Aeroplanes, shower curtains and climate change‌
Professor Dame Julia King DBE FREng Kingsbury School 15th March 2013
Flight = Lift + Thrust
Lift: curved streamlines = lower pressure
The Peregrine Falcon: aerofoil wings (and more)
Wingspan: 1m Fuel: 100g per day, 10% body mass
Flight = Lift + Thrust
Thrust: Newton’s 3rd Law
MV
Equilibrium
Reaction
Thrust = Mass x Velocity (MV)
Action
Jet Engine Layout
Compressor
Combustion Chamber
Exhaust Nozzle mVjet
mvaircraft Turbine Shaft
Climate change ●
Business as usual: a high probability of global average temperature rise in excess of 4o, possibly as early as 2060
●
Europe 8o warmer,12o on hottest day: London hits summer highs of 50oC
●
Maize and wheat yields reduced by up to 40% at low latitudes
●
Rice yields down 30% in China, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia
●
2080 40% of the world’s population has less than 3 litres of water a day
Making flight more efficient Increase lift
More efficient engines Renewable fuel
Reduce drag Reduce weight
The Peregrine Falcon: drag reduction
Speed of stoop: 200 mph Wingspan: 1m Fuel: 100g per day, 10% body mass
Speed of stoop: 200mph
The most expensive aircraft ever: F111
The Bird of Prey?
Reduce drag: the morphing plane
Reduce drag: winglets
Engine efficiency: sealing
Trent 900 engine
VCOM8569
And you could find lots more solutions to making flying more efficient‌.