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

According to the Defense Logistics Agency:

DoD uses 10-11 million barrels of fuel each month to sustain operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and other hot spots

Transportation is the greatest use

Operation Iraqi Freedom

Air Force is largest user, 60% going to aircraft.

Fuel comprises 70% of Army tonnage shipped

Energy RequirementsOperations vs. Installations

Installation (electricity, natural gas, coal, gasoline)

Operations—war fighting(JP-8)

Motivations for seeking alternative energy solutions

• Supply of cheap oil is decreasing

• Military spending up 165% on bulk fuel between FY03 and FY05

• SECDEF mandate to explore alternative fuels

Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) handles all bulk fuel purchase for DoD

CHALLENGESOperations and Installations

That’s how we end up with……

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

Bulk JP-8: $1.50/gal

In Baghdad: $16/gal

On Afghan hillside: $400/gal!

Old battleships never die

DoDD4140.43

2001 DSB report looked at logistics $

Fuel Inefficient ‘TOP 10’

1. Fuel Truck

3. Cargo truck

5. M1A2 Tank

6. Chinook

2. Huey

7. Decon Apparatus

8. HMMV9. Field kitchen heaters

10. Apache

Only things that ‘shoot’

2001 DSB report

4. Equipment truck

Today’s alternative fuels in the battlefield—Why not?

One fuel rule (JP-8)

If H2 is proposed as a future battlefield fuel, it’s source may have to be JP-8.

JP-8

Biodiesel

Ethanol

Liq H2

Relative Energy Densities

None of these have the necessary aircraft specs

The tricky part: any alternative fuel must have JP-8 freezing point of ~-50C for aircraft applications

The future military needs alternative strategies in addition to alternative fuels

Solar cells for electricity generation (requirements—cheap, 50% efficient)(DARPA very high efficient solar cell program)

Convert waste to electricity—We generate waste, let’s use it. Requirement—90% efficient conversion to ‘fuel’ (DARPA MISER program)

Develop energy sources based on renewables

Fuel substitutes with identical properties to JP-8 and made from biomass (DARPA biofuels program)

Increase efficiency

Reduce use

Look for revolutionary military strategies such as moving information over materiel (doing more with less)

Track real energy costs

Need to change the cost model to reflect life-cycle, energy and logistics costs

NOW

FUTURE

ALSO

DARPA PROGRAMS

Parting words

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.

IT’S ALL ABOUT REVOLUTIONARY IDEAS

Military operations will always require energy but reliance on petroleum as the energy source can be changed.

Installations (civilian solutions)

Operations—war fighting(JP-8 & more use of solar/electric, fuel flexible, increased efficiency)