Sustainable fuels to power RAF jets
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Sustainable fuels to power RAF jets
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
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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
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https://www.gov.uk/government/news/s...power-raf-jets
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
.
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.
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.
Avoid imitations
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I’m happy to supply grass cuttings, from March until the end of November, for a nominal fee. Buyer collects.
"Go green - fly RAF"
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.
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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.
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But PC, of course......
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-Disp...eight-engines/
Some more recent Army study:
https://www.ethicenergy.com/wp-conte...n-the-Hole.pdf
The technology is available and usable it's just the price that doesn't work apart from PR show effect.
https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Disp...eight-engines/
Some more recent Army study:
https://www.ethicenergy.com/wp-conte...n-the-Hole.pdf
The technology is available and usable it's just the price that doesn't work apart from PR show effect.
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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.
Feed them hot mexican MREs only.
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.
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