Flometrics Flys Biofuel Rocket

Flometrics, Inc. has successfully flown a liquid fueled rocket with a renewable version of JP-8. and liquid oxygen. The fuel was developed by the EERC under a DARPA contact. The fuel was supplied by Bob Allen of the Fuels and Energy branch of the Air Force Research Lab at Wright Patterson Air Force base. The 180 lb rocket was a 20 ft tall, 1 ft diameter and it was powered by a RocketDyne LR-101 rocket engine that was originally used as a steering engine on the early Atlas and Delta rockets.

Flometrics, Inc. has successfully flown a liquid fueled rocket with a renewable version of JP-8. and liquid oxygen. The fuel was developed by the EERC under a DARPA contact. The fuel was supplied by Bob Allen of the Fuels and Energy branch of the Air Force Research Lab at Wright Patterson Air Force base. The 180 lb rocket was a 20 ft tall, 1 ft diameter and it was powered by a RocketDyne LR-101 rocket engine that was originally used as a steering engine on the early Atlas and Delta rockets. The rocket performance during the 15 second long burn was better than the performance of a similar rocket using RP-1 refined kerosene rocket fuel. It reached an altitude of approximately 20,000 ft and may have exceeded Mach 1. The biofuel ran cleaner than the standard rocket fuel that has been used before. Since the biofuel was originally designed for jets, it may be possible to tune it for better performance in rocket engines.

HD video of the launch is available.

About Flometrics

Flometrics is a California corporation located in Carlsbad, California. The company is in the business of developing a rocket fuel pump for safe, affordable and environmentally friendly rocket-powered vehicles. Flometrics also performs engineering services for the aerospace, medical device and consumer products industries.

About the EERC

The EERC is recognized as one of the world’s leading developers of cleaner, more efficient energy technologies as well as environmental technologies to protect and clean our air, water, and soil. The EERC, a high-tech, nonprofit division of the University of North Dakota (UND), operates like a business and pursues an entrepreneurial, market-driven approach. Visit www.undeerc.org to learn more.

About AFRL

The AFRL is the Air Force’s only organization wholly dedicated to leading the discovery, development, and integration of warfighting technologies for our air, space, and cyberspace forces. It is a full-spectrum laboratory, responsible for planning and executing the Air Force’ science and technology program. Visit www.wpafb.af.mil/AFRL/ for more information.

Biofuel Rocket launch website: http://www.flometrics.com/rockets/Biofuel_Launch/

For more information, contact
Steve Harrington, Ph.D.
sharring@flometrics.com