Seeing green: Bringing alternative energy home to warfighters

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. William Powell
  • 325th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The skyrocketing cost of oil and natural gas has been a hot issue lately all across America, and the Air Force, like many Americans, is constantly looking for ways to save money by reducing energy and fuel consumption.

The Air Force began its energy conservation program more than 20 years ago by turning down thermostats, using energy-efficient lighting and installing better insulation. But years later, after all the thermostats have been turned down and all the light bulbs changed, the service has turned to high-tech forms of energy to save money.

For the past few years, researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory's Deployed Base Systems Branch at Tyndall AFB have been developing hydrogen fuel cell reformers that convert JP-8 jet fuel into hydrogen to power generators for deployed bases.

"Current generators are so big that most of our cargo aircraft can only haul one at a time," said Reza Salavani, AFRL energy research group project manager.

His team's goal is to slash the generator's size in half or more to allow more than one generator to be transported at once, which will significantly reduce the amount of necessary sorties to establish a base in a deployed location.

But successful development of the fuel cell generators will have a far greater impact than just saving jet fuel during transportation. The result is a lighter, cleaner and cheaper energy source.

"A typical internal combustion generator only produces about 30-35 percent energy from the fuel, which means about 65 percent of the fuel is lost as heat," said Mr. Salavani. "Hydrogen fuel cells are 30 to 40 percent more efficient, which means less fuel is required to provide the same amount of power. If you start reducing like that, imagine the savings in fuel costs."

Hydrogen also burns cleaner because the byproduct of hydrogen energy is heat and water, not carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

And the Air Force is serious about protecting the environment. It is now the largest purchaser of renewable power in the federal government, accounting for 41 percent of all green power purchases by the federal government.

The AFRL researchers here are also developing more flexible, lightweight and efficient solar power panels, another green power, to integrate into deployed shelters.

Until recently, solar power was cost prohibitive, but advancements in technology have lowered development costs.

"The solar panels will generate some of the power for the load in the shelter, which reduces the demand for the diesel generators and the air conditioning units because the solar panels are absorbing the sunlight and converting it to electrical energy," said Miriam Keith, AFRL electrical engineer. "With the technology we're developing, we're looking at reducing the cost per watt around 80 percent. That's a lot less cost per watt than current technology."

While the AFRL engineers and scientists are developing alternative power sources for deployed use, Airmen at the 325th Fighter Wing have been using alternative power for years, probably without even knowing it.

Beginning as early as 1997, five different facilities and 75 housing units on base were provided with geothermal heat pump units, also known as ground-source heat pumps.

According to Gil Walker, Tyndall energy and utilities manager, heat pumps use the ground as a source of energy. During the summer months, the building is cooled by transferring the heat to the ground through a system of coils and wells, and during the winter months, heat is removed from the ground and transferred to the building.

"Because the ground temperature is relatively constant, the energy recovered is endless," said Mr. Walker.

Ground-source heat pumps cost more initially, but require less maintenance and replacement cost.

"In a salt-corrosive environment like we have at Tyndall and the Panama City area, the coils and equipment of a normal air conditioning unit corrode quickly and replacement is required frequently, normally seven to 10 years," he said. "A geothermal system could last up to 25 years and possibly longer."

But Tyndall isn't the only Air Force Base using alternative power. More than 3,500 geothermal heat pump units are in place Air Force-wide. Dyess AFB, Texas, and Fairchild AFB, Wash., receive 100 percent of their power from wind or other renewable power sources provided by local utility companies. Wind farms are being considered at other bases, as well, according to an Air Force Print News release.

The need for the alternative power sources is real. Although the Air Force continues to consume less energy each year, the costs continue to rise. This fiscal year the Air Force is expected to surpass $1 billion in energy costs, an increase of nearly $200 million from fiscal year 2004, according to Gary Hein, Air Force facility energy team manager.

However, renewable energy is the future, "because this is revolutionary technology," said Mr. Salavani. "Overall, alternative energy is a huge savings for the Air Force and the warfighters."