New airplane design uses less fuel, reduces pollution

Similar to the automotive industry, aerospace industry is also a great risk to our climate. Thus, a team of designers have created a new design of an airplane that uses less fuel along with cutting down noise and air pollution.

Airplane emissions are a rising issue for the climate. Designers from Aurora Flight Sciences, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and American aerospace manufacturer Pratt and Whitney designed a new concept for commercial aircraft that they named the ‘double-bubble’ D8.

The team started working back in 2008 as a part of NASA’s N+3 program. The teams believes that once this plane is successfully manufactured and tested, it will extensively reduce noise, emissions and fuel burn associated with commercial travel, reported Futurism.

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The thing that makes D8 different from the rest passenger planes is the position of its engines. The engines are located at the top of plane’s body near its tails rather than being under the wings. Due to this, the plan’s drag is largely reduced and the fuel efficiency is enhanced.

Project co-lead Alejandra Uranga told Scientific American that the main body of the D8 (fuselage) is more wide and oval-shaped than usual planes that helps fuselage to produce more lift. Also, the plane’s tail and wings are smaller and lighter, and also, the plane has more aerodynamic nose.

With airplane emissions contributing 2-3% in global carbon dioxide emissions that are expected to double in the upcoming years, the team has claimed that the D8 can reduce fuel consumption by 66% in next 20 years. The plane’s design asks for 37% less fuel that can lead to 50% reduction in community noise levels and 87% reduction in landing and take-off cycle nitrogen oxide emissions. However, the plane will fly slower than the other aircrafts.

Done with the manufacturing and testing of 11th-scale model, the team will further built and test a half-scale prototype of D8. If all goes well, the D8 will probably be in skies by 2035.