By some estimates, about half of the U.S. military casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan are related to attacks with improvised explosive devices on convoys, many of which are carrying fuel. As of March 20, 3,426 service members had been killed by hostile fire in Iraq, 1,823 of them victims of IEDs.

“Every time you bring a gallon of fuel forward, you have to send a convoy,” said Alan R. Shaffer, director of defense research and engineering at the Pentagon. “That puts people’s lives at risk.”

Spurred by this grim reality, the Pentagon, which traditionally has not made saving energy much of a priority, has launched initiatives to find alternative fuel sources. The goals include saving money, preserving dwindling natural resources and lessening U.S. dependence on foreign sources.

“The honest-to-God truth, the most compelling reason to do it is it saves lives,” said Brig. Gen. Steven Anderson, director of operations and logistics for the Army. “It takes drivers off the road.”

Other than fueling jet engines, the largest drain on U.S. military fuel supplies comes from running generators at forward operating bases. The Pentagon says that the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have required more fuel on a daily basis than any other war in history. Since the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq began in 2001 and 2003, respectively, the amount of oil consumption at forward bases has increased from 50 million gallons to 500 million gallons a year.

To help reduce consumption, the Pentagon is using $300 million of the $7.4 billion it received from the economic stimulus package to accelerate existing programs for developing alternative fuels and saving energy.

The Pentagon is also testing the use of solar and geothermal energy to provide power at installations. The Army, for example, is partnering with a private firm to build an enormous, 500-megawatt solar farm at Fort Irwin, Calif. The farm would supply the 30 to 35 megawatts needed to operate the installation, with the remaining available for sale to the California electrical grid.

About $6 million is aimed at improving a program run by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to convert algae into jet propulsion fuel 8, or JP-8, that could power Navy and Air Force aircraft.

Other initiatives include $27 million to develop a hybrid engine the Army could use in tactical vehicles and $2 million to develop highly efficient portable fuel cells that could reduce the battery load carried by infantry soldiers.

Click here to read the entire article (Free Registration required).

Announcement & information for fourth conference-19-feb-09-1The Conference is unclassified and open to all interested participants from government, industry, academia, and media, whether associated with the defense or automotive industries. All attendees must register in advance of the Conference (there is no provision for on-site registration) at:  www.Intelligent-Vehicle.com

Conference Dates: Wednesday and Thursday, 1-2 April 2009

Time: Please see the agenda below.

Location: The National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland, and the Holiday Inn, Gaithersburg, Maryland (please see directions below)

Conference Fee: The conference fee of $300 includes Proceedings, 2 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 1 Dinner, 4 Refreshment Breaks, and a tour of the NIST Autonomous Intelligent Vehicle Laboratory.

Accommodations: Are the responsibility of the participant (see information below) Enclosed: Announcement with information on: Conference Purpose, Background, Agenda, Registration, Directions and Accommodations

Please RSVP with your Registration by 25 March 09.  Please register directly at our website:  www.Intelligent-Vehicle.com .  Please register early to ensure admittance; participation is limited.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Dr. Robert Finkelstein Robotic Technology Inc

301-983-4194 Office;

301-983-3921 Fax;

301-980-8402 Cell;  

E-mail:  BobF@RoboticTechnologyInc.com

Event Brochure

[ipaper id=12769813]