Well, it seems the solution to fuel freezing problems in
high altitude aircraft was in our jeans. Scientists at the University of Dayton
have discovered they can significantly lower the freezing temperatures of jet
fuel by treating it with urea, the main ingredient of urine. It seems a little
squirt in the gas settles out paraffin compounds left over from the refining
process. The paraffin gets thick at around minus 40 degrees and can gum up the
fuel. In the U-2, the fuel temperatures can drop to minus 135 degrees. The Air
Force beats that problem by using specially refined fuel that costs three times
as much as regular fuel. The researchers say they can treat fuel with urea for
a fraction of that cost. Maybe what's in order is a joint venture with the nation's
breweries ...
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