Delos Aerospace has Invented an In-Wheel Electric Motor/Generator System and Method That Will Provide for Safer Landing and Ground Maneuvers of Aircraft and Eliminates the use of Jet Engines for Taxiing or Other Ground Maneuvers.
Ashburn, VA (PRWEB) March 17, 2007 — Delos Aerospace, L.L.C. Announces Technology to reduce aircraft fuel burn reducing greenhouse gas production and increase airport and aircraft capacity utilization.
The issue of aircraft ground maneuvering efficiency is associated with managing trajectories “block-to-block” which is the portion of the aircraft trajectory that is accomplished on the ground; from “the blocks to rotation” and from “touchdown to the blocks”. In todays system, these trajectory components are not efficiently conducted or managed, even though they may constitute 20-33% of the time of the average airline flight (which is 60-90 minutes).
Thus there is a need for an efficient means of conducting such block-to-block aircraft trajectories.
Our technology provides for the optimal efficiency in aircraft ground maneuvering by incorporating the use of in-wheel electric motor/generators that are capable of producing sufficient power density to effectively maneuver aircraft of any weight on the ground, and provide for safer and more effective braking of the landing gear wheels.
This revolutionary technology is a total systems integration of a fully electric landing gear and maneuvering system wherein axial flux disk motor/generators replace the old friction disk technology providing increased braking and maneuvering capability to the aircraft wherein there are many engineering benefits to eliminating the heat generated within friction based braking systems.
This fully integrated electric braking and maneuvering system and method allows for higher levels of effective braking and maneuvering capability to be applied to aircraft without the use of jet engines which is a safer and more effective braking and maneuvering system (forward, reverse and steering) than current systems used at a reduced overall weight that can also assist in takeoff thus allowing for reduced thrust levels required by the jet engines wherein these applications reduces the required fuel weight by 1200 lbs for average airline flight times of 60-90 minutes and over 4,000 lbs for larger airliners that might fly out of LaGuardia Airport for example thus directly impacting payload and range capacity.
Currently jet and turbofan aircraft require tow motors or tugs to push the aircraft backward into the designated taxiway. This is an added operational cost in ground support material and personnel for the airline or cargo operator. By eliminating the need to wait for, attach, and detach tow motors or tugs aircraft can enter and exit gates faster thus reducing between-flight turnaround times which directly impacts Airport capacity utilization and airline operators revenue. This means that on many routes, total trip times can be reduced, enabling an aircraft to make more flights per day thus increasing an airlines capital-asset utilization rate.
Our technology can provide for increases in airline operators revenue by eliminating fuel burn during ground maneuvers, reduce fuel burn at takeoff, reduce gate charges, reduce turnaround cost, and provide for reductions in MRO costs due to brake system overhauls and reduced maintenance frequency of the jet engines thus ensuring that airplanes spend more time serving passengers.
There is the added benefit of reduced air and noise pollution in and around airports thus significantly impacting the environment that is of a growing concern among many.
Overall operating cost savings from incorporating our technology are expected to total 2.6 to 2.8 million USD a year per commercial airliner aircraft.
Principal benefits of our technology include:
. Fuel savings. With our technology the primary engines need be turned on only at the end of the runway, immediately before takeoff, and can be turned off immediately after landing. Our technology will brake the aircraft upon landing by converting the kinetic energy of the aircraft into electrical power and store that electrical power onboard the aircraft using lightweight nano enhanced ultra-capacitors. The stored energy is later used to motor the aircraft wheels in the taxiways and runways. For many short-haul routes (60-90 minutes), taxiing and takeoff-waiting times can be a large fraction of total trip time 20-33%, and the fuel savings on these routes can be substantial for large commercial airline operators.
. Faster flight turnarounds. By eliminating the need to wait for, attach, and detach tow motors or tugs, aircraft can enter and exit gates faster, reducing between-flight turnaround times. This means that on many routes, total trip times can be reduced, enabling an aircraft to make more flights per day and increasing an airlines capital-asset utilization rate.
