<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=1">Aero Environment 1 ENVIRONMENT A MAGAZINE ABOUT AV</a> IATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT FROM VOLVO AERO WINNER OF THE SWEDISH PUBLISHING AWARD CUSTOMER MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR LIGHTER VOL ENGINES CUSTOMER DEMANDS CAN PASSENGERS MAKE AVIATION CLEANER? QUIET, PLEASE! NEW ENGINES – LESS NOISE VO AERO INVESTING IN LIGHTER MATERIALS GREEN AVIATION PROJECT SMARTER LANDINGS MEAN MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL GAINS A GREENER FUTURE AVIATION INVESTING HEAVILY IN THE ENVIRONMENT
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=2">Aero Environment Page 2 2 aero | contents ENVIRONM</a> ENT A MAGAZINE ABOUT AVIATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT FROM VOLVO AERO editor & responsible under Swedish law: Fredrik Fryklund address: Volvo Aero Corporation, Dept. 1500, se-461 81 Trollhättan phone: 46 520 944 01 fax: 46 520 985 00 email: fredrik.fryklund@volvo.com editorial project management and propuction: Tidningskompaniet ab project manager: Jenny Palm design & layout: Tidningskompaniet ab www.tidningskompaniet.com repro: Tidningskompaniet ab printed by: Trydells, Laholm, 2006 translated by: Cannon Språkkonsult AB, Halmstad print run: 18,000 ex cover: Getty Images read the magazine on line at http://www.volvoaero.com 4 CONTENTS ENVIRONMENT 4 10 13 22 26 30 31 34 38 40 42 The aviation industry cuts emissions and invests in the environment Digital inventions for greener aviation Personal – four people’s views about the aviation environment Lighter engines produce fewer emissions When will the environment be a choice like price and comfort? Alternative fuels for cleaner aviation More efficient flight routes benefit the environment Global legislation for improved aviation environment Of course it’s noisy – but not as much as you think Volvo Aero investing in environmental recycling Volvo Aero has the world’s leading environmentally adapted factory 31 38 2 aero | contents ENVIRONMENT A MAGAZINE ABOUT AVIATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT FROM VOLVO AERO editor & responsible under Swedish law: Fredrik Fryklund address: Volvo Aero Corporation, Dept. 1500, se-461 81 Trollhättan phone: 46 520 944 01 fax: 46 520 985 00 email: fredrik.fryklund@volvo.com editorial project management and propuction: Tidningskompaniet ab project manager: Jenny Palm design & layout: Tidningskompaniet ab www.tidningskompaniet.com repro: Tidningskompaniet ab printed by: Trydells, Laholm, 2006 translated by: Cannon Språkkonsult AB, Halmstad print run: 18,000 ex cover: Getty Images read the magazine on line at http://www.volvoaero.com 4 CONTENTS ENVIRONMENT 4 10 13 22 26 30 31 34 38 40 42 The aviation industry cuts emissions and invests in the environment Digital inventions for greener aviation Personal – four people’s views about the aviation environment Lighter engines produce fewer emissions When will the environment be a choice like price and comfort? Alternative fuels for cleaner aviation More efficient flight routes benefit the environment Global legislation for improved aviation environment Of course it’s noisy – but not as much as you think Volvo Aero investing in environmental recycling Volvo Aero has the world’s leading environmentally adapted factory 31 38
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=3">Aero Environment Page 3 contents | aero 3 EDITORIA</a> L Our contribution might make a real difference I n recent times, the environment and climate threats have attracted increasing interest. Warning reports of different kinds are being published one after the other. At the same time, some people are claiming that climate change is due to natural fluctuations and cannot be influenced by human beings. We must hope that they are right – but I do not think we can afford to take any risks. In the general debate, flying is identified as the principal culprit. Some people claim that, if we stopped flying, we could help to save the world. I think we can all agree that we have to act to reverse the negative trend; it is first and foremost a question of reducing carbon-dioxide emissions. It is not enough, however, to do just one thing. Many different measures are needed if we are to handle this transition and this is largely a question of the way we manage our daily lives. In this context, transport is important. Do we travel sensibly? Are our cars environmentally sound? Sometimes there must be more intelligent solutions than the car. The time has also come to think about the transport that is involved in everything that surrounds us in our daily lives, such as the food we buy. I am, for example, really surprised that normal water is transported long distances to countries that already have top-class drinking water. IN THIS ANALYSIS, flying must naturally be included in the equation. It is, after all, one of many factors that contribute to carbon-dioxide emissions. At the same time, it is important to remember that flying accounts for approximately two to three per cent of the world’s carbon-dioxide emissions, so environmental problems cannot simply be resolved by people reducing their air travel. So many other things are also involved. On the other hand, it is very important that all of us in the aircraft and aircraft engine industry take our share of the responsibility very seriously and work consciously to reduce emissions. Transport will always be necessary. Nothing will improve simply because we identify someone else as a bigger environmental “hooligan”. We must invest our resources in improving the transport that is relevant to us. LIGHTWEIGHT TECHNOLOGY is one of Volvo Aero’s strengths and we can therefore see large-scale potential for helping to reduce emissions, not least when we remember that Volvo Aero’s components were installed in more than 90 per cent of the world’s aircraft that were delivered in 2006. Our contribution might therefore make a real difference and this is particularly pleasing for us as a Volvo Group company that has had “environmental concern” as one of its core values for many years. In the past, we have not communicated our expertise in the field of lightweight technology, but, in conjunction with this year’s Paris Air Show, we shall be presenting our lightweight concept, which explains the “Make It Light” advertisement on the last page. 22 13 It is also very