Why don't airplanes have hybrid engines?

Question

They want to raise the cost of tickets because the fuel costs are too high, so why not use engines that require less fuel per flight?..

Also solar panels all over the top side of the planes would seem like a no-brainer..and when the planes aren't in flight they could be hooked up to the airport power grid and it would cut power costs elsewhere too..further increasing their profits..

Answer 1

yes air fuel is going up now that the barrel of oil has risen up above 114 and thats why 4 airlines have filed for bankruptcy and some airlines have all ready risen their prices united went up like 20-40 more per ticket

boeing came up with an airplane that is more fuel efficient its also lighter and more economic for the air lane look it up its called the Boeing 787 Dream Liner

Answer 2

The weight of the batteries required to power such an enormous engine would be tremendous.  Thus, no hybrid planes.

Solar power sounds nice, but it takes way more panels than a plane can hold to power even one of those engines.

Answer 3

Not everyone who has answered this question understands the subject very well.

The simple answer is that hybrid technology is not adaptable to airplanes.  The components are too heavy, and the power output is not sufficient.  Also, there is no way to make a jet engine with hybrid or electric technology.

And solar panels would be of no use at all in an airplane.  Please take a basic course in electricity, and do some reading on the subject of aircraft engines and aircraft design.  There is a lot of information available in your library or on the internet.

Have fun!

Answer 4

As of yet the batteries would be too heavy and keep in mind an aircraft engine always pulling a load, the only time an airplane is "coasting" and charging the batteries is when it's descending.

Answer 5

We are not there technology wise yet.  Creating a plane that was fuel efficient or cheaper to operate would not cost an airline money in ticket profits.  Operating costs would be down, ticket prices would be down (still the same profit) and more people could afford to fly (increased profits).

There are people working on this solution.  Example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oNHD41ML...

A solar powered plane.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmUcpEJys...

Low budget flight vehicle (blimp-esque)

http://green.stonespiral.co.uk/?p=2968

Boeings hydrogen fuel cell powered plane.

So to answer your question.  They are working on it.

Answer 6

So you really don't understand much about electricity and hybrids then, huh?

It takes hours to charge a CAR for a 200 MILE trip.  Do you have any idea how long it would take to charge a JET for a 1000 mile trip?  

Jet engines spin incredibly fast.  Solar panels would not be able to provide enough power to keep the electric motors spinning at that speed for anywhere near the amount of time the plane's in the air.

In addition, the batteries required to store the required amount of energy for an average plane trip would be enormous, and extremely heavy.

I wouldn't plan on seeing a hybrid or electric jet-liner ever.

Answer 7

Hello, it's not a 'hybrid' thing, but Virgin Atlantic tested using biofuel  on one engine of a 747-400, it was a test flight, I think from Amsterdam Schipol to London. They're one airline that is looking for a workable solution to using fossil fuels.

But hybrid engines for jetliners are not a possibility..yet. They're still not in all cars!

And maybe I'm a bit sentimental here..but I think having solar panels on a jetliner such as a 747 would not be aerodynamically feasible, and they would make the plane look like an 'ugly duckling'...

Answer 8

The hybrid concept in cars is that the power from the braking is used to recharge batteries. Airplane do not brake while in flight; so there is absolutely no power to put in batteries.

(That also explains why hybrid are good in city driving but no better on highway).

Second, the surface of a wing of even the largest airplane (the A380) is 845 m^2. With the solar constant at 1366 W/m^2, and with the current best solar panels being 28% efficient, the power obtained would be 323 kilowatt, or 433 hp.

Compare that with the 110000 hp that a GE90 (the jet engines on a Boeing 777) gives, and we are not talking peanuts here, but speck of peanuts.

But there is more. Solar panel are heavy. And would require some mean of converting the electricity into propulsive force, which means more weight to haul around.

And those 433 hp apply only to high noon. On the equator. Fly anywhere else, and you have less. Fly at dusk, and you get much less, fly at night and you have nothing, but you still have to haul those heavy solar panels around. Or batteries, which weight much more than fuel for the same power.

There is a good reason why we don't do it: it does not work.

Answer 9

They just flew a small one seater aircraft in the USA on a fuel cell not more then a week ago. Nasa has been playing with solar powered wings for about 5 years now. Give it a look , quite interesting. The newer jets use about 30 % less fuel then 10 years ago. And they are bigger as well. not that I wouldn't  love better ticket prices.

Plugging in would already over tax a electric system in north america I would think. Probally when the oil runs out we will have to go to a better tech for everything.