Syntroleum

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Syntroleum Corporation (NASDAQ: SYNM) is a United States company engaged in development and commercialization of proprietary Gas to liquids (GTL) and Coal to liquids (CTL) processes known jointly as the Syntroleum Process.

Syntroleum was incorporated in 1984 by Kenneth Agee. It became a publicly held company on Nasdaq in August, 1998, when it merged with publicly traded SLH Corporation.

The Syntroleum process produces synthetic fuel by the Fisher-Tropsch process (referred to as FT fuel), which can use natural gas, coal, or biomass as feedstocks. One of the unique features of the Syntroleum process is that it uses air instead of oxygen to produce synthesis gas from natural gas in the gas to liquids process.

[edit] Air Force certification program

Syntroleum has been working with the U. S. Air Force to develop a synthetic jet fuel blend that will help the Air Force to reduce its dependence on imported petroleum. The Air Force, which is the U.S. military's largest user of fuel, began exploring alternative fuel sources in 1999. On December 15, 2006, a B-52 took off from Edwards AFB for the first time powered solely by a 50-50 blend of JP-8 and Syntroleum's FT fuel. The seven-hour flight test was considered a success. The goal of the flight test program was to qualify the fuel blend for fleet use on the service's B-52s, and then flight test and qualification on other aircraft.[1]

On August 8, 2007, Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne certified the B-52H as fully approved to use the FT blend, marking the formal conclusion of the test program.[2]

This program is part of the Department of Defense Assured Fuel Initiative, an effort to develop secure domestic sources for the military energy needs. The Pentagon hopes to reduce its use of crude oil from foreign producers and obtain about half of its aviation fuel from alternative sources by 2016.[1] With the B-52 now approved to use the FT blend, the USAF will use the test protocols developed during the program to certify the C-17 Globemaster III and then the B-1B to use the fuel. To test these two aircraft, the Air Force has ordered 281,000 gallons of FT fuel. The Air Force intends to test and certify every airframe in its inventory to use the fuel by 2011. They will also supply up to 9,000 gallons to NASA for testing in various aircraft and engines.[2]

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[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Zamorano, Marti, "B-52 synthetic fuel testing: Center commander pilots first Air Force B-52 flight using solely synthetic fuel blend in all eight engines", Aerotech News and Review, 2006-12-22
  2. ^ a b Hernandez, Jason, "SECAF certifies synthetic fuel blends for B-52H", Aerotech News and Review, August 10, 2007

[edit] External links