Reviving supersonic passenger flights would harm the environment as the jets would likely not be able to comply with existing fuel efficiency, pollution and noise standards for subsonic aircraft, according to a study released yesterday.
US based start-ups Aerion Supersonic, Boom Supersonic and Spike Aerospace are all aiming to revive ultra-fast flights by the mid-2020s by modifying existing engines rather than spending billions of dollars to make a new one to serve a market that has been dormant since the Concorde stopped flying in 2003.
Modified engines would burn five-to-seven times more fuel per passenger than subsonic jets, exceed global limits for new subsonic jets by 40 percent for nitrogen oxide and 70 percent for carbon dioxide, the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) said.
Handout courtesy of Aerion Corp via Reuters
The ICCT said that based on its study, supersonic jet makers would be unlikely to meet environmental standards unless they used a new engine design with technology like a variable cycle that would operate differently at takeoff than in cruise mode.
The US is already pushing for different standards for ultra-fast planes, but facing resistance from European nations that want tough rules on noise.
“There are reasons to be worried about the environmental impact of reintroducing supersonic aircraft,” said Daniel Rutherford, aviation director at the US-based independent non-profit research organization.
“A modest first step is for manufacturers to commit to meeting existing standards for new aircraft,” added Rutherford, a coauthor of the ICCT study.
However, finding an efficient engine for supersonic jets is difficult in an industry that has for decades been catering to subsonic planes by improving fuel efficiency, expanding range and reducing noise.
Supersonic jets are most efficient at cruising altitude with smaller engines that are far noisier on takeoff, such as those on fighter jets.
“Even if you built something new, I think you are going to be struggling,” said Daniel Edgington-Mitchell, an aerospace engineering lecturer at Melbourne’s Monash University. “I think that is why there is such a push in the United States to reconsider the standards particularly for supersonic aircraft because it is just going to be really difficult.”
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