Green Engines

Engine manufacturers are investing heavily in alternative fuels and leading-edge technologies such as additive manufacturing and nanomaterials to make even greener and quieter engines

- R. Chandrakanth

THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION Organisation (ICAO) has warned that the aviation industry needs to prepare for severe disruptions as a result of climate change and that it needs to make full use of clean technology and policy tools in order to reduce its carbon footprint. ICAO’s 2016 Environmental Report says that changes to the atmosphere brought about by rising global temperatures caused by greenhouse gas emissions, will affect airplane’s ability to fly, while rising sea levels will affect airports. Impacts will include higher winds impeding the ability of aircraft to takeoff and an increase in-flight turbulence, icing and engine-threatening dust storms. With such environmental concerns, there are various organisations across continents working on sustainable alternatives.

The Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), a not-for-profit association, has stated that worldwide, flights produced 781 million tonnes of CO2 in 2015, while overall humans produced 36 billion tonnes. The global aviation industry produces around two per cent of all human-induced CO2 emissions. Aviation is responsible for 12 per cent of CO2 emissions from all transport sources compared to 74 per cent from road transport. Around 80 per cent of aviation CO2 emissions are from flights of over 1,500 km for which there is no practical alternative mode of transport.

REDUCTIONS IN FUEL BURN. The Sustainable and Green Engine (SAGE) ITD of Clean Sky demonstrates five engine technologies contributing towards the Advisory Council for Aeronautic Research in Europe (ACARE) environmental targets. There are six engine projects contained in the programme. Each one targets specific technologies and market sectors, led by a member of the European engines industry.