Aviation, Climate Change, and Better Engine Designs: Reducing CO2 Emissions

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Aviation Industry and Climate Change in the Post-COVID World
Aircraft Engines and Reducing Emissions
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Climate change is one of the predicaments affecting the posterity and future of planet Earth. Different sectors and forces associated with the wave of globalization is contributing to this kind of transformation. Human activities and goals are directly linked to the issues affecting many communities today, such as global warming, rising sea levels, and melting polar ice. The aviation industry is also responsible for the current degradation of biological processes and the ozone layer. Emissions from aircraft remain problematic since stakeholders are yet to adopt proper mechanisms and policy initiatives to address the issue. The current research is also inadequate and fails to provide evidence-based strategies to help reduce greenhouse gas (GHCs) emissions from the aviation sector.

Aviation Industry and Climate Change in the Post-COVID World

Past scholars have presented numerous insights and findings that link aviation to the current problem of climate change. In a study by Graver et al. (2019), it emerged that aircrafts burned huge quantities of aviation gas and fuel. Jet engines were responsible for emitting carbon dioxide (CO₂), water vapor (H₂0), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur oxides (SO_x), and volatile organic compounds (Olivier et al., 2020). The presence of increasing levels of CO₂ and other oxides led to the deterioration of the ozone layer. This development has led to increasing levels of atmospheric temperatures. On top of the identified gases, aircraft engines were responsible for emitting nitrogen oxides (NO_x) that create vapor trails. Additionally, Montlaur et al. (2021) indicate that increasing levels of non- CO₂ compounds from the industry contributed to increased levels of global warming. These findings explain why most of the protocols and agreements focusing on climate change have begun to target this industry.

The wave of globalization was increasing the need for international transportation. With most the people in need of completing their journeys and tasks within the shortest time possible, aircrafts were become a favorite option for money. The massive consumption of different fuels associated with such airplanes led to the increasing level of CO₂ emissions. In another report, it occurred that the level of CO₂ emissions in Europe had increased by around 28 percent from the year 2013 to 2018 (Graver et al., 2019). During the same period, manufacturing and automobile industries had implemented proper mechanisms to reduce the level of CO₂ emissions. This trend was quite worrisome since the problems associated with climate change were worsening the lives and experiences of more people in all parts of the world.

The Paris Agreement stands out as one of the accords aimed at promoting sustainable practices and compelling stakeholders to reduce their emissions. Olivier et al. (2020) reveal that such a policy initiative offers an economy-wide guideline that is intended to integrate all industrial sectors. Analysts acknowledge that the treaty would encompass a wide range of industries, including aviation, to engage in activities that have the potential to support the fight against climate change. To improve accountability and reduce emissions, different leaders and agencies have been keen to make aviation one of the nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Such a move has the potential to encourage more countries to implement evidence-based actions towards cutting down emissions from aircrafts. The proposed effort could help reduce the possible impacts of this sector on climate change.

Before the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19), members of the European Union (EU) were worried about the impacts of aviation on the integrity of the planet. This observation compelled a number of stakeholders to consider proper strategies and bold actions to address the problem. Dinc (2021) observes that plastics associated with the sector were problematic and capable of contributing to climate change. More clients and partners in the industry were becoming aware and willing to pursue the issue of sustainability to the next level.

After COVID-19, companies in the aviation sector are keen to stretch their limits in an effort to recover losses incurred from early 2020. This new trend has compelled most the organizations to stop focusing heavily on the question of sustainability. Graver et al. (2019) believe that additional disruptions are possible that could have long-term impacts on the integrity of the natural environment. The absence of proper policies capable of holding each aviation player accountable could have detrimental implications on the future of the sector. Without practical sustainability efforts in place, the chances are high that the aviation industry would continue to remain responsible for plastic wastes and greenhouse gas emissions.

In the post-COVID world, chances are quite high more players would be on the lookout for additional strategies to maximize their gains. Without proper laws, such companies will promote unhealthy or unsustainable business practices. They will operate more flights in a day due to the increasing role of globalization in the international business environment. Such developments would occur at the expense of the environment and its sustainability. The inability to implement additional guidelines and policy agreements could worsen the situation in the coming years (Olivier et al., 2020). The current gaps explain why there is a need for aircraft engine manufacturers and operators to focus on practical strategies to reduce emissions.

