USAF moving toward Synthetic fuel

[Scrapdog]

JKE,

I was flying with a guy who was a know-it-all type spouting off facts and figures about everything. He even had information to back up his statements, and he seemed to be an informed expert on everything.
Finally after I've heard enough, I made a smart a$$ comment to him about being a rocket scientist.
I was telling the next guy I flew with about the know-it-all, and he said he knew the guy. He chuckled and said that the guy really is a rocket scientist!! He has numerous degrees, one in physics and another in aerospace engineering. I then assumed the position and inserted foot in mouth.

What, you're not a rocket scientist? Didn't you take astro engineering in college? Hohmann transfers man, catch a clue.

 

[dtfl]

According to a report I saw on one of the news channels, I believe based on a RAND Corp report, coal could be converted to oil at around the mid-50's $$ The reason why it's not done en masse now is because the startup costs to produce it in the volumes needed are in the tens of billions and Big Oil/Coal is afraid of investing in case the past repeats itself. Read on...

This was done once before during the Arab oil embargo of the early 70s. A private-gov't joint venture was started to do the coal thing at about the $30 some-odd/bbl price and when billions on infrastructure had been built and flowing oil, OPEC crashed the price and the venture went bankrupt.

No doubt, OPEC would again crash the price if they saw we were about to go self-sustaining. We just have to have the gumption to keep off "cheap oil" should this happen and we keep producing our own stuff. We supposedly dwarf the Middle East's capacity in our own coal reserves.

Realistically, this should be done and NOW. It should tide us over to when a hydrogen fuel infrastructure is reasonable and in place, as well as Nuking-up and continuing in perfecting fusion.

Neilman of JetBlue has evidently toyed with the idea of coal conversion. I hope he goes through with it! If the airlines were smart, they'd form a collective and do it in concert.

I'm no rocket scientist...just a nuclear one

Good points. I posted this as a GOOD article in the midst of negative ones about our industry. If the USAF moves to synth fuels...then the Navy, then the ARmy..imagine the drop in demand that would cause....the price would come down. Supply and demand...

but I''m no rocket or money scientist...I guess I'm a Road/bridge/airport/ditch scientist who became a pilot.

 

[Superpilot92]

According to a report I saw on one of the news channels, I believe based on a RAND Corp report, coal could be converted to oil at around the mid-50's $$ The reason why it's not done en masse now is because the startup costs to produce it in the volumes needed are in the tens of billions and Big Oil/Coal is afraid of investing in case the past repeats itself. Read on...

This was done once before during the Arab oil embargo of the early 70s. A private-gov't joint venture was started to do the coal thing at about the $30 some-odd/bbl price and when billions on infrastructure had been built and flowing oil, OPEC crashed the price and the venture went bankrupt.

No doubt, OPEC would again crash the price if they saw we were about to go self-sustaining. We just have to have the gumption to keep off "cheap oil" should this happen and we keep producing our own stuff. We supposedly dwarf the Middle East's capacity in our own coal reserves.

Realistically, this should be done and NOW. It should tide us over to when a hydrogen fuel infrastructure is reasonable and in place, as well as Nuking-up and continuing in perfecting fusion.

Neilman of JetBlue has evidently toyed with the idea of coal conversion. I hope he goes through with it! If the airlines were smart, they'd form a collective and do it in concert.

I'm no rocket scientist...just a nuclear one

Thats pretty much what i was getting at.

 

[C-150ETOPS]

The problem with all the "break even" numbers always tossed about is they are just the moving goalpost of today.
Whatever the increased cost of oil is today, the other BE number just goes up. Assume the break even number for shale and bio is say $65 with dino crude at $45. Most people think "oh!" dino crude costs $90 now, the others still cost $65. BS, every cost associated with production ramps up as well. Alternative fuel production doesn't exist in a vacuum, it has to pay the piper for steel/fuel/labor/transport costs too, all them still driven up by dino juice prices.

 

[Whine Lover]

What about all those ERAU "Aeronautical Scientists" out there?

Let's hear it Men.....

YKW

 

[Secret Squirrel]

The articles I have read is that Coal fuels would be competitive if Sweet crude was above $40 barrel. The US has the largest deposits of Coal in the world. More than 250 years of coal at current rates. This fuel is also considered a clean fuel by EPA standards.

The only problem is that the mining is very destructive to the environment. Plus the plants cost about 4Billion a piece to set up so the infrastructure is not there and companies are worried that if OPEC sees us setting up the infrastructure to get off their oil they will drive down the market killing alternative fuels again for years (seems like a win win).

It is good that the military is leading the way so that the costs will come down for the private sector. Coal is probably one of the easiest ways using technology that is out their to help lower our dependence on foreign oil.

 

[afres bum]

I think the US Air Force is the only one willing to pay the current price of 8 dollars per gallon for synthetic fuel to put in 4 and 8 engine jets!

(I don't know how much synthetic fuel costs)

When it becomes cost effective you will see the comercial market using it.

 

[PreContact]

I wonder if the tankers will get it, and offload it too.

 

[skyward80]

I wonder if the tankers will get it, and offload it too.

If our customers can burn it, we'll be offloading it.

Skyward80

 

[mrvmo]

Looking further into the future, Assistant Secretary William Anderson with the Air Force’s Installations, Environment and Logistics department estimated that synthetic fuel could power jets on live, operational missions by the middle of next century........................................Not in a very big hurry are they???? If my calc's are right by 2150 this gas should be powering our jets......the oil should be dried up by then.