USAF to try fuel from coal in B52

[bbse]

I saw the interview with the guy that started Jet Blue airlines. He offered a bill in congress to start between 12 and 45 coal to fuel plants over the next several years. He made the proposal that the government subsidize the operation if the price of oil went below $38 per barrel. It would make up the difference down to $18 dollars a barrel. If they sold the oil for more than $75 a barrel then all those profits over $75 a barrel would be taxed heavily.

I think it was a great plan as long as you keep big oil out of it. He proved the airlines wrong and is quite successful at bucking the system. I plan on calling my congressman and senators about it.

 

[slowrev]

"coal oil " has been around since the 20's not a new process at all. Oil was just so much cheaper for so long that I guess we forgot about it.

 

[dmccarty]

I saw a guy on the WSJ TV show awhile back and he was talking about Nexen. They are a Canadian outfit that refines the oil sands, he said their magic number was $50.00 a barrel. Don't know if the process is much different or if we were listening to two different "experts".
John

I would guess two different companies? There was a big article in the WSJ a few months back about getting fuel from tar sands. That article mentioned the $25/barrel number.

Later,
Dan

 

[N80]

The B-52 has been around a long time. Are you guys sure they aren't using coal fired steam? (I can't find the smileys to save my life, consider this one a silly grin).

 

[patrick_g]

What we need is a constant stream of news releases touting non-petrochemical fuel sources to keep the price of petro-fuel down. - - - - - Pat

 

[bbse]

The B-52 has been around a long time. Are you guys sure they aren't using coal fired steam? (I can't find the smileys to save my life, consider this one a silly grin).

No Kidding....I joined the Air Force in 1980, started serving as a crew chief on a BUFF (thats a B-52 to you guys) and it was a 1957 model...I was born in 1962. And the funny thing is, its still flying in 2006!!! It may not be the exact plane because they have retied some but the same model.

 

[dmccarty]

The age of the B52s is what just blows my mind. To think some of these things have been flying, and hard rough flying, for 50 years is amazing. I keep hearing that they are planning on flying them for another couple of decades. Grandkids flying what Granddad used to fly.

To think that a plane can be kept in active duty longer than many ships is amazing.

I used to live across the river from Barksdale AFB. I remember one day a B52 flew low over the house which was unusual. I assumed he had a problem of some kind. It seemed like he was just skimming the ground and he did a tight turn heading back to the base. I thought his wings where going to hit the ground. The NOISE was unreal. I could hear the windows shaking and I could feel the engines. It was something else.

Later,
Dan

 

[penokee]

Coal to Liquids a Great idea. Rentech being an American Company seems like it would receive support from the Federal and State Govts. We've been tied into Foreign Companies too long. Would sure help employment in all the coal state: Illinois, Penn., Kentucky, etc. etc. Hope our Politicians don't get Weak Kneed like they did in 79/80.
penokee

 

[Big_Charlie]

Last I read, the USAF was planning on keeping the B-52 around until at least 2040. The current ships, B-52G's, were all built in the late 1960's. That'll make the actual airplanes flying around 80 years old when retired! Even the Navy doesn't keep ships that long!!! They've also talked for years about replacing the 8 smaller engines currently on them with 4 modern turbofans, likely the big 30,000lb thrust GE units used on 777's. It would boost their load capacity and range tremendously. By all accounts, BUFFs have a most unique scent to them inside - some combination of coffee, grease, and sweat.

As for processing coal into liquid fuel...let's go! Make kerosene based fuels cheap enough and maybe this country will finally embrace light diesels the way Europe has.

 

[bbse]

They were re-winged and overhauled in the late 1960's because they were flown so much in the pre-ICBM era but they were actally built in the 1950's. The one I crewed was a "57" model and the newest one I ever saw was an H model that was built in 61 or 62. BTW, the H model has turbofans as the earlier models have turbojets (J57's). Though the H does have 8 of them.