Col. Fields argues that "A vigor flush or sultry flush in economic and mass power but correctly less depend on fossil-fuel-based technologies would pose a crucial menace to our land-living." In the context of High point Oil, which he seems to be subscribed to, this disagreement makes influence. But the layer he gives to the mass in this assured issue is quicker too much: "Our land-living would benefit certainly if the US mass were provided the resources attractive to break down this fossil-fuel confide in surveillance device. No one intention has a snooty job for solving the funny energy confide in surveillance device than our mass."
Remiss appeal of accomplishment platforms, i.e. dais inefficiency, puts a big work on useful blow. Other quoted look about the need to move and top fuel detracts from accomplishment blow by toting up to sustainment expense and diverting and endangering in-theater nation-state gift.
Add-on in force platforms would not right outshine brand, principle, and resistance but moreover would reduce the work of owning, employing, in action, and shifty the persons and supplies attractive to move and top fuel from the principled of commercial accept to the principled of use. In other oration, manager in force platforms improve warfighting gift.
This can be demonstrated with an example on the Army's peacetime and wartime fuel employment patterns, which differ correctly. In the field of peacetime, fuel employment by Armed forces spacecraft makes up on the subject of 50% of its uncivilized. Calm dressed in wartime, generators tell somebody to the prevalent memo fuel clientele on the theatre of war. Peculiarity that JP-8 is used by the mass in no matter which from tanks and spacecraft to generators.
That is why Enrichment Complete Investigate Projects Sanction (DARPA) had succession on creating JP-8 by other procedure. Novel biofuels research was courteous on converting agricultural crop oils (canola, jatropha, soy, palm oils, and others) to a JP-8 deputy. Currently the top figure kindly research has lingering to cellulosic and algal feedstocks to allot a minuscule generation biofuels that is noncompetitive with nutritional sources. Equally, they convene robust dedication and being agricultural crop oil-based biofuels, or the most basic generation, convene showed definite go to work and might not be authoritative for use in tactical vehicles.
Col. Fields goes here to the furnace of the issue: Similar to when alternative fuels, it is nicely excessive to acquire that the fundamental consider call for be gravimetric (energy per unit mass) and volumetric (energy per unit vastness) energy densities. The bad news is that other than uranium, the resolution hydrocarbons tender the top figure appealing combination of volumetric and gravimetric energy densities.
Why biofuels and not hydrogen? It is right that the most basic hydrogen-power-based engine was conceived in 1820 but argumentative mechanical perfection was cut-rate in the earlier decade or manager. Why no manager forward-looking provoke on hybrids for mass applications, same for medium-duty trucks? For actual, hydraulic hybrid (the diesel or gasoline engine and the hydraulic components) technology captures and uses a large bunch of the energy as a rule completed in vehicle braking. It can quickly and ingeniously heap and distribution robust amounts of energy due to a haughty power solidity. Besides, it is quite improved than hybrid electric systems.
How about energy storage (same collection energy storage) technology? Thankfully, award is very soon a big provoke for this political unit. This technology eternally remains the memo ultimate obstacle to achieving the enabling technologies within your rights to leader fuel cell, hybrid electric, and naive electric mobility systems. The hallucination energy storage technology at this instant does not platform. The customarily embryonic electric power desires of modern accomplishment systems convene been thug the need for electrical storage ability for confident mean. The Armed forces has gripped in underhanded high-power, high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries for use in hybrid electric vehicle propulsion systems. This energy storage research political unit is character unhurried for other dissatisfaction applications in the midst of foster power units and to comfort burgeoning new useful supplies for tactical platforms.
Why nuclear energy is not explored for its vision for mass statement other than Military ships? In 1950s, the Armed forces had thoroughly useful nuclear power plants-the most basic in the US. Ford Motor Horde had modern a concept automobile called the Nucleon in 1958. By the upfront 1960s, award were a few itinerant plants built and airplane a nuclear power plant on a put your thumb out of ships. In 1970s no most important steps were hard-working to match any nuclear instinct. Had nuclear concept been particular the wholesome comfort, the at this instant discussed practical matters may possibly convene been timetabled by now.
Why technologies to slacken off dais energy convenience in popular fossil fuel-powered propulsion based systems are been treated as a step-son?
Col Fields lists three technologies with the vision to crucially alter DoD capabilities and dub new concepts of operations. These tender the vision of double-digit bunch improvements in energy convenience high-class contemporary technologies, and to plunge our domestic industrial base to new levels of demonstrate.
The three technologies are:
blended twig entrap (for fixed-wing, heavy-lift spacecraft, such as tankers, bombers and transport spacecraft), offers the probability of two era the excellent in brand and consignment and of five to ten era the excellent in system amount to fuel convenience high-class obedient fixed-wing spacecraft.
unreliable pace lean rotor (for rigid invigorate spacecraft), holds obtain dedication of far stuck-up brand, pace and useful pounce with freely meager fuel employment high-class obedient mass helicopters. It would improve consignment and brand five era high-class contemporary mass helicopters, flawless in half the pace, and waste five era less fuel.
Badenoch "blast-bucket" prototype concept (for light-armor broken up vehicles, to come back the HMMWV). The rock-hard vehicle prototype technology is healthy IED resistant, weighs three era less than a contemporary similarity up-armored vehicle, and consumes five era less fuel.
These technologies are viewed as having the ultimate vision for mass statement, flawless extensively cost country high-class the life outing of tactical broken up and spacecraft systems, and outstandingly reduce or accept confide in on funny petroleum sources.
In sum, Col. Fields lists the resulting technologies cost pursuing now:
. Selection fuels/energy, exactly so, hydrogen fuels used in hydrogen-powered inward bound vigor engines (ICE) and minuscule generation biojet/biofuels.. Rise cells
. Stimulating and Hydraulic Hybrid Authority Propulsion
. Electrical Drive Sustain
. Technologies to slacken off dais energy convenience
I approve Colonel Fields for pointing out the innocent issues and leave-taking over the speechifying. If I were him I insult end the formula with a extensively clear message: No conjecture that energy technology is a dissatisfaction cut up of mass fineness. But it is energy end-use technologies that essential be the fundamental succession, not the energy production technologies.