Aircraft Engines and Reducing Emissions

In the post-COVID world, it is acknowledgeable that the demand for materials from foreign countries is on the rise more than ever before. This development means that more companies will be on the frontline to acquire more airlines to meet these changes in demand. Without proper measures to reduce emissions, experts agree that the problems of climate change could be more pronounced than ever before (Wise et al., 2017). These realities explain why the global community is on the frontline of considering evidence-based measures that have the potential to cut down GHC emissions from aircraft. The evidence favors additional efforts to help protect the overall integrity of the natural environment.

The available statistics show conclusively that the aviation sector is one of the leading contributors to global warming. This development is directly linked to the problematic issue of greenhouse gas emissions. For instance, Wise et al. (2017) observe that the level of CO₂ emissions has been rising steadily within the past three decades. Olivier et al. (2020) go further to indicate that the aviation sector emits around 2 percent of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere every year. The amount would be expected to increase in the post-COVID world as more players focus on the best measures to achieve their potential. The continued use of fossil fuels means that the chances of achieving sustainable consumption rates are still low.

Fortunately, analysts and researchers acknowledge that numerous opportunities exist for engine manufacturers and aircraft operators to achieve sustainable outcomes. Dinc (2021) acknowledges that the collaboration of all key stakeholders to present additional technologies for improving the level of fuel efficiency could help address the challenge. These professionals can consider evidence-based practices and examine what other regions in different parts of the world are doing to achieve acceptable sustainability goals. These efforts are capable of delivering medium-term goals and taking the globe in the right direction toward mitigating the problem of climate change.

In Europe, different scientists have partnered with leading engine manufacturers to address the challenge of CO₂ emissions. For instance, Wise et al. (2017) indicate that the improvement of fuel consumption technologies has the potential to reduce the quantity of fuel engines burn per distance covered. This achievement has the potential to deliver sustainable engines capable of helping the global community to tackle the challenge of emissions. In another project named Transition Modeling for Special Turbomachinery Applications (TATMO), engineers considered the production of fan blades for engines capable of maximizing efficiency in the engine’s low-pressure turbine (LPT) (Dinc, 2021). If achieved, scientists were convinced that the level of CO₂ emissions could reduce significantly.

The completion of these studies could help deliver desirable goals and transform the effectiveness of the industry. Specifically, most of the proposed TATMO guidelines and tools will support the delivery of superior engines that have the potential to minimize emissions. The inclusion of revolutionary blade designs for jet engines would help deliver most of these goals. Bosch et al. (2017) also believe that the new models would play a positive role in reducing the overall cost of engines. Companies involved in engine manufacturing would also take a shorter time, maximize efficiency, and make it possible for aircraft operators to save fuel. Such stakeholders would also record better sustainability goals in the post-COVID world. Additionally, most of the engines delivered through such technologies would make more airlines more competitive while addressing the current problem of climate change.

Another area analysts and engineers in this industry are taking seriously is that of soot formation. The mechanisms involved in internal combustion when jet engines are in operation could provide additional insights into reducing emissions. In turbine engines using gas, particulate matter is a common type of emission that has the potential to affect the ozone layer and the atmosphere. The buildup of soot and other particulate compounds from engines worsens the situation due to the presence of greenhouse gases. Dinc (2021) acknowledges that innovators could focus on revolutionary engine designs that are informed by the physical, gaseous, and chemical processes involved in combustion. The involvement of government agencies, academic, and industrial players could help deliver simulators and technologies to design superior engines. Such an achievement would support the production of better engines that reduce the rate at which soot is formed and emitted into the atmosphere. The end result is that the level of global warming will reduce significantly.

CFM International is another consortium that is undertaking a number of research activities to present better and superior engines for aircrafts. The involved agencies have been focusing on products capable of reducing both CO₂ and nitrogen oxides by a significant percentage (Bosch et al., 2017). The project has led to the production of gear turbofan engines that allow the fan section to move slowly while the hotter sectors operating at an optimum speed. The outcome is a powerful engine capable of delivering the much-needed thrust while at the same time helping reduce CO₂ emissions (Ogunkunle & Ahmed, 2021). Experts acknowledge that there is a need for different engineers and key agencies to collaborate and consider the need to develop engines that will address this problem. The combination of some of the available technologies could guide innovators to come up with better engines that are designed with the question of sustainability in mind.

