AEDC successfully tests fighter engine on alternative fuel

摘要

In February, a team of engineers at Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) in Arnold Air Force Base, TN, successfully conducted back-to-back comparative tests between JP-8 conventional jet fuel and a 50:50 blend of JP-8 and Fischer-Tropsch (FT) derived synthetic fuel (synfuel) on a General Electric F110 engine. The engine was set up with instrumentation to look for any differences in performance and operability between the fuels. Data from the test will be sent to the U.S. Air Force, helping it to certify the engine for future flight using the FT and conventional fuel blend. Aerospace Testing Alliance (ATA) Project Engineer Andrew Jackson said the synfuel evaluation and certification test is the first on an F110 engine, which powers the F-16 Fighting Falcon.