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Why would people would consider electric for airplanes? You want maximum energy density for weight. Jet fuel is pretty damn good when scored like that. We can m

by eloff 10y ago

Why would people would consider electric for airplanes? You want maximum energy density for weight. Jet fuel is pretty damn good when scored like that. We can make synthetic jet fuel from green electricity - if the process uses carbon from the atmosphere it's carbon neutral. Granted it would be expensive, but that's neither here nor there until fossil fuels surpass that price point. I suspect well-meaning people like the idea of an electric airplane because it's greener, but FYI we live in a market economy. We will continue to extract and burn fossil fuels until it is uneconomic to do so. No matter how many people shout, no matter how much damage it does to the Earth, even if it kills us all. Markets don't care. If you have a problem with that, as I do, the only practical solution is to make fossil fuels not a cost effective alternative. Electric airplanes could be part of a solution - but only if they can compete on cost. I personally like the idea of taxing fossil fuels to factor in the negative externalities - but given the political makeup of the world as a bunch of competing nation-states, it seems unlikely. Game theory tells us there is too much incentive to be the nation state that doesn't support the agreement. Instead what I think will happen is that we'll innovate our way out of the mess by making green technologies more cost effective than fossil fuels.

sp332 10y ago
"Fortunately, electric propulsion offers some flexibility that the engineers at Cirrus did not enjoy. Unlike combustion engines, electric motors are compact and efficient. These small, light motors can be placed in many more locations on the aircraft than would be practical for a combustion engine. If applied strategically, this tactic can distribute the power production across more or larger propellers. And the greater the area swept by propellers, the more efficient and quieter they become." "The decrease in energy consumption and the elimination of the gasoline engine (and all the routine maintenance it requires) will likely reduce operating costs. What’s more, the reduction in noise level, from 92 decibels to 76 dB, should improve cabin comfort considerably. And the very high reliability of electric motors should give both pilots and passengers greater peace of mind."
glibgil 10y ago
Read the article. The motivations are made clear
stcredzero 10y ago
Why would people would consider electric for airplanes? Assuming one could build the infrastructure, beamed power for airplanes could be a huge win, given the hurdle of initial cost could be overcome so economies of scale could come into play. Much of the mass taken up by fuel could then be devoted to payload. The initial hurdles may well be too large to overcome, however, particularly for passenger service.

by eloff 10y ago

sp332 10y ago

"Fortunately, electric propulsion offers some flexibility that the engineers at Cirrus did not enjoy. Unlike combustion engines, electric motors are compact and efficient. These small, light motors can be placed in many more locations on the aircraft than would be practical for a combustion engine. If applied strategically, this tactic can distribute the power production across more or larger propellers. And the greater the area swept by propellers, the more efficient and quieter they become." "The decrease in energy consumption and the elimination of the gasoline engine (and all the routine maintenance it requires) will likely reduce operating costs. What’s more, the reduction in noise level, from 92 decibels to 76 dB, should improve cabin comfort considerably. And the very high reliability of electric motors should give both pilots and passengers greater peace of mind."

glibgil 10y ago

Read the article. The motivations are made clear

stcredzero 10y ago

Why would people would consider electric for airplanes? Assuming one could build the infrastructure, beamed power for airplanes could be a huge win, given the hurdle of initial cost could be overcome so economies of scale could come into play. Much of the mass taken up by fuel could then be devoted to payload. The initial hurdles may well be too large to overcome, however, particularly for passenger service.