encouraging that the Swedish Government has recognised Volvo Aero’s significance when it comes to the environment and growth and that it has therefore ensured our participation in “green” collaborative projects designed to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions from future aircraft engines. However, even more collaboration with the government is needed for it to be really effective. Finally, it is pleasing to note that the reactions to this environmental special have been very positive. The original idea was to give an honest presentation of the facts relating to flying and its impact on the environment – plus the measures that are currently being implemented. Last autumn, this magazine won the prestigious Swedish Publishing Prize and was also nominated for the “Guldbladet” (Golden Sheet) for the best journalism in the B2B (business to business) category. As nothing essential has changed since the magazine was published and, as demand for the magazine has been enormous, we have chosen to print a new edition. I hope it will give you some knowledge and understanding of the aircraft industry’s approach to environmental issues. fredrik fryklund, editor
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=4">Aero Environment The aviation industry cuts emissi</a> ons and invests in the environment 4 aero | cleaner EMISSIONS ARE BEING REDUCED Fuel consumption in aviation has fallen 50 per cent in 40 years 4 aero | cleaner EMISSIONS ARE BEING REDUCED Fuel consumption in aviation has fallen 50 per cent in 40 years
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=5">Aero Environment Page 5 cleaner | aero 5 Modern ai</a> rcraft consume less fuel per passenger than cars, and over the past 40 years fuel consumption has been almost halved. But the aviation industry has much higher ambitions than that. TEXT: Henrik Norberg ILLUSTRATION: Tidningskompaniet, Volvo Aero and Airbus Continued ➜
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=6">Aero Environment Page 6 6 aero | cleaner FUEL CONS</a> UMPTION Litre/10km/passenger fully laden 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 1960 IT’S NOW MORE than one hundred years since the first aircraft took off. Until the 1950s propeller-driven aircraft dominated the skies, but then came the jet age. Propeller-driven aircraft still exist, but are more common on smaller aircraft, with a maximum speed of around 500 km per hour and they are best suited for short-haul flights. Jet aircraft use more fuel, but are much faster at around 850–900 km per hour. Fuel consumption is the reason for aircraft emissions and the aviation industry is therefore working hard to develop aircraft and their engines. The industry has come a long way in this effort and rapid technical development means that aircraft of the future will be even more environmentally adapted. As the graph above shows, fuel consumption Boeing 737-100 Boeing 737-300 Airbus A300 Boeing 767-200 Boeing 767-300 Boeing 747-400 1970 Litre/10 km/passenger 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 -26% Volvo V70 0,46 A330 0,34 1980 1990 litre. Comparing a Volvo V70 with an Airbus A330, the aircraft consumes 26 per cent less fuel per passenger than the car. Calculations are based on the aircraft being 75 per cent full, which is the median load of aircraft today, while the car is calculated with driver and passenger for mixed driving. LESS NOISE Fuel consumption with average load per passenger. has fallen dramatically over the years. Aircraft today now consume 0.2 of a litre per passenger per 10 km. In the 1960s this figure was 0.6 of a Emissions have also fallen considerably. More efficient combustion has led to emissions of carbon monoxide falling by 80 per cent, hydrocarbons and particles by 60 per cent. In the latest aircraft, engineers have also succeeded in cutting emissions of nitric oxide by 60 per cent. Apart from emissions, aviation affects the environment in the form of noise pollution. Major
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=7">Aero Environment Page 7 cleaner | aero 7 Airbus A3</a> 40-300 Airbus A380 Airbus A320 Boeing 737-800 Boeing 787-3 ACARE New Boeing 737/Airbus A320 Airbus A350-900 Boeing 787-9 2000 Forecast ➜ It is estimated that just 20,000 people are affected by aircraft noise in Sweden. This is compared to road noise affecting 1,600,000 people and train noise affecting 400,000 people. GREAT CONTRIBUTIONS Airbus A350, which is under development, is one of the aircraft with 15-25 per cent lower fuel consumption than its predecessor. Others include the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Boeing 747-8. improvements have also been made in this area. A modern, average size aircraft makes just half as much noise as a modern high-speed train. The aviation industry has contributed greatly to improving the environment, with modern engines running more fuel-efficiently, quieter and cleaner than older engines. Aircraft currently represent about two per cent of the global carbon dioxide emissions. And 13 per cent of the transport sector’s carbon dioxide emissions come from aviation. There are still many challenges ahead. Increased air-traffic, combined with the longevity of aircraft will mean that the industry’s environmental impact will increase if nothing is done. “The most effective way of cutting the environmental impact of aviation is to replace older aircraft with new ones. But we can also improve older aircraft with new technology, such as by fitting mufflers or “hush kits” to cut noise levels, or exchange the engines’ combustion chambers with new models with less nitric oxide emissions. Sometimes completely new engines are put onto older aircraft, which has been done on the Boeing 747-8, which is now considerably more fuel-efficient,” says Robert Lundberg, Marketing Director at Volvo Aero. Considerable research is underway among aero engine manufacturers to produce new technical solutions to reduce emissions. The ANTLE, CLEAN and VITAL programmes in Europe aim to develop technologies for future engine generations. The Continued ➜ 2010 2020
