“Green Aerospace”

Citation

(2008), "“Green Aerospace”", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 80 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2008.12780dab.033

“Green Aerospace”

Article Type: News and views From: Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal, Volume 80, Issue 4

For decades, safety, weight and cost were the primary concerns in the aerospace industry. Now there is a fourth consideration – the environment. To help the Canadian aerospace industry compete internationally on the basis of environmental responsibility, NCR Aerospace has launched an ambitious new research direction called “Green Aerospace.”

The demand for greener aerospace will touch all aspects of the industry, from the design of aircraft to the materials used to build and propel them. NCR Aerospace, an NRC-wide partnership to address the aerospace industry as a key sector, will work on developing environmentally sustainable industry through technologies such as nanotube composite materials, eco-friendly advanced coatings, alternative fuels and green manufacturing processes.

Fuels, in particular, will be a big factor. In fact, the airlines are already being pushed toward alternative fuels by governments, environmentalists and the industry’s rapid expansion. Working closely with industry, NCR plans to research technologies including biodiesel, ethanol, syngas or hydrogen-enriched fuels, and coal liquefaction, then help companies take them to market.

NCR spin-offs from these fuels may extend to the design of new gas turbine engines, new components to burn the fuel, and new engine coatings. “Our ultimate goal is to help the Canadian aerospace industry become even more competitive,” says NRC-IAR DG Jerzy Komorowski. “It is one of the few truly Canadian successful manufacturing industries.”

The plan is under development in consultation with major NCR Aerospace stakeholders.