Low-Emission Propulsive Technologies in Transport Aircraft

Engines are the main source of environmental emissions from aircraft, thereby attracting the attention of researchers worldwide to explore the possible improvements to current technology, since they have a strong potential for moderating these adverse environmental impacts. This chapter reviews some of the most promising technological advances and outlines the main benefits and challenges identified in the literature to assess their overall viability to advance the turbofan engine technology. The bypass flow of a turbofan engine is the main contributor to the total thrust, and at the same time, contributes to cooling the engine core. The fan blades of turbofan engines are seeing an ever-increasing use of composite materials as these allow to reduce a considerable amount of weight while maintaining structural integrity. For the next generation of commercial engines, researchers are looking to composites made from carbon fibres coated with carbon nanotubes, called carbon fibre composites.