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=8">Aero Environment Page 8 8 aero | cleaner Advisory </a> Council of Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE) is an organisation that aims to develop a European aviation strategy. ACARE’s environmental objectives for 2020 are as follows: ■ fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions to fall by 50 per cent ■ noise to fall by 50 per cent ■ nitric oxide emissions to fall by 80 per cent These objectives might seem ambitious, but according to Robert Lundberg the chance of success is good. “We will achieve our objectives. But it will require considerable research and ACARE estimates that the research investment must increase by 70 per cent to achieve these objectives.” MANY CONTRIBUTORY FACTORS There are many ways of reducing emissions. Future engines will have bigger fans in relation to the rest of the engine. This makes it more important to use lightweight materials such as carbon-fibre composites for fan casings. By putting heat exchangers in the engines’ exhaust. for example, or an intercooler in the compressor, fuel consumption, and thereby emissions of carbon dioxide, can be cut dramatically. Another area of development is to develop an engine with a geared fan making the fan slower without the turbine slowing down. This kind of engine would be quieter and more efficient, with lower fuel consumption. Apart from the engine, the fuselage also affects emissions. There is constant research to reduce air resistance and weight. Lightweight materials are also important here, and new electrical controls will also reduce weight. As new engines and aircraft are developed there are many aspects that must be considered and engineers need to strike a well-judged balance. The goal is less weight because it leads to lower fuel consumption and emissions. But the flipside of the coin is that an aircraft that is too light can be rickety and weak, and thereby jeopardise safety, meaning increased risk of crashes. By increasing the pressure in the engine’s combustion chamber, carbon dioxide emissions can be cut, but this increases the emissions of nitric oxide. These are examples of the issues that new research can help to find answers to. But as previously mentioned, more research will be required. EFFICIENT AIR-TRAFFIC CONTROL In addition to new technology, major environmental improvements can be obtained through improved air-traffic control. Closer frequency of take-offs and landings, combined with more direct routes lead to lower fuel consumption. Airlines are constantly looking to reduce fuel consumption and have worked for many years to fill their aircraft as much as possible, have shorter waiting times for take-offs and landings and use flight simulators to train pilots. μ POLLUTION CAUSED BY AVIATION Aircraft emit exhaust gases and particles. Burning aviation fuel produces combustion products such as carbon dioxide and water vapour. These are the main emissions, and other emissions account for just thousandths or hundredths of these. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitric oxide (NOx) are considered to be the biggest contributors to the greenhouse effect. Carbon dioxide (CO2) Carbon dioxide is the biggest contributor to the greenhouse effect. It forms during all combustion of hydrocarbon fuels. Carbon dioxide has long-term effects because of its long lifecycle. Water vapour (H2O) Water vapour is also produced during combustion. It has a relatively insignificant effect on the troposphere, which is the lowest layer of the atmosphere, at an altitude of 10-15 km. Vapour trails – the white lines behind an aircraft – appear in the stratosphere and are thought to be the reason for the increased global appearance of cirrus clouds. Carbon monoxide (CO) Almost all the carbon in the fuel oxidises to become carbon dioxide. But a fraction of the combustion is incomplete and sometimes results in carbon monoxide that eventually leads to the formation of ozone (O3). Nitrous oxide (NOx) The extreme temperature in the combustion chamber leads to the build up of nitrous oxide. This contributes to acidification and eutrophication and to ground ozone (O3). NOx also contributes to the greenhouse effect. Soot and particles Soot and particles are waste products. Sulphate particles have a cooling effect on the atmosphere, but can indirectly contribute towards increased heat due to the possible build-up of vapour trails and cirrus cloud formation. Soot absorbs heat and thereby contributes towards the greenhouse effect.
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=9">Aero Environment Page 9 cleaner | aero 9 HOW A JET</a> ENGINE WORKS The jet engine can be simply compared to a balloon. If you inflate and let go of a balloon you see how the air, or jet stream, makes it fly away. The fan, compressor, combustion chamber and turbine are the main components of a jet engine. ILLUSTRATION: GENERAL ELECTRIC Fan The fan sucks in huge amounts of air into the engine. Compressor The compressor compresses the air that is then channelled into the combustion chamber. Combustion chamber The combustion chamber’s job is to heat the combustion gases before they go to the turbine. Combustion occurs when the aviation fuel is finely mixed in the front section of the combustion chamber, the primary zone. The remaining fuel is combusted in the remaining zones until it reaches the turbine intake. The heated gases expand in the turbine. THE FUEL FORMS CARBON DIOXIDE and water upon complete combustion in air. But combustion isn’t always complete and that causes the build up of unwanted emissions of carbon monoxide (CO) and uncombusted hydrocarbons (UHC). Upon combustion at extreme temperatures, nitrogen reacts with oxygen in the air to form nitrous oxide (NOx), which is another unwanted emission. When new jet engines are developed engineers want to optimise the combustion process to minimise unwanted exhaust emissions. The emission of carbon monoxide and uncombusted hydrocarbons is reduced mainly by improving the mixture of fuel and air in the combustion process. However, NOx emissions require the development of new combustion concepts. The main Turbine The turbine drives the compressor and the fan. The air stream emitted by the turbine and the fan propels the aircraft forward. focus today is to create conditions in the combustion chamber so that combustion can occur under homogenous fuel and air conditions. This means that the absolute highest temperatures can be avoided (NOx forms at high temperatures). Another way to reduce NOx emissions is to allow combustion to develop slowly, i.e. with the excess air, which lowers the combustion temperature. μ
