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Could there ever be a petroleum-free military?

Could there ever be a petroleum-free military?. Rosemarie Szostak, Ph.D. Program Manager DARPA/DSO. OUTLINE. 1. How much fuel does the military use? 2. The motivation for alternatives 3. Military specific challenges 4. What are the real alternatives?. The road to Talil.

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Could there ever be a petroleum-free military?

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  1. Could there ever be a petroleum-free military? Rosemarie Szostak, Ph.D. Program Manager DARPA/DSO

  2. OUTLINE 1. How much fuel does the military use? 2. The motivation for alternatives 3. Military specific challenges 4. What are the real alternatives?

  3. The road to Talil According to the Defense Logistics Agency: DoD uses 10-11 million barrels of fueleach month to sustain operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and other hot spots Transportation is the greatest use Air Force is largest user, 60% going to aircraft. Operation Iraqi Freedom Fuel comprises 70% of Army tonnage shipped

  4. Installation (electricity, natural gas, coal, gasoline) Operations—war fighting (JP-8) Energy RequirementsOperations vs. Installations Motivations for seeking alternative energy solutions Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) handles all bulk fuel purchase for DoD • Supply of cheap oil is decreasing • Military spending up 165% on bulk fuel between FY03 and FY05 • SECDEF mandate to explore alternative fuels

  5. DOD requirement for a single fuel (JP-8) for all military operations Life expectancies for procured military equipment can be up to 50 years Present cost model does not allow for system efficiency, lifecycle, or logistics to be a requirement Operations Operations & Installations CHALLENGESOperations and Installations DoDD4140.43 Old battleships never die 2001 DSB report looked at logistics $ Bulk JP-8: $1.50/gal In Baghdad: $16/gal On Afghan hillside: $400/gal! That’s how we end up with……

  6. 1. Fuel Truck 5. M1A2 Tank 6. Chinook 3. Cargo truck 2. Huey 7. Decon Apparatus 10. Apache 9. Field kitchen heaters Fuel Inefficient ‘TOP 10’ Only things that ‘shoot’ 4. Equipment truck 8. HMMV 2001 DSB report

  7. Relative Energy Densities The tricky part: any alternative fuel must have JP-8 freezing point of ~-50C for aircraft applications JP-8 Biodiesel Ethanol None of these have the necessary aircraft specs Liq H2 If H2 is proposed as a future battlefield fuel, it’s source may have to be JP-8. Today’s alternative fuels in the battlefield—Why not? One fuel rule (JP-8)

  8. The future military needs alternative strategies in addition to alternative fuels NOW Increase efficiency Reduce use Track real energy costs Need to change the cost model to reflect life-cycle, energy and logistics costs FUTURE Look for revolutionary military strategies such as moving information over materiel (doing more with less) ALSO Develop energy sources based on renewables DARPA PROGRAMS Convert waste to electricity— We generate waste, let’s use it. Requirement—90% efficient conversion to ‘fuel’ (DARPA MISER program) Fuel substitutes with identical properties to JP-8 and made from biomass (DARPA biofuels program) Solar cells for electricity generation (requirements—cheap, 50% efficient) (DARPA very high efficient solar cell program)

  9. Parting words Installations (civilian solutions) Operations—war fighting (JP-8 & more use of solar/electric, fuel flexible, increased efficiency) Fuel prices will continue to climb. Need for alternative energy and alternative strategies have never been stronger. The answers, however, will not be found in the back of a textbook. Military operations will always require energy but reliance on petroleum as the energy source can be changed. IT’S ALL ABOUT REVOLUTIONARY IDEAS

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