A new aircraft propulsion system to cut CO2 emissions

  Air traffic volumes are projected to double by the mid-2030s, with CO2 emissions from aircraft expected to do likewise without new fuel-efficient aircraft entering the market. EU-funded researchers are exploring a propulsion method to reduce fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions – good for the environment and the industry’s competitiveness.

 

     

Europe Eyes Fuel-Saving Boundary-Layer Propulsion

Graham Warwick (Orlando, Florida)

 

Airliners with fans embedded in the tail to reenergize the fuselage wake and reduce drag are attracting interest as a potential next step in cutting the fuel burn of commercial aircraft. But there is debate over whether such designs are also a promising initial application of electric propulsion to large aircraft. NASA’s single-aisle turboelectric aircraft with aft boundary-layer propulsor concept, or STARC-ABL, is drawing attention thanks to studies indicating a 7-12% reduction in …