On top of these revolutionary engine designs, past scholars have identified additional measures that could help reduce emissions and protect the integrity of the natural environment. For example, Ogunkunle and Ahmed (2021) argue that biofuel made from biomass and cooking oil could become the best substitution for fossil gases. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the U.S. developed a biofuel blend several years ago that has helped the agency minimize carbon emissions (Ogunkunle & Ahmed, 2021). The consideration of this technology could make it easier for engine manufacturers to develop similar products capable of operating optimally while using biofuel. Despite being costly, biofuels have the potential to deliver sustainable outcomes in the long-term and help protect lives from natural calamities associated with climate change.

The move to manufacture jet engines using lighter materials and increasing the gear systems could result in improved performance. Such engines will also be capable of cutting down energy demands since lighter aircrafts would become the norm (Tasca et al., 2021). Companies could also focus on newer shapes for their engines to help maximize operations while reducing their fuel needs (Dinc, 2021). The combination of shape and light materials could make such engines more stable and capable of delivering the anticipated outcomes (Tasca et al., 2021). Additionally, manufacturers could ensure that most of these new products are capable of relying on the use of biofuels. Such a revolutionary combination would help address the current problem of CO₂ emissions and take more aircraft manufacturers closer to their goals.

The next coming years will determine whether the promises to a sustainable environment would be realized on not. Key agencies in the aviation sector needs to implement powerful policies that will borrow a lot from the technical advances recorded in the field of engine production. The involved stakeholders will consider evidence-based mechanisms and systems that can help minimize emissions. This goal is favorable since the global community is suffering the impacts of continued global warming and climate change (Ogunkunle & Ahmed, 2021). In the post-COVID world, stakeholders need to integrate all key players in the global aviation industry if sustainable goals are to be recorded. Their inputs would support the manufacturing and production of revolutionary jet engines capable of maximizing efficiency while cutting down CO₂ emissions.

Conclusion

The completed research has revealed that the aviation industry is one of the key sectors responsible for global warming. The use of fossil fuels has led to increasing emissions of soot, nitrogen oxides and CO₂. The involvement of all key agencies and the implementation of revolutionary strategies could help deliver fuel efficient engines. The emerging engine designs would also help reduce emissions and eventually make the global environment more sustainable. With the post-COVID world presenting unprecedented trends in globalization, stakeholders need to pursue these efforts continuously if they are to increase their chances of protecting the planet and safeguarding it for future generations.

References

Bosch, J., De Jong, S., Hoefnagels, R., & Slade, R. (2017). Aviation biofuels: strategically important, technically achievable, tough to deliver. Grantham Institute.

Dinc, A. (2021). The effect of flight and design parameters of a turbofan engine on global warming potential. IOP Conference Series Materials Science and Engineering, 1051(1), 1-8. Web.

Graver, B., Zhang, K., & Rutherford, D. (2019). CO₂ emissions from commercial aviation, 2018. The International Council on Clean Transportation.

Montlaur, A., Delgado, L., & Trapote-Barreira, C. (2021). Analytical models for CO₂ emissions and travel time for short-to-medium-haul flights considering available seats. Sustainability, 13(18), 10401-10423. Web.

Ogunkunle, O., & Ahmed, N. A. (2021).Overview of biodiesel combustion in mitigating the adverse impacts of engine emissions on the sustainable human–Environment scenario. Sustainability, 13(10), 5465-5492. Web.

Olivier, J. G. J., & Peters, J. A. H. W. (2020). Trends in global CO₂ and total greenhouse gas emissions. PBL Netherland Environmental Assessment Agency.

Tasca, A. L., Cipolla, V., Salem, K. A., & Puccini, M. (2021). Innovative box-wing aircraft: Emissions and climate change. Sustainability, 13(6), 3282-3304. Web.

Wise, M., Muratori, M., & Kyle, P. (2017). Biojet fuels and emissions mitigation in aviation: An integrated assessment modeling analysis.Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 52(21), 244-253. Web.

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