There are a couple of threads on the forum about this, including some by the author of one of those books.
The fuel additive was used to *increase* the radar reflectivity of the exhaust plume. Doing so hid the even more reflective parts inside the engine from view.
The Blackbird family were all designed to be difficult to intercept, not difficult to detect. It was known from the start that they would be detectable. The blackbirds were designed to use the combination of speed, altitude, and reduced RCS to increase survivability. Reduced RCS was only effective because the blackbird was flying high and fast.
"From RAINBOW to GUSTO" covers these topics extensively.
http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=360&id=1789
I think you are confusing triethylborane, which ignites when exposed to air, with the cesium based additives used in the fuel. Triethylborane was used for starting the engines, the cesium additives were used to ionize the exhaust plume and increase the radar reflection of the plume. The cesium additive did not lower the temperature of the exhaust plume.
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Thanks for the link and the feedback. I have been researching this for some time and I am interested in other perspectives.
It seems there are many myths concerning the JP-7 / cesium issue. Yes, I am quite familiar with TEB and it use.
I have never seen any references to more than one type of cesium additive. And yes, cesium is explosive on contact with water.
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The Aircrafts co-designer describes it as follows-
After they retired the Blackbirds, Ben Rich, the SR-71's co-designer and also the Director of Lockheed Skunk Works boasted in his book (memoir) titled "Skunk Works" on page 240.
"We at the Skunk Works believed that the airplane's height and speed, as well as its pioneering stealthy composite materials applied to key areas of its wings and tail, would keep it and its crew safe, but we fortified that belief by adding a special additive, which we nicknamed "panther piss", that ionized the furnace-like gas plumes streaming from the engine exhaust. The additive caused enemy infrared detectors to break up incoherently."
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The Physicist responsible for the idea, Ed Lovick, describes it so.
"A critical problem arose when the question of preventing echoes from the engine exhaust outlets was addressed. We knew that the only way to prevent such echoes was, in effect, to close the apertures. It was impractical to incorporate absorbing structures within the tail pipes."
"We had done some scaled model tests using metallic screens of several different shapes that showed promise, but we were not enthusiastic about using screens of any shape or material.
After reviewing our scaled model backscatter reduction data during the meeting, there was a discussion about how to reduce the radar echo from the huge exhaust outlets.
Dr. Bissell seemed discouraged about the chances for success. He was so concerned about the problem that he considered abandoning the project."
"Suddenly I thought of a solution. I suggested that we could put something in the fuel that would be ionized by the high exhaust gas temperatures and thereby absorb or scatter the radar energy.
My first proposal was to use cesium because, in vapor form, it has the lowest first ionization potential of all the chemical elements and therefore, would be the best source of free electrons that would do the absorption and scattering required."
Lovick goes on to say that he was told by Melvin George.
"Mel told me later that Kelly Johnson exclaimed that my suggestion may have saved the program.
Within about a week, in August of 1959, the CIA awarded a contract to design the A-12. Production of real prototype aircraft was contingent upon demonstrating a sufficiently low RCS signature by January 1960."
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The Aircraft's designer Kelly Johnson made two relevant statements in his report, History of the OXCRAT Program.
In that document around 1959, Johnson states-
Page 4.
" By this time we were working with P&W on a J58 engine. To overcome the afterburner problem of a large radar cross section return from the aft quadrant, we proposed the use of cesium additive to the fuel. This was first brought up by Mr. Ed Lovick of ADP, and its final development was passed over to P&W. It was eventually a basic part of our cross section reduction methods."
Page 9.
"We were able to prove by 1 January 1960 that our concept of shape, additive, and loaded plastic parts had enough promise to warrant going forward with the project."
http://www.foia.cia.gov/browse_docs.asp?doc_no=0001458639&no_pages=0025&showPage=0001
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My interest is to deduce the myths about this subject to a more pure perspective of history.
What does this information tell me?
Cesium was responsible for the existence of the Blackbirds.
The SR-71 Engine designer, Pratt & Whitney worked on test designs for the J-58 engine to run on poison fuel for the Navy less than two years before Oxcart statement. ????
The cesium did not ionize the exhaust plume, the high exhaust gas temperatures ionized the cesium. Cesium is the best source of free electrons, released at high temperatures which would then absorb or scatter the radar energy. The heat would break free the electrons from the cesium molecule.
Lovick suggested the use of a vaporized form of cesium. That would require storage tanks, an injection system, maintenance, servicing, etc. But, of course Kelly Johnson in no way would add the weight of such a system to his aircraft.
The other problem would that of security. A brand new top secret method of cloaking an aircraft was top secret, there was no way anyone could know about it. So that meant another reason an injection system was out of the question. The only choice left would be to have it put directly in the fuel stock.
Security levels were (SAR) Special Access Required on a "Need-to-know basis only". It is quite possible that no person in operations, even at the command level, had to know about it.
I think Mr. Lovick by suggesting it used in vapor form would also limit exposures to personnel as well as the amount of cesium required. At $35 per gram it demonstrates the extreme high cost of JP-7 which was basically kerosene.
It can also be deducted that the risk of personnel exposure was not a factor in the decision to use it. The cost savings in not paying hazardous duty pay to personnel as required by Executive Order 11157 was also not a factor in it's use.
Other notes:
As of 1985, the law creating the Right-to-Know Act made it illegal not to inform, train, and provide protective equipment to workers or personnel working around hazardous materials.
Other laws required end users of hazardous materials to provide information about the use of such materials to the CDC so as to maintain proper classifications of hazardous materials. The CDC in no way knows that cesium is a component of jet fuel.
During their lifespan the Blackbirds used in excess of 20 billion pounds of JP-7. The Major Command Levels of USAF, the CDC, the EPA, have no record of it's use in JP-7.
In 1986, Field studies at the Bikini Atoll determine that cesium becomes part of the food chain in that plants and animals absorb it in place of potassium. On that small island It cost more than 60 million dollars to reduce the absorption rate near to the same levels as potassium. At which it was determined that the cesium plume will continue to spread as long as life exist.
Less than 18 months later the SR-71 program was shut down. Most likely caused by the new regulations and the new knowledge of the materials toxicity.
The conundrum~ Thousand of contractors and defense workers were exposed to the fuel as the aircraft leaked profusely, they were experienced substantial dermal exposure, inhalation of vapors, and the burning constituents of the fuel. The aircraft operated for nearly 25 years at three or more locations. Ground and surface water was affected by the fuel and subsequently cleaned up, but no test were made to determine the extent of cesium exposure to the environment. The CDC states that more studies are needed but no ongoing studies have been located.
Since cesium becomes part of the food chain, it migrates throughout the environment resulting in false indicators in studies. Children are more susceptible to the hazardous effects of cesium. Property disclosure laws vary from state to state.
The X-51 uses JP-7, not in the amounts the SR-71 used. Could the knowledge of cesium in JP-7 affect the program?
