Air Force Materiel Command
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Air Force Materiel Command
War-Winning Capabilities … On Time, On Cost
Blended Fischer-Tropsch
and JP-8
B-52 Flight Test
Daniel R. Millman, Lt Col, USAF, Ph.D.
B-52 Project Test Pilot
Director, Hypersonic Flight Test Team
412 Test Wing, Air Force Flight Test Center
Edwards AFB, CA
15 August 2007
Integrity - Service - ExcellenceBack in Black – BUFF Style
Overview • The genesis of a flight test program • Why a B-52? • A six-step program to certification • Test results • What’s on the horizon
The Tasking Order
• SECAF request
– Demonstrate F-T fuel in
manned Air Force aircraft
by the end of FY06
– B-1B?
• Test Team Formed
– Air Force Materiel
Command, Arnold
Engineering Development
Center, Air Force
Research Laboratory, Air
Combat Command,
Oklahoma City ALC, Air
Force Petroleum Office,
Air Force Flight Test
CenterThings to ponder
• More than just a demo
– Transport (dedicated
trucks)
– Storing (dedicated
tanks)
– Material compatibility
(tanks, seals,
bladders…)
• Determine an aircraft
for testing
– Isolate fuel to single
aircraft tank
– Isolate engine(s)
Choice of aircraft may have been a bit biased…Some Key Players
2006
Circa 1994~1996
MGen
Col Bedke
Bedke
Air
Operations
Force Flight
Group
Test
Center
Commander
Commander
Mr. Wynne Edwards
Minot AFB,
AFB,NDCA Col Ingalsbe
Maj Ingalsbe
Secretary 412 TW Vice-
B-52 Test Pilot
of the Wing Commander
Edwards AFB CA
Air Force Edwards AFB CA
Lt
Capt
Col Millman
Millman
USAF
B-52 Test
Co-Pilot
Pilot
School
JP-4 to Instructor
JP-8 PM
Minot
Edwards
AFB, AFB
ND
The rest of the test team had experience converting from JP-4 to JP-8Why a B-52?
• Safety
– Ability to isolate
test fuel and feed
only 2 engines
– Manual fuel control
– 8 Engines
– TF33 non-
afterburning engineAbility to Isolate Test Fuel
#4 Test Tank
#7 & #8
Test
Engines
4 Main TanksManual Fuel Control
8 Engines
• Test at light gross weights (for a BUFF)
• Below 250,000
320,000 lbs
– Ability to climb
land with
withfour
six enginesTF-33 Engine As far as jet engines go, this is about as simple as it gets
Certification
A 6-Step Demonstration Program
• Step 1 – Preliminary Analysis
• Step 2 – Small Scale Demo
• Step 3 – Off-Aircraft Ground Test
• Step 4 – On-Aircraft Ground Test
• Step 5 – 2-Engine Flight Test
– 8 Engine Flight Test
– Cold Weather Test
• Step 6 – Inspections and ReportingStep 1 – Preliminary Analysis
• Review and compare F-T fuel
characteristics
– Review South African Airlines history
– Define F-T chemical/physical properties and
compare to JP-8
– Determine F-T/JP-8 blend ratios to
investigate
– Develop F-T supportability plan (availability,
blending, transportation, storage) for Tinker
and Edwards AFBs
• Exit Criteria
– Determine acceptable F-T/JP-8 blends
– No unacceptable engine / aircraft impacts
– Successful site surveys / no unacceptable
F-T supportability issues
– No unmitigated environmental issues to
prevent state certificationStep 2 – Small Scale Demo
• Off-aircraft testing and analysis
– Fuel soak tests (seals, hoses,
pumps, materials, etc.)
