Noah Crisler

June 22, 2019

WRTG 3030
Hybrid and Electric Aircraft: A Conscience Choice

Abstract:

The use of hybrid/fully electric engines for aircraft propulsion is not a new idea, but due

to the large success of fossil fuels in the past decades it has never been pursued as a viable option

until recently. With public concerns about the environment on the rise, the required innovation

and research has been given practically industry-wide support. The new levels of endowment in

“green” engine research indicate that the necessary technology is on the cusp of mass

implementation. Yet, with likely (initial) decreases in performance, it will be up to the public as

a consumer and a voter to encourage the industry to persist. A complete overhaul of current

fleets could both help decrease current pollution and ensure that the projected growth of

commercial aviation is ecologically and civically sensible.

Introduction:

The first generation of hybrid and fully electric aircraft is now being designed and built at

a pace that was unimaginable a decade ago. While the environment continues to deteriorate and

natural disasters increase in number and severity, the aviation industry will naturally need to lean

towards electric engine use; however, the speed at which this takes place rests in the hands of

consumers. Beyond environmental advantages, hybrid/fully electric aircraft possess the ability to

bring air travel to a larger percent of the public through decreased ticket and travel costs.

Through the conscious support of companies promising “green” change, the consumer can wield
considerable power in encouraging industry innovation. Where there is demand and financial

support, the industry will adapt to meet these market forces.

This commentary serves to not only educate on the current state of hybrid and fully

electric aircraft but to also point out the many advantages available. Additionally, the current

technological, political, and economic hurdles that limit the success of new aircraft will be

addressed. Electric flight was born in Austria in 1973; now, nearly fifty years after, progress is

just beginning to push forward. The lack of any real development in electric flight for fifty years

can be attributed to the large surplus, and hence low price, of fossil fuels that flooded the market

for decades [Ritche, 2019]. Instead of designing new electric engines and propellers, the

aerospace industry focused on creating faster and more efficient gas engines. The complete lack

of innovation in electric propulsion has significantly costed the environment while industries

continue to rake in profits from fuel-efficient, gas engines. With profit as the chief institutional

goal of a company, costly research and development is often ignored when current technology is

massively lucrative (despite harmful effects to the environment). Lacking outside pressures from

consumers and/or governments, the aerospace industry did what every other capitalist industry

does - it created a product that would make the most profit while simultaneously costing the least

amount to maintain/manufacture. In contrast to commercial aviation, is the almost complete lack

of hybrid/electric aircraft development in the military sector. With the immense size of the

United states and other leading militaries the effect of aviation on the environment in this sector

is likely not negligible. The transition to hybrid and electric aircraft in the military aviation will

face additional challenges not seen in the commercial sector due to the higher performance

standards demanded by aircraft here. Information on new aircraft in military aviation is hard to
come by and quantify, due to this it will be left out of further conversation below, but it should

not be given a pass when it comes innovation that helps the environment.

Status of Electric and Hybrid aircraft:

The current design and prototyping of electric aircraft can be broken down into three

subcategories including commercial aviation, general aviation, and immerging sectors like

VTOL air taxis/drones. Innovation in commercial aviation is something that leading airlines like

Delta, United, Emiratis, and more are extremely invested in. With over 100,000 flights per day

and estimates of 5-10% growth in the next two years, any improvement in weight, fuel efficiency

or speed can have enormous effects on the industry [Friedrich,2015]. Currently, commercial

flight accounts for roughly 2% of all greenhouse gases [ATAG, 2018], but protypes like Zunum

Aero’s twelve seat hybrid aircraft could quickly diminish that number to zero. Zunum’s twelve

seat prototype is set to fly in early 2022 and is projected to decrease the average ticket cost by

nearly 50% while concurrently decreasing the carbon footprint. Prototypes like Zunum’s small

business jet show that there are clear advantages to hybrid and electric flight, but without much

buy in from current consumers, the field faces a long journey before the technology is going to

be integrated into the fleets of larger companies. Yet researchers/engineers at Delft University of

Technology found that implementation of current battery technologies could provide larger

regional class aircraft with at least a 30% reduction in emissions and anywhere from a 30-50%

reduction in fuel used [Voskuijl, 2017].

