A350-900’s increased wingspan allows it to fly between New York You can also find out more about the following: Singapore—the longest flight in the world—with just two engines. Over the last 30 year, aircraft engines are more efficient even though they use the same basic turbine technology.
The improvements include the manufacture of lighter composite engine blades that are two times stronger and lighter than titanium; improved cooling systems; sophisticated control programs which monitor vital data such as airspeed, temperature, and air pressure during flight. Also, the optimal placement of engines has been improved.
“If you look at the 747, with 4 engines—now you can provide the same amount of thrust on 2 engines that burn 20 percent to 30 percent less fuel than those engines that were produced 20 to 30 years ago,” says Cary Grant, an assistant professor of Aeronautical Science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona.
The difference is in how engines utilize airflow. The turbojet engines in older aircraft forced all air into the combustion chambers and engine core, creating thrust by ejecting the exhaust gases at high speed out the rear. This process was more energy-intensive and louder than modern engines.
Modern long-haul planes use high-bypass engine systems, which allow large volumes of air flow around the core. The thrust, then, is generated primarily by the large fan at the front of the engine—the part one can see by looking directly into it—as opposed to the exhaust shooting out the back. The design of the engine has improved as the ratio bypass air has increased.
The new engines have an amazing amount of power. General Electric’s high bypass engine GEnx which powers Dreamliner has a fuselage almost as wide as a Boeing 737. According to GE’s website, this engine has a bypass ratio of 10:1, meaning that 10 times as much air is blown around the engine instead of through the core.
The blades are also more efficient and strong thanks to computer-aided design, which allows them to rotate at speeds of 30,000 to 40.000 rpm. Grant says that structures must be able to withstand this type of rotational stress and torsion. The engine core is made of ceramic materials, which allow higher operating temperatures inside the engine than super alloys based on nickel.
Carbon fiber composites, which are lightweight materials, have been used in the wings and fuselage of aircrafts to reduce the weight. The lighter an aircraft is, the less power it requires to operate.
Aerodynamics is also improved in the overall design of these aircraft. Both the A350 and Dreamliner versions have thinner wings than previous generations. The fuselage designs are also more aerodynamic, with the Dreamliner having a dolphin-like nose.
Modern cockpit technologies reduce the workload of pilots and improve performance by simplifying control and problem solving. Today’s long-haul aircraft allow for semi-autonomous flight—in fact, the technology already exists for fully autonomous flights, even for large commercial aircraft.
The passenger experience may have improved as well, though the pace of technology may not have kept pace with the plane itself. Today’s commercial aircraft are able to control cabin humidity and air pressure.[When] Grant says that when Boeing created the 787 they were able keep the air humidified. “Just that alone is a huge improvement for people—you know, after a 9- or 10-hour flight it used to feel like you had cornflakes in your nose.”
Grant: What is the other major improvement in long-haul flight, according to Grant Today’s airline Wi-Fi It is really good.
This story was originally published on WIRED.
