Exploring Coal-Based Jet Fuel

[jpak]

http://www.airportbusiness.com/publication/article.jsp?pubId=1&id=9596

With political and economic forces creating turmoil in the petroleum market, other potential fuel sources are being explored. One is the potential to turn coal into jet fuel for aircraft, explored here. This article originally appeared in our sister publication, Ground Support Worldwide.

University researchers have successfully powered a helicopter jet engine with fuel derived from at least 50 percent bituminous coal, a percentage that could go half again as high.

"We have shown in tests that the mix can go to at least 75 percent coal," explains Harold H. Schobert, professor of fuel science and director of Penn State University's Energy Institute.

The fuel, provisionally named JP900, is produced in one of two processes under investigation by Schobert. Both processes use light cycle oil, a petroleum byproduct, and coal-derived refined chemical oil, a byproduct of the coke industry. The researchers mix those two components and then add hydrogen. When distilled, jet fuel seeps off as a distillate.

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[Deep13]

1. Northwest will make passangers shovel the coal into the jet engines.

:evilgrin:

[Atman]

3. DOH!

Great minds.......

:evilgrin:

.

[Eurobabe]

4. LMAO

[Atman]

2. The bitch is keeping the caboose from flapping around in the jet's wake

And the coal tenders have to be really, really tough. But anything's possible.

.

[Nihil]

5. Great. Make air travel even more of a planet-shagger.

> Both processes use light cycle oil, a petroleum byproduct, and
> coal-derived refined chemical oil, a byproduct of the coke industry.
> The researchers mix those two components and then add hydrogen.
> When distilled, jet fuel seeps off as a distillate.

Strikes me that the non-distillate portion (whose correct name escapes me)
will be a particularly vile toxic sludge ... wonder what their grand plan
is for that stuff?