Another sector of aviation that hybrid and electric aircraft are quickly revolutionizing is

the general aviation sector. General aviation, which includes all private single and double engine

prop aircraft used for recreational use, is the perfect fit for hybrid/electric aircraft due to the
relatively small weight and size of aircraft. Here, the current energy to weight ratio of batteries

can be implemented with much more success. The main advantage in using batteries for

propulsion of aircraft is the drastic decrease in operating cost when compared to conventional

fuels. Currently, high fuel prices have kept public pilot license levels at about one tenth of one

percent (0.1%). Decreasing the cost of flying could bring the option of civilian flight to millions

more. Another factor keeping the number of civilians flying low is the quickly decaying number

of general aviation airports across America. Often due to noise complaints, many airports near

neighborhoods are forced to shut down, but fully electric aircraft could solve this problem as

they offer the possibility of nearly silent propulsion [Gartenberg, 2017].

A third benefit, and perhaps most promising use for electric and hybrid aircraft, is the

development of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) air taxis. Much like an uber, these aircraft

would carry one to two passengers short distance around cities. Passengers would be

autonomously picked up and dropped off at their desired location, allowing them quick,

congestion free, green transportation. In a feasibility study done at the Carnegie Mellon

University, engineers found that, if the VTOL taxis were fully electric, they could reduce

congestion in major cities while remaining a cost-efficient option for the public [Fredericks,

2018]. Immerging technologies like this one could revolutionize the way our cities are traversed

and even built. Unfortunately, they face a two-front war, one with developing the needed

technology and the other with getting laws and regulations changed to allow for testing.

The current prototypes and designs listed above show serious promise for a powerful new

generation of green aircraft. Before this new generation of aircraft can replace the current one

there will need to be a large progression in battery technology. While it appears that the

automotive industry has found a battery that fits both their power and weight requirements, the
aerospace industry has not. Weight is the single most important thing when it comes to aircraft;

the planes and drones must be able to offset their own weight in addition to weight added by fuel

or cargo to fly. While current batteries could be used to assist in the cruise phase of aircraft, they

must see a large increase is power to be viable options for taking off and landing. Currently the

power to weight density of batteries is at best 500 Wh/kg, yet according to engineers, batteries

would need to increase this level to greater than 10,000 Wh/kg to be a viable power source

[Voskijl, 2017]. While this gap may seem substantial (a ratio of 20:1), looming advances in

battery technology promise to bridge this. The current research and development of a new

battery, lithium Ion, with a theorized power to weight density of 11,500 Wh/kg, would not only

bridge the gap but nearly beat the power to rate ratio of current jet fuel (13,000 Wh,kg) [Imanshi,

2014]. Current projections suggest the industry could see this battery technology as soon as

2022.

In the event that a lithium Ion battery did not meet theorized performance metrics, many

other options present themselves as possible solutions. NASA has conducted research with

moderate success in a variety of different methods to increase the viability of current battery

technology. One is wireless power transmission (WPT), with which researchers were able to

reliably transmit power from the ground to air vehicles using either microwaves or lasers

[MSFC, 2004]. Another option that has seen success from its proof of concepts is the lining of

aircraft with solar cells. Solar cells have been theorized as an option for creating renewable

power on-board aircraft since the 1950s. 25 years later researchers stated that, “Machines with

power requirements of less than 100 W/m^2 of wing area are feasible” [Irving,1974] for solar

cell flight. Then in 2016, a team of Switzerland based engineers built a quad-propeller, single

seat aircraft which was 100% powered by solar cells lined along its wings. The Solar Impulse 2
was able to circumnavigate the globe making only 16 stops for recharging. While both options

require more research and development, they prove that capitalizing on current batteries

technology is more than possible.

