Post by corsair67 on Sept 3, 2007 18:36:13 GMT 12
To save weight does this mean we might see aircraft with lino instead of carpet on board? ;D
From The Australian.
Biofuel likely as Kiwis go green
Steve Creedy | August 31, 2007.
AIR New Zealand is reducing carbon emissions with a series of innovative programs likely to include the groundbreaking use of biofuels.
The airline is working with aircraft and engine manufacturers to explore new technologies and alternative fuels.
"We've had two or three projects under way looking at biofuels," chief executive Rob Fyfe said this week. "We've got an announcement coming up in a couple of weeks in that regard but we don't want to let the cat out of the bag at the moment on that one.
"We've still got a couple of elements of the deal to lock down before we're in a position to talk formally about it."
Biofuels are of keen interest to airlines and manufacturers, but one problem had been that the energy they produced - their calorific content - was not high enough to power jet engines.
But Mr Fyfe says this is no longer the case: new technologies are emerging to produce biofuel with a much higher calorific content than traditional biodiesels.
"Some of the biofuels that are being produced now have an absolutely identical specification to the existing petroleum fuels, with the one exception that they're not petroleum," he said.
"But if you look at every other chemical characteristic, they can effectively make an equivalent fuel."
The potential use of biofuels is among a range of environmentally friendly initiatives the Kiwi carrier is exploring.
It is the launch customer for the fuel efficient, long-range Boeing 787-9 and, like many airlines, has been gradually replacing older aircraft with newer, more fuel-efficient models.
It is talking with its pilots to work out better ways of flying and says an independent review of its procedures has identified opportunities to reduce its fuel burn by a further 3 per cent.
Among them are working with traffic controller Airways New Zealand to develop improved descent profiles, and reducing the flaps setting for landings to decrease drag and boost fuel efficiency.
It is also looking at turning off auxiliary power units when the planes are on the ground and moving to ground power as quickly as possible.
"That means moving to more ground power units, but they are far, far more efficient to run than actually running the auxiliary power units in the aircraft," Mr Fyfe said.
The airline is also looking at an engine wash program to clean blades, which can improve fuel efficiency by as much as 1 per cent. Modifications to aircraft aerodynamics are expected to improve fuel efficiency on some types by up to 1 per cent.
"We're also looking at working with some (navigation) agencies at the moment around changing our flight profile between Hong Kong and London," Mr Fyfe said.
"It means we have to fly over higher terrain and that requires that you carry more oxygen on board because if you get a pressurisation problem it would take you longer to descend. You need to make sure you've got additional oxygen to support that, but by flying that particular profile, we can save about $NZ3 million ($2.58 million) a year in terms of operating costs on that route."
Other initiatives include a detailed review of the weight on board Air NZ aircraft, encompassing everything from magazines to carpets.
Mr Fyfe noted that this was largely the secret to the fuel improvement in the 787.
"There are some quite significant opportunities there and on our long-haul aircraft - a 12-hour sector, say, between here and LA - to carry a tonne of weight consumes about half a tonne of fuel," he said.
"So you have about a 50 per cent ratio there for anything you get off the aircraft."
From The Australian.
Biofuel likely as Kiwis go green
Steve Creedy | August 31, 2007.
AIR New Zealand is reducing carbon emissions with a series of innovative programs likely to include the groundbreaking use of biofuels.
The airline is working with aircraft and engine manufacturers to explore new technologies and alternative fuels.
"We've had two or three projects under way looking at biofuels," chief executive Rob Fyfe said this week. "We've got an announcement coming up in a couple of weeks in that regard but we don't want to let the cat out of the bag at the moment on that one.
"We've still got a couple of elements of the deal to lock down before we're in a position to talk formally about it."
Biofuels are of keen interest to airlines and manufacturers, but one problem had been that the energy they produced - their calorific content - was not high enough to power jet engines.
But Mr Fyfe says this is no longer the case: new technologies are emerging to produce biofuel with a much higher calorific content than traditional biodiesels.
"Some of the biofuels that are being produced now have an absolutely identical specification to the existing petroleum fuels, with the one exception that they're not petroleum," he said.
"But if you look at every other chemical characteristic, they can effectively make an equivalent fuel."
The potential use of biofuels is among a range of environmentally friendly initiatives the Kiwi carrier is exploring.
It is the launch customer for the fuel efficient, long-range Boeing 787-9 and, like many airlines, has been gradually replacing older aircraft with newer, more fuel-efficient models.
It is talking with its pilots to work out better ways of flying and says an independent review of its procedures has identified opportunities to reduce its fuel burn by a further 3 per cent.
Among them are working with traffic controller Airways New Zealand to develop improved descent profiles, and reducing the flaps setting for landings to decrease drag and boost fuel efficiency.
It is also looking at turning off auxiliary power units when the planes are on the ground and moving to ground power as quickly as possible.
"That means moving to more ground power units, but they are far, far more efficient to run than actually running the auxiliary power units in the aircraft," Mr Fyfe said.
The airline is also looking at an engine wash program to clean blades, which can improve fuel efficiency by as much as 1 per cent. Modifications to aircraft aerodynamics are expected to improve fuel efficiency on some types by up to 1 per cent.
"We're also looking at working with some (navigation) agencies at the moment around changing our flight profile between Hong Kong and London," Mr Fyfe said.
"It means we have to fly over higher terrain and that requires that you carry more oxygen on board because if you get a pressurisation problem it would take you longer to descend. You need to make sure you've got additional oxygen to support that, but by flying that particular profile, we can save about $NZ3 million ($2.58 million) a year in terms of operating costs on that route."
Other initiatives include a detailed review of the weight on board Air NZ aircraft, encompassing everything from magazines to carpets.
Mr Fyfe noted that this was largely the secret to the fuel improvement in the 787.
"There are some quite significant opportunities there and on our long-haul aircraft - a 12-hour sector, say, between here and LA - to carry a tonne of weight consumes about half a tonne of fuel," he said.
"So you have about a 50 per cent ratio there for anything you get off the aircraft."
