MIT-designed green plane to use 70 percent less fuel | Birmingham Star

MIT-designed green plane to use 70 percent less fuel

Birmingham Star (IANS) Wednesday 19th May, 2010

In what could revolutionise the aviation industry, a 'green airplane' designed by a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)-led research team is likely to use 70 percent less fuel than existing ones while slashing noise and emission of nitrogen oxides.

The design was one of two that the team, led by faculty from the MIT Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AeroAstro), presented to NASA last month as part of a $2.1 million research contract.

MIT was the only university to lead one of the six US teams that won contracts from NASA in October 2008. Ed Greitzer, professor of aeronautics and astronautics was the principal investigator of the project.

Known as 'N+3' to denote three generations beyond today's commercial fleet, the programme is aimed at identifying key technologies, such as advanced airframe configurations and propulsion systems, that will enable greener airplanes to take flight around 2035.

The team's objective was to develop concepts for, and evaluate the potential of, quieter subsonic commercial planes that would burn 70 percent less fuel and emit 75 percent less nitrogen oxides than today's commercial planes.

NASA also wanted an aircraft that could take off from shorter runways.

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