Commercial aviation is the bad student of ecology ; kerosene, a fuel used by airliners or private jets, releases enormous quantities of CO2 during its combustion, thus contributing significantly to global warming. According to Carbone4 it “rrepresented 2.6% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide in 2018, and 5.1% of anthropogenic global warming between 2000 and 2018 when we include non-CO effects.2 ». This is why the aeronautics sector is seeking to renew itself: alternative fuels, reduction of noise pollution, etc.
In this context, NASA explores avenues to transform the sector through its Advanced Aircraft Concepts for Environmental Sustainability 2050 (AACES) program. The main objective of the latter is to significantly reduce the environmental impact of aviation by 2050 by supporting the development of new types of aircraft. If the silhouette of the devices could remain familiar, their operation promises to be radically different.
Concrete innovations take off
The envelope allocated by NASA gives priority support to two projects that are already well advanced. First winner, the company Electra is a pioneer with its prototype electric plane already in the testing phase (see photo below). This grant will allow it to refine its technology and accelerate the development of more efficient electric propulsion solutions.
JetZero’s approach is just as relevant, but takes a different route. The company combines two major innovations : the use of cryogenic liquid hydrogen as fuel and a revolutionary design of the structure of the device. Named “ blended wing body » (fused body and wing), this architecture eliminates the traditional distinction between the fuselage and the wings. An architecture that will optimize aerodynamics while reducing the energy consumption of the aircraft.
A laboratory of ideas to rethink aviation
The three other recipients embarked on slightly more exploratory paths. Georgia Tech University, through its ATH2ENA program, analyzes the interaction between new fuels, propulsion systems and aircraft design.
Pratt & Whitney, an American company founded in 1860, specializing in the design, manufacturing and maintenance of aircraft engines, is also part of the program. The latter instead focuses its research on optimizing engines to reduce consumption and emissions. Latest participant in the program, Aurora Flight Sciences, a subsidiary of Boeing; she seems to benefit from total latitude to imagine the aeronautical concepts of tomorrow, without any limits.
The AACES initiative is part of a larger NASA program, Advanced Air Transport Technology, itself an integral part of the Advanced Air Vehicles Program. With these investments in fundamental research, the American space agency hopes to work towards develop more environmentally friendly commercial aviation. Although the envelope of $11.5 million may seem relatively modest, it will nevertheless allow the selected laboratories and companies to take a decisive step: take their innovations from the theoretical stage to the first tests in real conditions.
- NASA is investing in projects to reduce aviation’s carbon footprint by 2050 through the AACES program.
- Companies like Electra and JetZero are currently developing innovative prototypes powered by electric propulsion or cryogenic hydrogen.
- The total envelope released by the agency contains $11.5 million.
???? To not miss any news from Presse-citron, follow us on Google News and WhatsApp.
Related News :