– Small scale engine demo (T63
engine)
• Exit Criteria
– Acceptable swell rates for
seals/hoses
– No unacceptable aircraft
component degradation
– No unacceptable small scale T63 Turboshaft engine (250-400 SHp)
engine impacts identified
– Successful preparation for fuels
handling/storageStep 3 – Off-Aircraft Ground Test
• F-T fuel used in off-aircraft
ground test
– Conduct TF33 engine test
cell run at Tinker AFB
– Conduct limited 50 hour
endurance run
– Assess/compare engine
operation with JP-8 baseline
– Conduct post-run engine
inspections
• Exit Criteria
– No unacceptable post-run
engine inspection issues
– Acceptable engine
performance within JP-8
parametersStep 4 – On-Aircraft Ground Test
• On-aircraft thrust stand run
with B-52H aircraft
– Demonstrate stability, thrust
response, fuel consumption,
and engine performance
• Isolate 2 engines for testing
with F-T fuel
• Compare engine operation
with baseline
• Limited instrumentation, but
sufficient for analysis
– Conduct pre- and post-test
maintenance inspections
• Exit Criteria
– Acceptable engine/ aircraft
operation with F-T fuel
• In T.O. limits and
comparable to JP-8
• No adverse inspection
resultsStep 5 – 2-Engine Flight Test
• B-52H flight
– One sortie for JP-8 baseline
– Three sorties with F-T fuel
– Surface to 40K feet, approach to
maximum speed
– Demonstrate stability, thrust
response, fuel consumption,
airstart envelope
– Limited instrumentation, but
sufficient for analysis
– Maintenance inspections
• Exit Criteria
– Acceptable on-aircraft test results
– Within T.O. limits and comparable
to JP-8
– No pilot corrective actions required
– No adverse aircraft/engine
inspection resultsFirst Flight
8-Engine Flight Test
• B-52H Flight
– JP-8 (baseline)/blended
fuel evaluated
– Complete envelope Engine
stability & thrust response
at 45K ft
– Fuel usage/performance
from 5K ft to 48K ft
– Operationally
representative maneuvers
• Exit Criteria
– Performance within T.O.
limits
– Successful post flight
inspectionsCold Weather Test
• Cold Start Tests (Minot AFB, ND)
– JP-8 (baseline) and blended fuel
evaluated
– One A/C, 8 engines instrumented,
crew instruments video recorded
fuel flow, combustor pressure, and
engine core speed
– Baseline with JP-8, then perform
starts with F-T Blend
– Cartridge alert starts/Pneumatic
starts
– Tested at -8º F
• Exit Criteria
– Acceptable cold start performance
(preliminary results show similar
performance)
– Performance within T.O. limits
(preliminary results show similar
performance)Test Results • The F-T Blend fuel resulted in no significant differences in engine operation and fuel system performance was comparable with JP-8 fuel. • Test results from this effort support the decision to certify a blend of up to 50 percent F-T fuel by volume as an acceptable alternate fuel for the B-52H aircraft and TF-33 engine.
B-52 Certification
• August 8, 2007
– A certification
process exists for
alternative fuelsOn to the rest of the fleet… • The Air Force has purchased 281,000 gallons of FT fuel for testing on the C-17A Transport and B-1B Bomber • C-17A has a modern commercial engine • B-1B has the same engine core as fighter aircraft and adds the challenge of afterburning engines
On the Horizon – Single Battlespace Fuel
Fischer-Tropsch low emissions, high stability Current and advanced gas turbine aircraft
(Jet A/JP-8 replacement)
Fuels 2.2X – 5X increase in cooling
hig
hs red
tab uce
d
No pois for
exh
High thermal stability,
ilit a
N o of
y, ust
en high c
su oni mer
do eta poll
uta
lfu
the ne, nts
r, g, le ata
>74
high H/C
rm
re
no
Si
n
ng 12
ar
le 00
om coki
Fu Bt
ss lys
at
u /l
c
el
ics g
fo bc
rt oo
he lin
n
g
t
Na
vy Army and Marine Equipment
Hydrocarbon reformers
ISP=362.5 (fuel cell power generation)
Hydrocarbon Rockets
(RP-1 replacement)
Ships
(JP-5/F-76 replacement)Where the Dream becomes Real…
Questions?
You can also read
