an uncharitable moment I wondered if they had found a means to capitalize on the results of dining in nights:},

As the MoD story refers to RAF Jets does this mean it won't apply to F-35s being operated when 809 NAS and its sister squadron appear or alternatively flown by RN pilots - requiring a rapid fuel consituent pre-flight check :p.

Aircraft including F-35s, Typhoons and Wildcat helicopters currently use conventional fuel, but could use up to 50 per cent sustainable sources in the future, after MOD’s changed aviation fuel standards came into effect in November 2020.
Known as ‘drop-ins,’ sustainable fuel sources include hydrogenated fats and oils, wood waste, alcohols, sugars, household waste, biomass and algae.
As aviation currently accounts for nearly two thirds of fuel used across defence, the new standards will lead to a significant reduction in emissions and improve defence’s carbon footprint.
It is estimated that by substituting 30 per cent of conventional fuel with an alternative source in a jet travelling 1,000 nautical miles could reduce CO2 emissions by 18 per cent.
As well as cutting emissions, using diverse and readily available materials such as household waste including packaging, grass cuttings and food scraps will prevent waste being sent to landfill.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/sustainable-fuels-to-power-raf-jets

ShyTorque
12th Dec 2020, 18:43
I’m happy to supply grass cuttings, from March until the end of November, for a nominal fee. Buyer collects.

57mm
13th Dec 2020, 08:56
Now if we can just recycle the farts made in cockpit.......

Less Hair
13th Dec 2020, 09:02
"Go green - fly RAF"

Easy Street
13th Dec 2020, 11:36
Introducing new national specifications is easily done, but getting new fuels cleared for use by individual aircraft types (including civilian types given mutual reliance on the pipeline system) perhaps not so much. And thereafter, how to manage interoperability with our NATO colleagues? The word "could" is doing an awful lot of heavy lifting in that press release.

orca
13th Dec 2020, 11:50
Whilst any such change is obviously laudable - I did hear AM Turner say that the entirety of the RAF annual fuel bill amounted to about that of 2 cross channel ferries. So a good step but probably not game changing.

ShyTorque
13th Dec 2020, 12:20
But PC, of course......

Less Hair
13th Dec 2020, 12:35
Since earlier B-52 days USAF has done a lot of research on "green" aviation fuels to secure access anytime even with Middle East conflicts escalating.
https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/128702/b-52-flight-uses-synthetic-fuel-in-all-eight-engines/
Some more recent Army study:
https://www.ethicenergy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/GTL-Ace-in-the-Hole.pdf

The technology is available and usable it's just the price that doesn't work apart from PR show effect.

Finningley Boy
14th Dec 2020, 11:38
Now if we can just recycle the farts made in cockpit.......
What about a conduit or something from the pilot's chuff to the fuel system!? May be able to remain airborne indefinitely.

FB

F34
14th Dec 2020, 21:47
Introducing new national specifications is easily done, but getting new fuels cleared for use by individual aircraft types (including civilian types given mutual reliance on the pipeline system) perhaps not so much. And thereafter, how to manage interoperability with our NATO colleagues? The word "could" is doing an awful lot of heavy lifting in that press release.

Most of the NATO STANAG's relating to aviation fuel go back to the UK Def Stan for F34/35. In fact so do commercial specs in you look back far enough. SAF requires blending at the moment with "normal" aviation fuel anyway so its not quite 100% greener just yet. There is 100% SAF available but small steps first. But as you allude to NATO and the joined up bit with fuel has never been easy. Took us months of discussions with the US in Afghanistan to accept STANAG fuel specifications for a lot of their aircraft against their own.

Less Hair
15th Dec 2020, 08:58
Feed them hot mexican MREs only.

trim it out
15th Dec 2020, 10:20
An environmentally friendly way of delivering HE, turning soft pink bodies into a fine mist :E

Finningley Boy
16th Dec 2020, 06:49
The Peace Pledge Union are up in arms about it!..... erm pardon the pun. According to them and other fellow travellers, making aviation fuel out of Potato peelings and rotting leaves is not the point and naïve to think so. Their gripe is the very function of the F-35, Typhoon, Wildcat etc.

FB