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=10">Aero Environment Digital inventions for greener av</a> iation 10 aero | it solution digital ideas that make aviation cleaner 10 aero | it solution digital ideas that make aviation cleaner
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=11">Aero Environment Page 11 it solution | aero 11 It </a> might not be obvious, but making aviation more environmentally adapted can now be achieved virtually. Aero Environmental Special has done some investigation and found everything from clever bumps on the wings to sharkskin. TEXT: Jonas Rydin 1 Emission calculator SAS HAS AN EMISSION CALCULATOR on its website where you can calculate how much fuel will be used and how much pollution is emitted for each flight. If for example you fly from Göteborg to London you personally contribute to using around 55.4 litres of fuel and releasing 139.6 kg of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The above example is calculated on a Boeing 737-600 in the SAS European fleet. The Emission Calculator can be found at www.sasgroup.net. Click on the sustainability menu. Paperless MORE PEOPLE are booking their flights via the internet. Besides being a simple procedure, this also contribute to the aviation industry’s reduced environmental impact. Instead of using paper tickets the ticket is created in cyberspace. At the gate the passengers just give their booking 3 Sharkskin THE STRUCTURE OF SHARKSKIN reduces water resistance by 10 per cent. A group of researchers at Chalmers in Göteborg are working to understand exactly why the structure reduces resistance. The researchers are looking for the optimal structure to then test it on for example, an aircraft wing. 2 Studying the pattern of sharkskin is not a new concept, but the method that the researchers are using to build up and test different structures is new. The team is using the same technology that the electronics industry has developed for making microchips. This makes it possible to create a microstructure on silicon discs, where the smallest parts of the pattern are as fine as a strand of hair. The minute scale of the structure means that test equipment for checking friction doesn’t need to be big, which has been the case in previous experiments. The size of the water testing-tank must be 10,000 to 100,000 times bigger than the structure being tested. Researchers at Chalmers use water testing-tanks that are just 30 cm long. The technology makes it possible to complete many tests at relatively low cost. Continued ➜ number or swipe their flight card equipped with a magnetic strip. Paperless bookings over the internet save many tonnes of paper. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=12">Aero Environment Page 12 12 aero | it solution Bum</a> ps SMALL REGULAR BUMPS on an aircraft wing reduce wind resistance. Tests at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) proved this during trials in a wind tunnel. The research team placed cylindrical ridges on a flat surface. Using computer-aided technology the team calculated where the ridges should be placed to effectively reduce wind resistance. Researchers have found that in the wind tunnel the bumps delay the transition from organised stream to turbulent stream as an air stream passes over an aircraft’s wing. If the results prove to stand up to scrutiny outside the laboratory then the discovery could mean that fuel consumption within aviation could be radically cut. 4 5 PHOTO: KTH Smoke visualisation of the boundary layer stream. In the top half of the picture the small cylinders affect the stream of smoke. In the bottom, uncontrolled half, turbulence appears. Virtual engine manufacture VOLVO AERO IS COORDINATING an EU project where the aim is to develop a computer programme that simulates manufacturing of an aero engine. The project is called VERDI. “Results from VERDI will help us to save time and money. The simulation means that fewer test objects are required in the development phase and that the engines can be made more fuel-efficient,” says Henrik Runnemalm, responsible for coordinating the EU project for the manufacturing area at Volvo Aero. Using computers it is possible to follow each step of the manufacturing process of an aero engine virtually. It’s then possible to see how the various components are affected during the process. “We want to see for example in which order we need to weld, turn and heat-treat. It becomes possible to complete many test scenarios to come up with the optimum product,” says Henrik. Physically developing and testing components is expensive, time-consuming and creates a lot of waste. By virtually testing components it becomes possible to make the production of the components and the complete engines more environmentally adapted. “If we use the materials optimally then we can make aero engines lighter and thereby more fuel-efficient.” Working on the engine digitally saves the environment and money. The project includes 16 engine manufacturers, institutes and universities from various European countries. The idea behind VERDI is to develop technology to make Europe the world leader in aviation by manufacturing top quality aircraft components. Volvo Aero was designated coordinator of the project because of the company’s experience of simulated manufacturing. “We have used advanced weld simulation since the 1990s,” says Henrik. Everyone involved contributes with expertise in different areas. Some are skilled at simulating milling, while others are skilled at pressing sheet metal. All these skills combine to create a complete simulation tool. “When we do this together we achieve much more. Having responsibility to integrate everything gives Volvo Aero a very strategic position from which we can deliver optimum products to our customers.” Volvo Aero’s objective in using simulation tools is to cut development costs by a whole 25 per cent. FACTS VERDI ■ The verdi project began in autumn 2005 and will last four years. ■ The total budget is EUR 6.4 million, of which EUR 4.5 million is EU funded. ■ verdi stands for Virtual Engineering for Robust Manufacturing with Design Integration. ■ The project participants include: Volvo Aero, Rolls-Royce, MTU Aero Engines, Aachen University of Technology, Karlsruhe University, ITP, CIMNE, Luleå University of Technology, Högskolan Väst, Avio, EnginSoft, Politecnico di Torino, CENAERO, Techspace Aero, The University of Nottingham and AICIA. ■ Project manager: Torbjörn Kvist.
