How Are Future Aircraft Being Designed to Reduce Fuel Consumption?

When owning and operating a typical aircraft, one of the biggest costs that will be faced is fuel. It is estimated that it costs $10,000 in annual fuel purchases for every pound that an aircraft weighs, including any loaded personnel or cargo. Whether an aircraft is used for civil or military purposes, most modern models operate through the combustion of fuel and air mixtures to produce enough thrust to achieve lift. As such, engineers and manufacturers alike always strive to reduce the total weight of aircraft in operations, as well as make advanced designs that promote fuel efficiency. In this blog, we will discuss some of the main ways in which fuel consumption reduction is being achieved in the aviation sector.

To bolster aerodynamic efficiency for reduced fuel costs, aircraft need to minimize the amount of drag that deters momentum. There are many ways in which engineers seek to create a more aerodynamic efficient aircraft, such as the addition of thicker fuselages to increase airflow or slimmer wings to create lift while facing low drag. Winglets are also useful, those of which are small wing surfaces that lift air vertically so that the amount of air flowing around each wingtip is reduced. Another way in which drag can be combated is through a special NASA concept known as the “double bubble,” which places the engine at the top of the plane near the tail so that fuel consumption and carbon emissions are both low.

One major source of weight that many may not think about is all the electrical wiring that lines an aircraft, allowing for electrical systems and appliances to function during flight. Typically, a wide-body passenger jet may feature as much as 16,000 pounds of writing, those of which support avionics, cabin lighting, door sensors, passenger entertainment systems, and much more. To reduce the weight of wires, engineers are pondering the use of lightweight wireless transceivers that would replace wiring in non-avionic installations. Additionally, technology such as fiber optics that are lighter than copper wires can be used for systems that transfer data and information through cables.

As fuel efficiency is majorly determined by how well an engine can utilize the fuel it is provided with, the advancement of such technology is a perfect way to save money. While electric engines that operate without fuel are in development, they are still a long way off from serving larger passenger planes. Instead, engineers are currently attempting to develop more hybrid-electric engines that are lighter, allowing for operations to partially run on electricity instead of fuel. Honeywell is one company that is spearheading such endeavors, currently working on a hybrid-electric turbogenerator that has the potential of supplying multiple aircraft electrical motors.

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