US Air Force begins testing fighter engine to use synthetic fuel

Engineers at Arnold Engineering Development centre (AEDC) began testing April 29 a Pratt &Whitney F100 engine, the power plant for the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon, with a blend of alternative synthetic fuel in the J-1 simulated altitude jet engine test cell.

Once testing and evaluation is complete, this will be the first fighter jet engine to use the synthetic blend.

Since 2006, AEDC has taken an active role in its support of the US Air Force's Alternative Fuels Certification Office in the evaluation and certification of the synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) alternative fuel, which is derived from natural gas or coal using the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process, for use in all Air Force aircraft.

Testing at AEDC on the GE F101 engine, the power plant for the B-1 Lancer bomber, was the first series of testing of a high performance, afterburning engine with FT fuel for a combat aircraft. This engine was also tested in the centre's J-1 high altitude jet engine test cell.

The Air Force has already certified the engines for the B-52 Stratofortress bomber to operate on FT fuel and the C-17 Globemaster III transport has flown on SPK fuel.

The successful flight of the B-1B helped to reinforce the feasibility of the projected timeline for the Air Force's alternative fuels initiative.

Since 1969, AEDC has logged more than 20,000 hours testing the F100 engine.

by Janae' Daniels. AEDC/PA

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