LE BOURGET World air traffic has somewhat returned to pre-pandemic levels, but aviation is not what it used to be – and probably never will be.
– The fourth revolution is underway, stated the owner of the Daher company that manufactures general aviation aircraft Patrick Daher at the press conference, where the company announced that it will bring the first hybrid machines to the market in 2027.
According to Daher, the first revolution was the ability to fly, the second was the making of flying safe, and the third was the democratization of air travel.
– Now we have to become more environmentally friendly, or the alternative is to stop flying, Daher stated. Daher held a press conference at the Paris Air and Space Show, the world’s largest aerospace trade show and the main event for industry professionals this year.
The company announced that it will quadruple its research budget, and Daher is not alone: the French state and significant subsidies from the European Union are tightening the investments of aviation companies in the green transition.
For example EU Clean Aviation project will have 1.7 billion euros available by 2029 to make new generation aircraft. In industry, money moves one and a half times that amount. The EU’s goal is to make aviation carbon neutral by 2050.
Companies and research institutes in the field invest the most in the development of motor technology, because the emissions come from the motors.
In addition to traditional aviation companies, there are smaller companies and startups involved in the greening of aviation, some of which have not been involved with aviation before.
The range of companies at this year’s Paris Air Show is indeed staggering.
has previously presented electric and hydrogen-powered flying in several articles, but this article presents six other ways in which the aviation industry tries to reduce its emissions.
1. Hybrid engines
Just like in cars, also in airplanes the easiest way to reduce emissions quickly is to use hybrid technology. The ultimate goal is engines that run solely on hydrogen or electricity, but the problem with batteries is their weight, and hydrogen technology is just being developed for flying.
The exhibition features several ready-made airplanes or plans for one in which the electric motor is assisted by a traditional internal combustion engine – either a piston engine or a gas turbine.
We take off and land with an electric motor, because this way there is less noise. During the flight, the internal combustion engine can move the plane forward and at the same time charge the batteries. In an emergency, both engines can work at the same time, or if one fails, the other can bring the plane down safely.
At first, current fuels will be used as fuel. Biofuels can be switched to when more of them are available. Later, the engines can be made to run on hydrogen.
2. Flying wings
A traditional tubular aircraft with wings in the middle is not the best solution in terms of aerodynamics. In terms of fuel consumption, a more efficient solution would be a so-called flying wing – an airplane that looks like a ray – where the body that creates the lifting force is directly connected to the wings. There is no clear border between the body and the wings.
The cabin of such a plane would be substantially wider than the current ones, which can be scary for some. There would be fewer windows and the forces from flying the plane would be felt stronger. For example, when the plane curves, the outer rows of seats move meters up and down. These sensations can be reduced with interior design and computer control that smooths movement.
Aircraft manufacturer Airbus has impressively displayed such a plane as one of the possible hydrogen engines of the future.
California startup company JetZero believes that the Europeans will ultimately not have the courage to make such a machine. The company’s representatives at the show believe that traditional aircraft manufacturers want to use the traditional aircraft type for as long as possible.
JetZero, on the other hand, plans to implement its own Z4 project quickly. The prototype is supposed to be completed in 2027, and the aircraft entering service in 2030. The plane could hold about 250 passengers and fly 9,200 kilometers.
The company’s intention is to use modern jet engines, whose fuel consumption would be cut in half thanks to an aerodynamically more efficient frame.
3. Motors with high bypass flow
As one way to reduce fuel consumption, the development of a so-called open fan engine has been considered.
Modern jet engines are almost as wide as they are long. This is due to the clearly visible fan in front of them, whose task is to blow as much air as possible backwards at high speed.
In the open fan motor, the fan is made very large. In this case, it becomes like a jet engine-like propeller, which works more efficiently and contributes to reducing fuel consumption.
Such engines were studied and tested already in the 1980s, but due to technical problems, quite loud noise and moderately cheap fuel, the work was left unfinished. Now let’s try again with modern technology.
The most advanced in the development of such an engine is CFM International, a joint venture between Safran of France and General Electric of the United States. Up to 30 percent less fuel consumption Open Fan motor could be ready in the early 2030s.
The engine could use biofuel and later also hydrogen.
4. Fuel cell to produce electricity
About five percent of the fuel used by commercial aircraft is used to generate electricity. Electricity for entertainment devices, lighting, galleys and control is produced by generators in engines and in larger aircraft by so-called APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) engines.
These power generation engines are usually gas turbines at the rear of the machine.
Airbus presented the idea at the exhibition on Tuesday replace that power generation engine with efficient fuel cells that run on hydrogen. The system would be lighter and could save actual jet engines from electricity production.
The ulterior motive is also to quickly test in practice how to get hydrogen technology through the authorities’ strict airworthiness approval. Both the authorities and the companies developing hydrogen technology would benefit from this. It would be good for the greening of aviation if the approval of hydrogen devices could also be accelerated and made as routine as the approval of kerosene-powered technology is now.
Airbus plans to install fuel cells on its A330 test aircraft and start testing it in three years.
– This may seem slow, but in aviation schedules, three years is fast, he says Michael Angelowhich pulls with Airbus UpNext projectwhich studies the reduction of the environmental impact of flying.
5. Artificial intelligence in the cockpit
Airplane autopilots are already quite capable devices today, which can almost fly from one airport to another – as long as they are properly instructed to do so.
Now the autopilots follow the commands given by the pilots, but artificial intelligence will be introduced next. The autopilot is promoted to co-pilot and can provide advice in unusual situations, for example.
The artificial intelligence autopilot can also be used to fly with the most fuel. In addition, the artificial intelligence co-pilot could optimize the flight altitude in such a way that the least amount of wakes are formed. The tails left by airplanes in the sky contribute to the acceleration of the greenhouse effect.
Here again, Airbus is ahead of its American competitor Boeing in its future plans. It even plans cargo flights only by the technology of the plane and the power of one pilot.
6. Let’s do everything as quickly as possible
Even current airplanes can be flown more efficiently than they are today by utilizing as direct flight routes as possible and so-called green landings, where the plane is steered almost idle from a passenger flight to the airport.
This is currently being tested, but the decentralized and traditional air traffic control system is against the grain.
The new machines are about 20 percent more fuel-efficient than those made ten years ago. However, not all machines coming off the production lines will replace old models, because air traffic is increasing strongly. International Air Transport Association IATA anticipates that there will be 8.4 billion air passengers in the world this year, but as many as 19.3 billion in 2041.
Even an individual air passenger can not only think about flying, but also choose an airline that uses modern aircraft.
Most of the airplanes can use biofuels, so the fastest environmental benefits can be obtained by increasing the production of biofuels. in Europe aim for it, that 6 percent of aviation fuel is biofuel in 2030, 20 percent in 2035 and already 70 percent in 2050. President Joe Biden whip the US over this one.
Surprisingly, India is planning to rise from the current near zero to become a biofuel superpower soon.
The topic can be discussed until 25 June 2023 at 11 pm.