Environmental Issues and
the AVG “Energy Management System”

Like most industries, the airlines and aerospace community generally face a growing web of environmental regulations  that is having a major impact on our business decisions. International efforts to curb the  effects of climate change in the form of the 'Kyoto Protocol', and specifically the 'Clean Development Mechanism' (CDM) are placing directly pressures on our future thinking and technological direction.

The AVG "Energy Management System", recognises these challenges and by virtue of working process contributes towards greater Fuel efficiency, by reduced fuel consumption.

Lower Atmospheric Emissions, as a result of overall increased efficiency of the air mass motion  systems, also thus reducing Aircraft or Jet Noise. The design, manufacture and construction of the AVG  does not require industrial intensive operations, or manufacture of energy intensive exotic alloys. Indeed part construction could feasibly be achieved by using current generation recycled materials, at certain  stages of fabrication.

Fuel Efficiency

Fuel is the airline industry's second biggest expense, exceeded only by labour. The major U.S. airlines alone spend more than $10 billion a year on fuel, which is approximately 15% of total operating expenses of the industry. As a result, increased fuel efficiency has been a top priority for many years, and the  industry has made giant strides in that regard. U.S. airlines have increased fuel efficiency nearly 50% over the past two decades by:

• Lowering cruising speeds.
• Using computers to determine optimum fuel loads and to select altitudes and routes that minimise fuel burn.
• Using flight simulators rather than real aircraft for pilot training.
• Holding aircraft at gates, with engines shut down, when weather or other problems delay takeoff.
• Using only one engine to taxi.
• Keeping aircraft exteriors clean to minimise aerodynamic drag.

Most important of all, the airlines have invested, and continue to invest, billions of dollars in new aircraft and engines that are far more efficient than the models they replace. The current generation of Boeing/McDonnell-Douglas MD-80, Airbus A-320, and Boeing 737-300, for example, transport twice as many passengers per gallon of fuel than the DC-9 and earlier versions of the 737. In addition, they emit smaller amounts of the gases of concern to scientists studying global warming and other environmental trends.

Still this falls a long way short of what can be achieved by the adoption of the AVG System. Greater fuel efficiency is a key priority as we have identified, and a goal  which is clearly benefited by the function of the AVG..

Aircraft Emissions

Airline efforts to reduce emissions date back to the 1960s, with the earliest efforts focused  on reducing the highly visible smoke emitted from jet exhaust pipes. By the late 1960s, engine manufacturers developed cleaner-burning combustion chambers, and the dark streaks of smoke produced by the first generation of jets all but disappeared from view.

Contrails may be increasing the Earth's cloud cover, which could, in turn, increase global warming. A new ten-year study by French climate scientist Olivier Boucher of the Laboratoire d'Optique Atmospherique, Universite de Lille, has found a greater number of high altitude, long, fleecy cirrus clouds formed where air traffic is heaviest. A thicker blanket of high altitude clouds may increase global warming. Cirrus clouds, which form above 16,000 feet, may help to warm the planet by trapping the heat radiating  from the Earth's surface

Rising fuel prices in the 1970s led to further reductions in tailpipe emissions as airlines demanded (and got)  more fuel efficient engines and aircraft from the manufacturers. A study by the 'General Accounting Office' published in 1992 found that aircraft emissions of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide declined 85% and 70%, respectively, between 1976 and 1988 as more fuel efficient aircraft entered the fleet. Emissions of nitrogen oxide rose slightly during the period studied, by about 12%, because of the higher engine  temperatures required to increase fuel efficiency and reduce other emissions. Compared with the first generation of jets, however, today's aircraft produce less than one-quarter the total amount of these three pollutants (HC, CO, and NOx) per landing and takeoff cycle.

Hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions result from incomplete combustion at the lower power  settings used for descent, or when idling or taxiing on the ground. NOx, on the other hand, is produced when engines are at their hottest, such as during takeoffs and, to a lesser extent, during cruise, when jet  engines also produce carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapor (H2O).

While the increase in nitrogen oxide is a concern, it is important to note that aircraft emit small amounts of NOx relative to other sources - about 2-4% of total man-made NOx emissions. What's more, the engine manufacturers, the airlines, and the government are actively looking for ways to significantly reduce those emissions in the future. Since NOx results from burning petroleum products at very high temperatures, researchers are studying ways to lower the temperature inside a jet engine during high-power operations,  without jeopardising the fuel-efficiency gains and the reductions in other emissions achieved with the hotter engines. That is a real challenge, but several ideas appear promising, including new combustion chamber designs with features that lower peak temperatures at high power settings.

Aircraft emissions of carbon dioxide - the gas some scientists believe may cause global warming - also are minuscule compared to other man-made sources of CO2. Airlines account for less than 3% of total CO2 emissions from the burning of fossil fuels such as wood, gas, and oil.

To cut aircraft emissions of CO2 further, airlines would have to find a way to power their aircraft without  burning fossil fuels, which appears impossible at this time, or make further gains in fuel efficiency, which is where they continue to focus their efforts. As engines become more efficient, they use less fuel and emit less carbon dioxide for every mile flown.

Again the AVG through vast improved operating efficiencies address these inherent flaws

In existing technology. Studies will be conducted as part of the product development process to the  exactly determine the magnitude of the resulting reduced emissions. The web site will be updated as findings are derived.

Aircraft Noise

Although many people do not associate noise with pollution, the noise produced by jets has been the  airlines' biggest environmental challenge - one they have spent billions of dollars to address.

Key to their noise reduction efforts has been the development and introduction of new technology over the past 25 years. Through various design changes, airframe manufacturers have successfully reduced the noise created by the displacement of air as jets move through the sky at high speeds. In addition, engine manufacturers have made great strides in reducing noise by reducing the temperature and more importantly the velocity of engine exhaust gasses. You will learn that the AVG 'matches' the  Reaction Velocity 'V', with the Exhaust Velocity 'Vj. 

Airlines have been forced to replace the oldest, noisiest jets with new ones that incorporate the new, quieter technology. The first generation of jets, such as the Boeing 707, were replaced during the 1970s with quieter, "Stage 2" aircraft, such as the 727. Now, Stage 2 aircraft are being replaced with even quieter "Stage 3" planes, such as the 757, A320 etc

By the year 2000, only Stage 3 aircraft will be flying in the West. In 1990, US Congress adopted a plan for phasing out Stage 2 operations by the turn of the century. Airlines must either replace their Stage 2  aircraft with Stage 3 planes by that time, or retrofit their older aircraft with "hushkits" or new engines that meet the new Stage 3 noise standards.

This phase-out is an enormous undertaking, involving some 2,000 jets and more than $100 billion, but the  impact on noise and emission levels also will be great. Stage 3 jets are 50% uieter than Stage 2 aircraft, and 85% quieter than the first generation of jets.

Throughout our informative web site you will learn of the technological possibility of the AVG system and the huge benefits our vast industry may gain. We welcome any comments or Feedback you may wish to make.