How Can Aircraft Engines Increase Their Efficiency?
As the aviation industry continues to seek out advanced technologies for the means of reducing emissions and the amount of fuel needed for flight, aircraft engines are constantly being improved. Beyond initiatives centered around the efficiency of fuel combustion, manufacturers also seek ways to achieve more efficient cooling and heat management to reduce the strain and wear placed on engine components as fuel is continuously burned at intense temperatures. In recent years, a number of technologies have been researched and developed for the means of creating more efficient aircraft, one of which is capable of increasing combustion efficiency, reducing heat strain, and achieving greener operations.
From the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS, professor Frank Brückner and Mirko Riede developed laser-fabricated microstructures which are capable of maintaining the service lives of thermal barrier coatings. While this assists in heat reduction, such advancements also pose to mitigate the amount of pollutant emissions expelled from an aircraft engine. The project was achieved due to close collaboration with Rolls-Royce, whom of which is a world-renowned engine manufacturer.
The technology developed by the partnership is based on additively manufactured microstructures which are relied on for the construction of Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBCs). These TBCs are then implemented on turbine components and aircraft engine parts to affix a ceramic insulating layer to an oxidation-resistant adhesion promoter layer. As many aircraft engine parts and aircraft turbine tools are damaged from expansion as a direct result of heat, the technologies designed by IWS initiate vertical segmentation cracks of the ceramic material layer so that tensile stresses are mitigated for avoiding high amounts of damage. In order to produce the microstructures that are paramount for such engine advancement, single-mode fiber lasers touting high precision are used to create microstructures as small as 30 microns.
While the insulation and microstructure technologies are capable of increasing the efficiency of an aircraft engine, they also serve to increase combustion temperature. While increasing temperatures can be thought of as detrimental, such heat will actually create more efficiency as fuel is more optimally burned. As such, fuel consumption rates can be decreased by up to ten percent and greenhouse gas emissions will be cut down as well. With the reduction of fuel consumption, aircraft operators can save upwards of $2.9 million USD every year with the implementation of such microstructures.
As of the present, the technology developed by Fraunhofer researchers and Rolls-Royce has had successful test flights in 2015, also being approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). With the completion of production-ready manufacturing, such technology has already seen implementation in long-haul aircraft such as the Airbus A350-1000. In the coming years, the partnered entities hope to see further implementation of their microstructure technology on other aircraft for the benefit and efficiency of engines.
Beyond specific changes to the engine itself, aircraft may also increase their fuel efficiency through improving aerodynamics and navigation. With the addition of winglets, flexible navigation systems, continuous climb and descent operations, lighter construction, and more, drag can be reduced while also ensuring optimal operations that expend less fuel. If you are in need of various aircraft engine parts, airframe structural materials, and other various aircraft components for increasing efficiency, look no further than Buy Aviation Parts.
Buy Aviation Parts is an online distributor of aircraft components, serving as your sourcing solution for new, used, obsolete, and hard-to-find items. With our market expertise and purchasing power, we leverage competitive pricing and rapid lead-times for the savings of our customers. Furthermore, we also offer expedited shipping for domestic and international customers with our expansive supply chain network. If you would like to begin the purchasing process, start with a quote for your comparisons which you may receive through the submission of an Instant RFQ form on our website.
Share
