A study of alternative fuel impacts to navy fueling infrastructure

Abstract

Energy reform in the United States Department of the Navy is currently a leading priority. Supporting reform efforts, the Honorable Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy, set a goal to sail a "Green Strike Group" composed of ships powered by alternative fuels by 2016. This report details considerations for implementing an alternative fuel for the Green Strike Group. This is accomplished by developing the requirements for an alternative fuel, analyzing several potential candidates, and recommending a preferred alternative (Fischer-Tropsch S-5). Additionally, this report describes the existing infrastructure supporting fuel distribution to Navy ships and explores options for changes necessary to support the selected alternative fuel. A notional mission profile is depicted, showing the Green Strike Group's progress from Norfolk, Virginia to the Arabian Sea and back again over the course of a 180-day deployment. A deterministic fuel estimation model and the succeeding, higher fidelity stochastic model are described, leading to the prediction of alternative fuel amount requirements and necessary geographic placement. Finally, this report concludes with the assertion that while sailing the Green Strike Group is technologically possible, significant and immediate economic investments are needed in order to realize the Secretary of the Navy's goal by 2016.