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=13">Aero Environment Personal – four people’s views ab</a> out the aviation environment opinions | aero 13 How can the aviation industry curb the environmental impact of its activities? There are almost as many THE ECONOMIST THE POLITICIAN answers to this question as there are people to answer it. We met four people – THE PROFESSOR a politician, an economist, a professor and an engineer – who were asked to answer freely about the environmental issue from their own perspective. THE ENGINEER TEXT: Agneta Slonawski PHOTO: Niklas Bernstone Continued ➜ OPINIONS opinions | aero 13 How can the aviation industry curb the environmental impact of its activities? There are almost as many THE ECONOMIST THE POLITICIAN answers to this question as there are people to answer it. We met four people – THE PROFESSOR a politician, an economist, a professor and an engineer – who were asked to answer freely about the environmental issue from their own perspective. THE ENGINEER TEXT: Agneta Slonawski PHOTO: Niklas Bernstone Continued ➜ OPINIONS
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=14">Aero Environment Page 14 THE POLITICIAN 14 aero | </a> opinions Claes Roxbergh: “I DON’T REALLY THINK THAT WE CAN EXPECT MORE FROM THE AIRLINES” How would you describe yourself? “I’m a pragmatist. I got into politics to make a difference. I’ve been the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Transport and Communications for the past four years.” “The committee has a lot of influence. We are the final authority before decisions for the entire country are taken. Proposals made by the government must be approved by the committee.” “The department and transport minister meet with the committee for talks.” What’s currently the most important issue? “How the transport industry is going to meet its objectives. By 2010 carbon dioxide emissions must be at the same level as 1990, and it’s not looking good for two sectors. The one is heavy goods traffic on our roads and the other is the airline industry. We are now faced with a situation where the airline industry is rapidly expanding and it is quite simply not in line with the Kyoto protocol. This is a big challenge for the entire transport sector. The airline industry is one of the major problems here.” been nationally agreed upon. We’ll probably have to wait five years before we see an international fuel tax. But the EU should be able to decide upon that themselves. The same is true of emission rights. I believe as the crisis draws closer then things will start happening very quickly within the EU.” How can we get people more aware of the environment? “There are three main mechanisms: you can ban things, but we don’t want that. You can ration, so that we are allowed to travel once per family per year. Or you can use a pricing strategy and set it so you get a price level that it should be at.” Is it really possible? Key issue: CLIMATE CHANGE IN GENERAL You have been depicted as enemy No.1 of the airline industry. Do you think we shouldn’t fly? “No of course not. But the airline industry must cut its cloth accordingly where climate measures are concerned. The first step is to limit the increase currently being seen. We have just launched a flight tax in Sweden as a first step. This quite simply means that it will be more expensive for passengers to fly.” Do think it’s right to penalise passengers? “No it’s not right, but it was the only way we could do it at the moment. It was quick and easy.” “The next step is to restructure flight tax to become an international fuel tax so that it’s related to how much carbon dioxide the aircraft emits.” “The step after that is to implement trade with emission rights. It means that we allot companies an emission quota and then we start turning the screw. If we have this type of system that I’ve outlined, it also involves incentives to make more efficient aircraft. You still have the opportunity to fly more for the same emission quota.” What timeframe are we talking about? “The flight tax will be introduced in 2006, because that’s Continued ➜ “We need to create new conditions and then compete under those conditions instead. Of course it’s possible. History has shown this. Just look at history and noise levels. We have been very good at reducing noise levels and in cutting nitric oxide emissions from aircraft.” What does this require the airlines to do? “I think that it’s only now that the industry has woken up. And this is because of the discussions concerning flight tax. They have to think a little and decide what they are going to do instead. We have begun talking about emission rights. I don’t really think we can expect more from the airlines. They naturally have a responsibility, but it’s the powers that be that set the framework for the airlines to work within.” What will the future look like? “There have been lots of national regulations that I think will be modified because of the low-cost airlines. There’s structural change going on throughout the industry, which is possibly making it easier to take a joint hold over the future. We don’t need to look at British Airways, Air France and Lufthansa, because all of a sudden their share is dropping and they are becoming less important.” μ FACTS CLAES ROXBERGH Name: Claes Roxbergh. Age: 60. Lives: In Göteborg. Profession: Physicist, full-time politician in the Green Party and Chairman of the Standing Committee on Transport and Communications in the Swedish parliament.
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<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=16">Aero Environment Page 16 THE ECONOMIST 16 aero | o</a> pinions Thomas Sterner: “COMPANIES MUST BE GIVEN INCENTIVES TO FIND THE CHEAPEST SOLUTIONS” Are ecology and economy really compatible? “We must try to adapt the economy to the ecological conditions. We need to find means of control that unite our desire to travel with the demands of the environment. This brings economics and ecology in harmony.” “If landings involve major environmental effects then you make landings expensive. Then the airline industry will concentrate on this, which will affect the number of flights and the entire structure of transport and route planning. Aviation fuel and international shipping fuel are almost untaxed. This distorts competition between market partners.” Do you think that the airline industry has come a long way in its environmental awareness? “The problem is that there are few economic means of control in the airline industry compared to road transport in Eu- In certain cases air travel is a good alternative, especially if you compare it with travelling by car over long distances.” What should be done? Key issue: HIGHER FUEL TAX rope. I believe that the international character of the industry has so far made it quite difficult to agree on taxes. It’s not a question of if a tax will be incurred, but when. We are facing very serious challenges in terms of the greenhouse effect. It’s obvious that something needs to be done within the next couple of decades.” Is it economically viable for airlines to environmentally niche themselves? “If Sweden is first to introduce environmentally adapted flights there will be other players that we can export it to. For example, Denmark and Germany initially favoured wind turbines and are now seeing the benefits of it as wind power is prospering. I often think that economic control is the least expensive way of achieving an environmental objective. If you want to reduce an environmental problem it’s more expensive for society if it’s done by an authority telling airlines what to do, rather than setting up a system with norms and charges, because charges create room for airlines to experiment and use their creativity. Companies are given the incentive to find the cheapest solution. I believe that the airline industry benefits from reporting on environmental effects. “There should be international agreement about tax on aviation fuel. This would boost interest in aircraft that are fuel-efficient and be an incentive to fill the aircraft with passengers. The total cost of aviation fuel per ticket is probably minimal, which means that this is an indirect method. It won’t actually have a massive effect, but it should be done anyway. We could then have differentiated flight charges. If this can’t be used as a means of control, then there is only one way – to cut the volume of flights. The charge would then be on the ticket, to cut the amount of travel. This is actually the last thing anyone wants. There are no other players in the end other than people. The ecosystem itself can’t inject any money into this.” Are there any untried methods? “I remember the electricity companies talking about making themselves energy service companies. Imagine if airlines saw themselves as communication companies. They could have video-conference rooms as an alternative. If they came here and fixed up some screens so that I could talk to a researcher in New York for a couple of hours, they could get paid quite handsomely and I wouldn’t have to buy a ticket and travel all the way to New York. It’s possible there’s a niche and it requires the kind of logistics and marketing and organisational ability that airlines already have.” μ FACTS THOMAS STERNER Name: Thomas Sterner. Age: 53. Lives: In central Göteborg. Profession: Environmental economist at Göteborg University’s School of Business, Economics and Law. Continued ➜
