ecoJet - The First Eco-friendly Aircraft

Project Background

The ecoJet project is a plan to design and eventually create, the next generation of super-clean plane. The aircraft will incorporate the latest research by airframe and engine manufacturers around the world – all of which will be incorporated into an aircraft that should be in operation by 2015. It has a projected 50% CO2 reduction and a 75% NOX reduction when compared to that of the latest planes (the 737 and A320). It aims to be the first short haulage plane that is completely devoted to reducing harmful emissions.

The calculated 50% CO2 reduction is based on the findings from the latest research by the industry leaders and will come from the engines (25%), the lightweight airframe (15%) and from improvements to air traffic control technology and design (10%).
The new aircraft will include a number of key elements which will result in its exceptional performance:

• “Open-Rotor” engines provide unrivalled environmentally friendly abilities, due to there high propulsive efficiency. However such an engine is difficult to place under the relatively small wingspan, therefore they will be rear mounted.

• The plane will be designed to achieve lower cruise speeds, therefore accomplishing a better fuel consumption rate.

• A lightweight composite frame that will be constructed from aluminum and other various materials will provide a lower propulsive force to be needed.

Will the ecoJet be the first eco-friendly plane?

With the world’s ever more important need for global travel, whether it be personal, business or even a short holiday, aviation transport has witnessed a dramatic increase in the influx of flights, with a proportional increase in harmful emissions. The ever growing demand for this commercial travel is causing devastating effects on the earth’s environment. Air travel alone accounts for 3% of all carbon dioxide emissions from man-made sources, so far no aircraft has been capable of keeping this figure low or even been able to stop it increasing, hopefully the ecoJet will change this.
Photo caption

Figure 1.1
The graph of rise in CO2 emissions from the aviation industry over the past ten years clearly shows a continual increase, which is simply not acceptable and action needs to be taken to resolve this issue.

easyJet have attempted to reduce the CO2 emissions released from there aircrafts over the past ten years and have been successful. They have achieved an 18.5% decrease in CO2 emissions released from their flights. However, this advancement in technology has been left redundant beyond the ability of keeping CO2 emissions at a constant, due to society’s ever increasing demand for commercial aviation. Modern aircrafts are far more environmentally friendly than there predecessors, but have failed to cope. This statement is proven in the above graph; we can see that the aviation industry continues to increase its damaging effects on the earth’s atmosphere, despite the improvements. The question is will the ecoJet be the aircraft that can revolutionise the aviation industry and stop this continual increase in CO2 emissions? This a complex question and will require a huge leap forward in technological advancements when compared to previous easyJet models, below is a graph that supports this statement;

Photo caption

Figure 1.2

This graph shows CO2 emissions produced from easyJet aircrafts over the past ten years. Using the graph we can calculate an 18.5% decrease in emissions over this period. However, if we then compare this data with figure 1.1, we notice that over the same period of time there has been a massive 100% increase in the CO2 emissions from the aviation sector. easyJets efforts have therefore been wasted due to the huge demand in global travel. This data is worrying, as it proves or at least suggests that the ecoJet will struggle to cope with the huge influx of passengers creating more and more harmful emissions, therefore failing like its predecessors.

If the ecoJet is going to be successful then we will have to be able to analyse potential scenarios. Obviously we can’t predict the need for global travel in the future but we can evaluate the ecoJets future performance. If we suggest that the CO2 emissions from aviation transport will continue to rise over the next ten years equal to that of the previous ten years,we can then decide whether or not the ecoJet could possibly achieve the first enviromentally friendly plane. We have already stated that the ecoJet will provide a %50 decrease (halved) in CO2 emissions by 2015, and that the CO2 emissions from the aviation transport will double over the next ten years. Hopefully this will result in a cancellation of the two effects and the CO2 emissions will remain at a constant - a great step towards providing sustainable technology for future generations and ensuring that the ecoJet is the first enviromentally friendly plane.

Techinical Options

The ecoJets main contender for environmentally friendly performance from an aircraft, is the recently launched, Boeing 737 Dreamliner. The Dreamliner is another aircraft that has been developed to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Its first flight is anticipated around the end of April 2008, making it available much earlier than the ecoJet (2015). Both aeroplanes have used equivalent airframe designs, making advantage of the capability of a lightweight composite frame to reduce CO2 emissions and increase fuel economy.
However, that’s were similarities come to an abrupt end and apart from being environment friendly aeroplanes they have many differences. The Dreamliner does use advances in engine technology which will achieve an 8% increase in fuel economy, which is excellent, but seems insignificant when compared to the proposed 50% decrease of CO2 emissions from the ecoJet. The ecoJet also has many more projected features than that of the Dreamliner, for instance its uses new open rotor engines and has a lower cruising speed to reduce fuel consumption. Boeing has taken a more convenient approach to designing its aircraft with less ‘radical’ features; it shares a similar to design to most modern aircrafts.

