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| Capturing energy direct from a plane's landing gear and recycling it for the aircraft's own use really could work. |
Tomorrow's aircraft could contribute to their power needs by harnessing
energy from the wheel rotation of their landing gear to generate
electricity.
They could use this to power their taxiing to and from airport
buildings, reducing the need to use their jet engines. This would save
on aviation fuel, cut emissions and reduce noise pollution at airports.
The feasibility of this has been confirmed by a team of engineers
from the University of Lincoln with funding from the Engineering and
Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The energy produced by a plane's braking system during landing --
currently wasted as heat produced by friction in the aircraft's disc
brakes -- would be captured and converted into electricity by
motor-generators built into the landing gear. The electricity would then
be stored and supplied to the in-hub motors in the wheels of the plane
when it needed to taxi.
'Engine-less taxiing' could therefore become a reality. ACARE (the
Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe) has made
engine-less taxiing one of the key objectives beyond 2020 for the
European aviation industry.
