May 20, 2019

Hybrid-Electric Aircraft

Listen Later

2 minutes

The commercial aviation industry is a major source of carbon dioxide emissions and, as other industries try to move towards decarbonization, its share is getting larger. But reducing emissions from aircraft is challenging because powering planes without burning fossil fuel is hard to do.

The biggest problem is that powering aircraft with electric motors

instead of fossil fuel motors requires so much energy that the batteries needed

to supply it become impractically heavy.

While research goes on to develop lighter-weight batteries, an interim

concept may pay dividends.

Just as hybrid cars represent a stepping stone towards full

electrification, hybrid-electric aircraft may be a way to obtain substantial

reductions in aircraft emissions. The

idea is to use battery-powered electric motors to power planes, but to greatly

reduce the capacity requirements of the batteries by having an on-board

fossil-fuel generator to charge the batteries and supply additional needed

power.

A study by the University of Illinois looked at the potential

emissions reductions for hybrid-electric aircraft taking into account the

emissions associated with generating the electricity that charges the batteries

in the plane. The requirements in the

study were that the plane needs to be able to carry the same number of

passengers and travel the same distance as current aircraft.

The results were that a drivetrain that gets 50% of its power from

battery charge reduced emissions by about 50% over the full lifecycle of the

plane.

As batteries get lighter and the electric grid gets greener, the

possibility of making major reductions in aircraft carbon emissions looks

increasingly realistic. But there is a

long way to go.

**********

Web Links

Study Examines Commercial Hybrid-Electric Aircraft, Reduced Carbon Emissions

Photo, posted September 26, 2014, courtesy of Jeff Turner via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

...more

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Earth Wise

By Randy Simon

4.7

1515 ratings

May 20, 2019

Hybrid-Electric Aircraft

Listen Later

2 minutes

The commercial aviation industry is a major source of carbon dioxide emissions and, as other industries try to move towards decarbonization, its share is getting larger. But reducing emissions from aircraft is challenging because powering planes without burning fossil fuel is hard to do.

The biggest problem is that powering aircraft with electric motors

instead of fossil fuel motors requires so much energy that the batteries needed

to supply it become impractically heavy.

While research goes on to develop lighter-weight batteries, an interim

concept may pay dividends.

Just as hybrid cars represent a stepping stone towards full

electrification, hybrid-electric aircraft may be a way to obtain substantial

reductions in aircraft emissions. The

idea is to use battery-powered electric motors to power planes, but to greatly

reduce the capacity requirements of the batteries by having an on-board

fossil-fuel generator to charge the batteries and supply additional needed

power.

A study by the University of Illinois looked at the potential

emissions reductions for hybrid-electric aircraft taking into account the

emissions associated with generating the electricity that charges the batteries

in the plane. The requirements in the

study were that the plane needs to be able to carry the same number of

passengers and travel the same distance as current aircraft.

The results were that a drivetrain that gets 50% of its power from

battery charge reduced emissions by about 50% over the full lifecycle of the

plane.

As batteries get lighter and the electric grid gets greener, the

possibility of making major reductions in aircraft carbon emissions looks

increasingly realistic. But there is a

long way to go.

**********

Web Links

Study Examines Commercial Hybrid-Electric Aircraft, Reduced Carbon Emissions

Photo, posted September 26, 2014, courtesy of Jeff Turner via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

...more