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<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=18">Aero Environment Page 18 THE PROFESSOR 18 aero | o</a> pinions Thomas Callum: “FANTASTIC PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE OVER THE PAST TWENTY YEARS” Do you think we can carry on travelling as we do today? “If we want to continue travelling as much in future as we do today then we must change our travelling habits. When travelling to work for example we can choose between various forms of transport, and we should choose bus or train before the car. There are however few realistic alternatives for travelling over further distances than by air. We must therefore on the one hand choose the form of transport and on the other hand take a stance on whether we should be travelling at all.” What does this mean for the consumer? “Consumers must learn to understand the consequences of their actions on the environment. If this isn’t enough to affect the change required the state must intervene and force through more rapid change. The problem today is that the state doesn’t want to jeopardise the income generated by air traffic without finding another means of generating that income.” What can we do? “We need to understand that we live in a commercially competitive world and that the airline industry is governed by international regulations. This means that changes can’t happen over night. Airline companies won’t obviously ask their customers not to fly with them. But it’s reasonable to assume that people understand that they must pay for the environmental consequences of their actions. Flying on a Boeing 747 from Europe to North onboard or be prepared to pay for repairing the damage we’re causing to the environment. I don’t think that ordinary people yet understand the consequences that travelling has on the environment. The problem is that the climate changes that we are so afraid of are so far off in the future that they are not affecting us today. After a few more summers or winters with strange weather people will begin to realise that this is serious and then act. We are talking about the problem today and this is a hopeful sign. Five years ago hardly anyone was even talking about the problem.” Key issue: HOW PEOPLE IN AFFLUENT COUNTRIES CAN CONTINUE ENJOYING A HIGH STANDARD OF LIVING WHILE THE ENVIRONMENT PAYS SUCH A HIGH PRICE America there is around five tonnes of catering and entertainment material onboard. This requires a lot of fuel, which in turn means the aircraft creates more pollution. When I travel to Greece on holiday I’m allowed to take 20 kg of swimsuits, towels and makeup.” Has the airline industry done enough for the environment? “Technology is advancing at an incredible pace, and incredible progress has been made over the past twenty years. The problem is that the industry is growing so quickly that improvements don’t have any positive environmental impact. If we could make an aircraft that didn’t pollute at all then it would be too expensive for anyone to buy it. In the end it all comes down to money.” What can we do? “We either fly less, especially when there are alternative means of transport, take less luggage and expect less service What’s the most important thing we can do in the future? “The airline industry must take its share of responsibility for climate change. If the industry can’t do anything it must help other industries to cut their emissions to compensate. In addition there are many unnecessary small things that everyone does that contributes to climate change. We all need to be more environmentally aware in our day-today lives to compensate for climate change that we cause when flying south in search of the sun.” What will the situation look like in 2040 years time? “We won’t be using aircraft as much in the future. High-speed trains will replace air travel on a number of short-haul and middle-distance routes. You’ll need to take public transport to the airports and you’ll be able to check in at the central station in Stockholm without knowing which airport you are flying from. This will be decided according to the minimum environmental impact and to maximise the aircraft’s load capacity. People will probably eat at the airports before getting onboard. I think that it’ll be very difficult for the state to force people to stop flying, instead we need to learn to demand change that benefits the environment.” μ FACTS THOMAS CALLUM Name: Thomas Callum. Age: 53. Lives: In southern Manchester. Title: Professor of Sustainable Aviation at Manchester Metropolitan University. Continued ➜
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<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=20">Aero Environment Page 20 THE ENGINEER 20 aero | op</a> inions Anders Lundbladh: “WE SHOULD MAKE THE ENGINES AND AIRCRAFT WORK BETTER TOGETHER” What innovations are you working on? “At Volvo Aero we are concentrating on making large parts for large engines. Our main task is to reduce the weight of engine components. If engine components are made lighter then we can also build more efficient engines, while engines with old technology would be too heavy.” “We mainly work with stationary components, such as compressor shells, turbine housings and frames. We are trying to find new ways of manufacturing these components. So far it’s been common to cast components using a single material. If on the other hand we weld a frame together we can choose between different types of material that would make the product lighter overall.” “Another possibility is to exchange selected components for ones made from composite materials. If we used carbon fibre for example, which is stronger than steel, and mixed it with different plastics, the material could be just as strong as aluminium. This would make these components between 10 and 30 per cent lighter.” What materials do you use most? “Titanium and nickel base alloys are the two most common materials today. It all depends on what temperature the engine is exposed to. We use titanium for cold parts, such as the casing. For hotter areas we use the nickel base alloys.” What’s happening in the industry as a whole? “There’s a lot happening in engine innovation in fuelefficiency. But there are four important trends. The first is to make fans bigger, which gives the engines better traction in the air. The second thing is to increase pressure in the engines to turn fuel energy into mechanical energy more efficiently.” “The third trend is to make the geometry of the blades in the fan and compressors more complicated. For example, by creating curved blades or sweeping the blades so they lean both forwards and backwards, the airflow becomes smoother and less energy is used.” “The fourth area is utilising the heat emitted from the engine. This can be done with a heat exchanger. Heat exchangers can also be used to cool the air in the engine, just like is Key issue: TO FIND A WAY OF GETTING AIRCRAFT TO USE AS LITTLE ENERGY AS POSSIBLE done on turbo charged engines in cars. We can then increase the pressure in the engine and in doing so use less energy.” Are there other ways we can use less energy? “95 per cent of the energy used today goes into propelling the aircraft forward. Some improvements can be made to reduce the remaining 5 per cent. A lot of energy is used to pressurise the cabin, and one idea would be to do this in a more efficient way. Fuel cells are something else we could use to provide energy. In the distant future perhaps we could propel entire aircraft using just fuel cells. This would have to be aircraft with superconductive engines. But this kind of technology would be 50 or possibly 100 years away.” What’s the most important thing at the moment? “Especially important is product development in terms of short-haul and middle-distance aircraft, because they account for more than half of all air traf- fic today. These aircraft are currently using technology that is 30 years old.” “We should also try to make the engines and aircraft work better together. This means that we could change the way in which we build aircraft as well as the design of the engines. It could also mean that the engines could be placed inside a flying wing. But the aviation industry is conservative and all changes take a long time.” μ FACTS ANDERS LUNDBLADH Name: Anders Lundbladh. Age: 41. Lives: In Trollhättan. Profession: Research engineer at Volvo Aero.
