New Era of Aviation - How NASA Research Could Save Commercial Airlines Billions

NASA's researchers have developed new technologies under the Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) project that could revolutionize the aviation industry. These technologies could help reduce fuel use by half, pollution by 75%, and noise by almost 90%. That's music to our ears, isn't it?

What's more, if these technologies are implemented in the airline fleet, the impact on the industry could be enormous. In fact, experts predict that airlines could save up to $250 billion dollars between 2025 and 2050.

The ERA project was completed in 2015 after six years of research and development. During this time, NASA invested more than $400 million in the project, while industry partners contributed an additional $250 million in resources.

So, what are these groundbreaking technologies? Well, let's take a closer look at the eight major integrated technology demonstrations completed by the ERA researchers:

1. Tiny embedded nozzles blowing air over the surface of an airplane's vertical tail fin showed that future aircraft could safely be designed with smaller tails, reducing weight and drag.
2. NASA developed a new process for stitching together large sections of lightweight composite materials to create damage-tolerant structures that could be used in building uniquely shaped future aircraft that weighed as much as 20% less than a similar all-metal aircraft.
3. A radical new morphing wing technology was successfully tested, which allows an aircraft to seamlessly extend its flaps, leaving no drag-inducing, noise-enhancing gaps for air to flow through.
4. The design of the compressor stage of a turbine engine was improved, resulting in 2.5% fuel burn reduction.
5. An advanced fan design was developed to improve propulsion efficiency and reduce noise, which could reduce fuel burn by 15%.
6. An improved design for a jet engine combustor was tested to reduce the amount of nitrogen oxides produced. Tests showed reductions of up to 80% in pollution levels.
7. New design tools were developed to reduce noise from deployed wing flaps and landing gear during takeoffs and landings.
8. Studies were conducted on a hybrid wing body concept, which could potentially reduce fuel burn and noise while optimizing engine placement.

The results of these technology demonstrations were categorized and stored for future access and use by the aerospace industry. The ERA project's success and its potential impact on the aviation industry will be discussed at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Sci-Tech Conference in San Diego.

Overall, the ERA project has provided a glimpse into the future of aviation. With these new technologies, we could see a major shift towards more sustainable and environmentally-friendly air travel in the years to come.