AFRL fuel research facility poised to offer future energy solutions

  • Published
  • By Holly Jordan
  • AFRL/RQOB
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) recently unveiled a new facility that promises to help unlock the potential of new fuel sources for both military and commercial use.

The Assured Aerospace Fuels Research Facility (AAFRF) is a highly-versatile, cutting edge facility specially designed to help fill a much-needed gap in the fuel research effort, allowing government, industry and academia researchers to produce the optimum quantities of fuel needed to perform laboratory research without resorting to full-scale production efforts. The facility is capable of producing between 10-50 gallons of alternative fuels per day, depending on the type.

Alternative fuels are a critical emerging need for both military and commercial applications. Fuels created from products such as animal waste, plant products, and other highly-renewable resources can potentially save money, lessen environmental impact, and decrease reliance on foreign oil. Since the military is currently a major consumer of conventional fossil fuels, the trend toward greater use of alternative fuels could have a significant overall impact in terms of energy security and sustainability. Commercially, research into alternative fuels could help fill a greater customer demand for "greener" energy sources.

The AAFRF features a modular design to accommodate a variety of processing methods and is highly-instrumented for maximum data generation and analysis. The facility can process alternative fuels made from a vast variety of common, renewable sources, including soy, animal waste, algae, numerous plant-based materials, and coal-derived waxes and liquids.

In addition to its use as a military research facility, the AAFRF is available for low-cost commercial research and development. According to Robert Morris, AFRL Program Manager for the AAFRF Program, the facility is a perfect solution for fuels developers looking to produce and demonstrate products at a larger-than-laboratory bench scale.

"The Assured Aerospace Fuels Research Facility offers researchers from throughout the military, industry, and academia the opportunity to develop and test their fuels, leveraging the skilled staff and resources available only in this type of full-service, collaborative environment. AFRL is extremely proud to offer this capability," Morris states.

Morris also points to the extensive safety features offered in the AAFRF, including independent safety shutdowns, air ventilation, facility alarms, audio and video monitoring, and emergency power backup systems, to name only a few.

"Safety is always first and foremost," says Morris. "Our lab is closely monitored and equipped with multiple and redundant safety features to ensure the highest degree of protection."

The AAFRF has already contributed to a number of fuel research efforts, including preparation of a specification JP-8 fuel from Fischer-Tropsch-derived wax and preparation of over two thousand gallons of two single-carbon-number, highly isomerized fuels that will be used for combustion and emissions testing and evaluation.

AFRL is pleased to discuss potential collaborative efforts with both public and private sector partners. For additional information about the facility's offerings and availability, interested parties are invited to contact the AFRL Aerospace Systems marketing department at (937) 938-4808 or AFRL.RQ.Marketing@wpafb.af.mil.