Alternative fuels win Aviation Week Laureate award

  • Published
  • By Laura McGowan
  • 88 Air Base Wing Public Affairs
On March 17, Aviation Week named the winners of their 53rd Annual Laureate Awards. This award honors individuals and organizations that have shown heroism and exceptional leadership in aviation, aerospace and defense industries. Wright-Patterson's Alternative Fuels Certification Office was a recipient of this prestigious award.

Jeff Braun, director of the U.S. Air Force Alternative Fuels Certification Office, here led the on-going initiative to certify plant-derived biofuels for the Air Force Fleet.

"This initiative supports the Air Force's Energy Strategy for reducing demand, increasing supply, and changing the culture by addressing the need for assured domestic supplies of non-petroleum fuel," said Mr. Braun. "The Air Force is supporting its near term goal to certify its aircraft, applicable vehicles and support equipment, and associated storage and distributions infrastructure for unlimited use of a synthetic fuel blend by early 2011."

Part of the actual award write-up said, "The initiative is part of an effort to ensure that at least half of the domestic aviation fuel used by the Air Forces comprises a 50 percent blend of alternative fuel by 2016, reducing the service's dependence on oil by 25 percent. Just as important, Braun's initiative is laying the groundwork for the use of environmentally friendly biofuels in commercial aircraft."

A separate certification effort using Fischer-Tropsch derived Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene are on track for early 2011, and no performance or safety-of-flight anomalies have been determined.

Mr. Braun said, "This award underscores the USAF's commitment to advancing technologies that increase our use of renewable energy and reduce our dependence on imported oil. The dedication and contributions of numerous organizations, including the Alternative Fuels Certification Office, Air Force Research Labs, Air Force Petroleum Agency, the numerous platform Program Management Offices and Test Centers within AFMC, and our industry partners are responsible for the successes realized to date."