The Dreamliner has not focused has much attention to reducing the harmful emissions as the ecoJet, they have centred some of their thoughts on providing comfort and convenience to there customers and for this they have suffered. The plane is expected to only produce a loss of CO2 emissions of 20% which is not even half of the 50% projected by the ecoJet.

The Plane or The Car?

It might not be comprehendible to believe that a plane could share the same environmental capabilities as a motor car, but the ecoJet actually produces less CO2 emissions per person than that of the average motor car. The ecoJet is simply just a mode of transportation and therefore technical alternatives such as cars can be analysed and compared. The ecoJet, being the most environmentally friendly plane, it is only fair that we compare it with the most economical car, this being the Toyota Prius. The Toyota Prius currently produces around 104g of CO2. The ecoJet has a proposed value of 47.5g of CO2 per person. Obviously this value from the ecoJet is much superior to that of the Prius, but this value is per person. If the Prius had a full car then its Co2 productions per person would be reduced to around 26g per person. However, the average occupancy of a motor car is 1.6 people, which would effectively only reduce the Co2 emissions to 65g per person. The differences between these two modes of transportation show that the ecoJet on average can achieve enhanced environmental capabilities when both are at average occupancy’s. On the other hand when the car is at full occupancy it can produce brilliantly low CO2 emissions.

It may seem unlikely that if you’re travelling on a short holiday or a business trip that the most environmentally friendly method of travel may be by plane but this in fact could be the truth. Whether to travel by car or plane for a long journey, with the environment at the forefront, I can only suggest that if you’re alone, go by plane.

Financial or enviromental?

Recent Goverment affairs have shown a proposal for a nex tax on aviation fuel and a offset of this scheme is suggestions that the only reason for the ecoJet design is to save easyJet a large amount of money on the purchasing of such fuel. One opinion states "The airlines will save some $ because the ecoJet burns less fuel, while we choke on the heat and CO2 gas these things generate just to get built", this view is archetypal of many of the public who believe the reasons behind the ecoJet are for increased profits only. The ecoJet, with its radical engine and frame improvements, will create a much improved fuel consumption rate resulting in a huge benefit towards there fuel budget and could save them millions of pounds per year. With fresh Government proposals for a fuel tax, companies such as easyJet could suffer and as a result face dramatic financial problems. Other opinions believe that the intentions of easyJet are honest and are proud that a corporate company is taking action agasint the pursing battle for a healthy enviroment . The true reasons for easyJets choice to propose the ecoJet, whether it be for environmental or financial reasons, will most likely never be known. However, one argument we can clearly state - the ecoJet has been planned and both reasons suggest there will be vast support for the ecoJet which will give the project every chance of succeeding. I must admit however, it is very coincidental that the designs for this project are released during a time of conflict over whether aviation fuel should or should not be taxed.

Environmental organisations have long argued for a tax on aviation fuel in order to force airlines to pay for the damage they cause in harmful emissions and climate change. One theory states easyJet are simply making sure they will be safe if such a tax is enforced and have no real legitimate environmental concern. However, if this is true, is it really a problem? easyJet may have only brought forward plans because of their own selfish financial concerns, but does it make a difference to the outcome? "I think the public is increasingly recognising that it is absolutely absurd for airlines to get away with paying less than 20p a litre for jet fuel." This comment from Earths aviation campaigner Paul de Zylva is typical of the pressures applied to the government bodies to introduce a fuel tax and could be interrupted as scaring companies like easyJet into action. Regardless of easyJets motive, I personally feel the foremost point to focus our attention towards is the simple fact that no matter the goal of easyJet, political and financial effects will have a benefit towards the environment for future generations.

Can others learn from the ecoJet?

The impact of the ecoJet project with respect to achieving sustainable development within the global aviation industry could be simply remarkable. The aviation industry is now an international necessity of the modern era and large companies and organizations are constantly battling to gain a foothold over there rivals. It has also been proved that the public enjoy and relish a product that has been designed and created with the environmental impact the focal point of the project. This public attitude and the industry competition could prove to be a key factor in determining if sustainable development can be achieved.

If the public approach to environmentally friendly products remains similar, then easyJet should experience a high influx of customers making use of the ecoJets abilities. This could in turn result in rival companies analysing the ecoJet and then creating a similar idea to match. Therefore many companies will produce environmentally friendly aircrafts to help to lure customers to use there services. Which could potentially create a situation which involves aircraft manufactures around the world constructing planes that produce very little harmful emissions. This possible scenario would be fantastic news for the environment and the Earths climate. It may change a global industry that for a vey long time has been contributing a vast amount of harmful pollutants, into a situation where huge corporate organizations are in contest to develop systems that will not damage future generation’s resources.

I have suggested a theory or a possible scenario that might occur as a result of the ecoJet project. If such an occurrence does take place, it will be a great success for sustainable development within the international aviation sector. Perhaps other areas of transport or sources of environment damaging nature, can learn from the ecoJet project to try and create a similar situation. Consequently the ecoJet could not only improve the quality of sustainable development within the aviation division but other areas could gain from its experience to help accomplish sustainable development worldwide.

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