Electric and hybrid flight bring with them a cleaner environment and decreased travel

costs. While the 2% of global emissions caused by air traffic may not seem substantial, the large

projections for commercial flight growth could balloon that number into a much more significant

percentage. Further development of technologies would allow for a transition of commercial

fleets to clean, hybrid and electric flight prior to the increase in industry. As mentioned above,

the push for this change must come from the consumer. Companies like Boeing and Airbus can

greatly affect the speed of innovation through funding but will not do so unless pressure is placed

on them. This pressure comes from consumers using airlines that show promise of change; doing

so creates healthy competition between companies. In a study researching the leading factors that

cause a company to invest in a green future, it was found that consumer pressure and government

incentives were among the top causes for change [Bansal, 2000]. The study solidifies the effects

the government and consumer can have on industry, further proving the need for increased

public action.

The other major benefit of hybrid and electric flight is the decreased cost of air travel,

which in return promotes both world and regional travel. Less than 20% of the world has ever

flown, so cutting airfare prices nearly in half, which Zunum Aero proved possible, would

drastically increase this percentage. Granting a greater percentage of the world access to air

travel would have a cascading effect on world economies, bringing in large amounts of revenue

from both tourism and infrastructure. In addition to worldwide travel increase, the VTOL

autonomous technology mentioned earlier would likely revolutionize the era of commuting to
work. The average American commutes roughly twenty miles and thirty minutes one way each

day. VTOL aircraft prototypes like the American startup Lilium’s, with a top speed close to 200

mph, could capitalize on avoiding congested city streets and reshape how the world travels

regionally.

Conclusions:

The benefits of electric/hybrid propulsion for aircraft are tangible and crucial to both the

environment and the public. However, the industry still lacks a catalyst to strongly encourage

further innovation. This catalyst should come from either government action or consumer desire;

there must be conscious action taken to protect the environment and increase access to air travel.

As aviation continues to advance through steady innovation, it must be shaped into an industry

that benefits not just the traveler but the environment as well.
 Bibliography:

Bansal, P., and K. Roth. “Why Companies Go Green: A Model of Ecological

Responsiveness.” Academy of Management Journal, vol. 43, no. 4, 2000, pp. 717–736.,
doi:10.2307/1556363.

Facts & Figures, www.atag.org/facts-figures.html. 2018.

Friedrich, Christian. Hybrid-Electric Propulsion Systems for Aircraft. University of Cambridge, 2015

Fredericks, William L., et al. “Performance Metrics Required of Next-Generation Batteries to Electrify
Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) Aircraft.” ACS Energy Letters, vol. 3, no. 12, 2018, pp.
2989–2994., doi:10.1021/acsenergylett.8b02195.5.

Irving, F., and D. Morgan. “The Feasibility of an Aircraft Propelled by Solar Energy.” 2nd International
Symposium on the Technology and Science of Low Speed and Motorless Flight, 1974,
doi:10.2514/6.1974-1042.

Schäfer, Andreas W., et al. “Technological, Economic and Environmental Prospects of All-Electric
Aircraft.” Nature Energy, vol. 4, no. 2, 2018, pp. 160–166., doi:10.1038/s41560-018-0294-x.

Ritchie, Hannah and Max Roser - "Fossil Fuels". Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved
from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/fossil-fuels' [Online Resource].2019.

Voskuijl, Mark, et al. “Analysis and Design of Hybrid Electric Regional Turboprop Aircraft.” CEAS
Aeronautical Journal, vol. 9, no. 1, 2017, pp. 15–25., doi:10.1007/s13272-017-0272-1.

Information on aircraft and companies listed:

Zunum Aero: https://zunum.aero/

Lilium: https://lilium.com/

Solar Impulse 2: https://aroundtheworld.solarimpulse.com/adventure