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<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=22">Aero Environment Lighter engines produce fewer emi</a> ssions 22 aero | slimmer WEIGHT A T C H E R S Slimmer engines mean Overweight slimmer emissions Dieting has reached the aero industry. But we’re not talking less fat and carbohydrates – but weight watching using fibre. Carbon fibre to be exact. The lighter the engine, the less fuel consumption, noise and emissions. TEXT: Per Brinkemo ILLUSTRATION: Tobias Flygar BEFORE Today’s engines have a weight problem. high fuel consumption, noise and emissions. 22 aero | slimmer WEIGHT A T C H E R S Slimmer engines mean Overweight slimmer emissions Dieting has reached the aero industry. But we’re not talking less fat and carbohydrates – but weight watching using fibre. Carbon fibre to be exact. The lighter the engine, the less fuel consumption, noise and emissions. TEXT: Per Brinkemo ILLUSTRATION: Tobias Flygar BEFORE Today’s engines have a weight problem. high fuel consumption, noise and emissions.
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=23">Aero Environment Page 23 slimmer | aero 23 The res</a> ult is Continued ➜ Ideal weight AFTER Future engines will face a strict diet of carbon fibre composites and will enter the ring a full 30% lighter than today’s engines.
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=24">Aero Environment Page 24 24 aero | slimmer IMPROVE</a> D PERFORMANCE. Sure, Volvo Aero is constantly developing aero engine performance. But it’s equally important to develop them to be as eco-friendly as possible. Volvo Aero has been actively developing its engines to reduce emissions for twenty years, and now more than ever. To achieve the strict environmental demands within the vital eu project framework, Volvo Aero is developing lighter engines. It all started on 18 January 2005. This was the date that vital, which stands for EnVIronmenTALly Friendly Aero Engine, was launched in Paris, an eu project aimed at developing technologies to meet the industry’s environmental requirements. LIGHTER COMPONENTS Volvo Aero’s part in the project includes developing and testing load-carrying structures in aero engines. In simple terms this deals with making engine components as light as possible. “There is actually a direct link between engine weight and the amount of carbon dioxide emissions,” says Anders Sjunnesson, Project Manager for vital at Volvo Aero. To make engines lighter, conventional components in titanium must be made in a lighter material such as a carbon fibre If you increase the engine fan size then you can reduce noise and fuel consumption. “But if you build bigger fans the problem is that you increase the weight of the engine, meaning that the engine needs more throttle to take off, which once again increases fuel consumption,” Anders explains. The challenge is then to build bigger fan modules, without increasing the engine’s weight, especially when the aim is to develop structural engine components that weigh 30 per cent less than they do now. So what do you do? Well, you exchange conventional components made of titanium for lighter materi- als – carbon fibre composites. Volvo Aero’s partners in the vital project include sicomp, a research institute that focuses on composite materials, where Anders Holmberg is head of the mechanics group. “Composites are materials where two or more different materials are mixed together to create special properties,” he explains. Let’s take an example: What people call plastic boats are actually made from a composite. It’s often a mixture of fibreglass and polyester. The fibreglass gives the boat rigidity and strength to manage the mechanical loads and the polyester keeps the fibres to
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=25">Aero Environment Page 25 slimmer | aero 25 VITAL w</a> ill develop and manufacture a fan module to conduct a full-scale test in 2008. What we’re aiming for is that the next generation Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 will have new environmentally friendly engines and be ready for take off in around 2013.” ANDERS SJUNNESSON, PROJECT MANAGER FOR VITAL AT VOLVO AERO The challenge for the project is that carbon fibre composites, unlike metals, have different properties in different directions. composite. ILLUSTRATION: AUGUST gether, protects them and makes the boat watertight. FINDING THE RIGHT DESIGN “There are other fibres that are even stronger, such as carbon fibre,” says Anders Holmberg. “It’s three times stiffer than fibreglass and it’s this material that we’re investing in now to develop lighter aero engines. We mix carbon fibre with an epoxy plastic material.” An aircraft, its fuselage and engine, which should be as light as possible, should also handle extreme stresses, and all in a demanding environment. “Wood is difficult to split, even using an axe and especially if you’re chopping across the grain. But if you chop along the grain then you require less force to split it. This is due to the direction in which the fibres lie. The challenge for us is that the fibres go in many directions. We must therefore try to find a construction that best uses the composite’s strong direction and avoids the weak direction.” LIGHT IS HARD The entire vital project is a huge challenge for both Volvo Aero and sicomp. Constructing light engines is not easy. “vital will develop and manufacture a fan module to conduct a full-scale test in 2008,” says Anders Sjunnesson. “What we’re aiming for is that the next generation Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 will have new environmentally friendly engines and be ready for take off in around 2013.” “We’ve set a very strict target, but it’s not impossible to achieve,” says Anders Holmberg, who has been pleasantly surprised by the environmental awareness in the aviation industry. “It’s been interesting to discover the industry’s environmental focus, that they think longterm and target-oriented, and are in such agreement in the European aviation industry about developing eco-friendly technology.” μ FACTS VITAL VITAL is a research program which aims to significantly reduce aircraft engine noise and CO2 emissions, with a total budget of 90 million euros, including 50 million euros in funding from the European Commission. Snecma is leading a consortium of 52 partners gathering Airbus and all major European engine manufacturers – Rolls-Royce Plc, Volvo Aero, MTU Aero Engines, ITP, Avio, Techspace Aero, Volvo and Rolls-Royce Deutschland.
