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Measurement of aircraft fuel efficiency
Article By:
Lim, Dongwook School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia.
Nam, Taewoo School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia.
Kirby, Michelle School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia.
Burdette, Graham School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia.
Last reviewed:2014
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.YB140267
Air travel has become an integral part of modern society, connecting the world with predictable, rapid, and safe transport. Because fuel consumption is a significant portion of aviation operating costs, the aviation industry has been continually striving to improve aircraft fuel efficiency. With the rising global concern regarding environmental impacts, aviation fuel efficiency has received increased attention from national and international governing organizations, which have initiated significant efforts to improve fuel efficiency. Under the Fixed Wing and Environmentally Responsible Aviation programs, NASA has been identifying and evaluating technologies and future aircraft and engine architectures to reduce fuel consumption by about 50% compared to the current state of the art. To achieve the goal of 1.5% annual energy efficiency improvement across the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS) by 2020, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has invested significant resources in the Continuous Lower Emission, Energy, and Noise (CLEEN) and Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) programs. Furthermore, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is seeking global policy measures to promote further improvement in aircraft fuel efficiency by developing an aircraft carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions standard. (Because aircraft CO2 emissions are directly proportional to fuel consumption for a given fuel type, the ICAO's CO2 standard is based on aircraft fuel efficiency performance.)
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