Mean & Green

Posted on 9 Jun 2009 at 17:20

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Tackling global warming may not be all about making sacrifices. Some scientists believe that intelligent technology will enable us to enjoy life and still save the planet, as Mike Bedford reports.

If you enjoy driving your car and taking foreign holidays, or you simply like to keep warm in winter, these are difficult times. It might not be too bad if all we faced were increases in air fares, road tax and fuel prices, but we also have to live with the guilt of knowing that our lifestyles are contributing to global warming. Well, times are changing and in the future it might be possible to go green with a grin on your face. Advanced technology, from cars to aircraft and from home to industry, may allow us to enjoy the lifestyle we've become accustomed to while maintaining a low carbon footprint.

Up, Up and Away

The words 'green' and 'aircraft' don't usually sit comfortably together but, according to Boeing, this is set to change. The forthcoming 787 Dreamliner, which is scheduled to make its maiden flight later this year, is poised to break new ground for fuel efficiency and lower emissions. Boeing's Nick West explains that "the 787 will produce 20 per cent less CO2 than the aircraft it replaces, namely the 767. It also has a noise footprint that is 60 per cent smaller and its nitrogen oxides will be around 28 per cent below the 2008 targets."

West also provides consumption figures for various methods of transport, measured in litres of fuel per 100 passenger kilometres, and for average levels of occupancy. Depending on the specific model, the figure for the 787 was between 2.3 and 3.6. It came as little surprise that this compared favourably with conventional road transport, with the Volvo S40 coming in at 6.4. More of an eye-opener was how close the 787 comes to forms of transport normally considered environmentally friendly - namely the Toyota Prius hybrid car, which scored 2.3, and the intercity train, which scored 2.0.

So what's the secret of the 787's low emission levels? "The improvements stem from an all-new design, but fundamentally that means efficiencies in engines, aerodynamics, the structure. This means: what the aircraft is made from and the systems on board that save weight," says West. "The common core computing system uses fibre-optics, for example, to run the onboard entertainment, communications and the key avionics systems. Using fibre-optics will save thousands of pounds in weight, which translates into less complexity in the build, less wiring and, naturally, a weight saving which in turn reduces fuel consumption."

At first sight many of the improvements may seem to owe nothing at all to computer technology, but first impressions can be deceptive. In the development of the 787 Dreamliner, Boeing made extensive use of sophisticated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software running on high-performance computing clusters. CFD uses numerical methods to solve the partial differential equations that define the flow of air over the aircraft. It wouldn't be far short of the mark to consider CFD as a virtual wind tunnel, so it's easy to see how it could be used to optimise the design of an aircraft for maximum aerodynamic efficiency.

In a strange twist, given that Formula One is anathema to many environmental campaigners, Boeing's CFD capability is the result of collaboration with the Renault F1 team. Under an agreement signed in 2004, technologists in Boeing Phantom Works (the company's advanced research and development unit) and the Renault F1 Team worked together on a number of advanced design and manufacturing technologies. "Boeing Phantom Works has been entering into research relationships around the world as part of our effort to find new technologies and processes for improving aerospace products and services," says Miller Adams, vice president of Boeing Technology Ventures, a unit of Phantom Works.