MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics green airplane design is estimated to use 70% less fuel than conventional aircraft, while also reducing noise and nitrogen oxides (NOx). The MIT-led design hopes to win a US$2.1 (€1.7) million research contract to outline NASA’s next generation environmental and performance concepts for aeronautical research, identifying leading edge airframe and propulsion technology for use in commercial aircraft designs in 2035.
The subsonic MIT type D is quieter, more fuel-efficient (70% less fuel) and has lower emissions (75% less NOx) than existing commercial aircraft. It has a “double bubble” fuselage with two cylindrical sections joined to form the unique cross-section, and is designed to replace Boeing 737 sized aircraft on domestic flights.
Rear-mounted engines on the fuselage instead of the wings, make use of fuselage wake Boundary Layer Ingestion (BLI), allowing for lower specific fuel consumption for the same thrust. The engines are more highly loaded in this configuration but a high aspect ratio wing, plus a lower cruising speed (-10%) compared to a 737, reduces drag and improves fuel consumption.
The 350-passenger MIT type H “hybrid wing body” is a Boeing 777 sized aircraft for international flights. It has a triangular-shaped blended wing/fuselage for improved aerodynamics and makes use of lifting body control that eliminates the need for a tail-wing.
Via MIT
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