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=26">Aero Environment When will the environment be a ch</a> oice like price and comfort? 26 aero | consumer power L Future scenario: HOW PASSENGERS CAN Consumers have power. They can force the airline industry to think about the environment in ways previ- D N O T E C O - A B E L L E 26 aero | consumer power L Future scenario: HOW PASSENGERS CAN Consumers have power. They can force the airline industry to think about the environment in ways previ- D N O T E C O - A B E L L E
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=27">Aero Environment Page 27 consumer power | aero 27 </a> INFLUENCE AIRLINES ously unimaginable. There are plenty of examples in other industries, but will it really happen to aviation? TEXT: Florence Oppenheim PHOTO: Getty Images/Pressens Bild Continued ➜ E C L O - L A B E L E D
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=28">Aero Environment Page 28 N O T E C O - 28 aero | c</a> onsumer power The environment is not a priority for today’s passengers. But if demand for eco-labelled airlines grew, environmental issues would become decisive for airlines in the same THE POWER OF THE CONSUMER, was clearly noted by manufacturers of paper and washing powder at the end of the 1980s. Virtually overnight, consumers stopped buying products they considered to be bad for the environment. But up to now in the aviation industry consumer choice is motivated by completely different factors. “It’s mainly practical things like journey times, low air fares, high service levels and extra comfort that determine choice: things that affect you personally when they don’t function properly,” says Karin Brundell-Freij, who researches sustainable transport at the Faculty of Engineering (LTH) at Lund University on a newly started programme called TransportMistra. ENVIRONMENT IS NOT A PRIORITY Choice of transport can be a way of expressing your identity. Choosing to fly and wanting fast journey times can be a way of showing that you are well travelled and are very busy. Different airlines send different status signals. “Air passengers are very pragmatic in their choices. Many observers never expected lowfare airlines to catch on, but price has proved to be more important than service or comfort,” explains Karin Brundell-Freij. Karin does not consider that the environment is a key factor for today’s passengers, but that it could become so in the future. If there is demand, the market will follow.” KARIN BRUNDELL-FREIJ, RESEARCHER INTO SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT L AT THE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING (LTH), LUND UNIVERSITY “As a consumer I could decide only to choose an airline that had environmental certification,” she continues. A conscious choice about your destination is another way you could show consideration for the environment. “There are certain environmentally aware companies, for example, that will not allow their staff to land at certain airports because the environmental impact is too large at these sites.” It’s hard for the individual consumer to exert influence, but an individual can be the one who starts a trend that will lead to the development of better habits. “It is always meaningful, therefore, to choose a company that has environmental certificates. If there is demand, the market will follow.” What can the airlines themselves do to reduce environmental impact? “The shipping industry can cut speeds by 10%. The journey takes a bit longer, but fuel consumption is cut significantly. Researchers are unanimous in selecting carbon dioxide as the key environmental issue, so there is considerable pressure exerted on fuel-efficient technology and new, alternative fuels,” says Karin. CONSUMERS PRESSURISING CARMAKERS In recent years carmakers have introduced several new environmental models. The technology has existed for some time, but it was only when all the players involved began working together that progress was made. “When the then head of Volvo, Per Gyllenhammer, talked about the impact of the auto industry at a UN summit in Stockholm in 1972, it was the start of radically new way of thinking within Volvo,” recalls Anders Wahlén, head of environmental issues for the Swedish market at Volvo Cars. At that time the focus was on the factory, rather than on the product, which was of course the source of the major environmental problems. The introduction of the three-way catalytic converter in 1976 was a key milestone that reduced emissions by 90% in one stroke. It is always meaningful to choose a company that has environmental certificates. A B E L L E D
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=29">Aero Environment Page 29 D E C L O - L A B E L E c</a> onsumer power | aero 29 way that demand for greener cars and alternative fuels affected the behaviour of carmakers. Talk about alternative fuels started in the early 1990s, but development only really took off in 2005. “Both of Sweden’s carmakers launched cars powered by ethanol at around the same time as the state was cutting taxes for eco-cars,” explains Anders Wahlén. Anders considers that the boom in eco-cars in Sweden is not primarily mainly by consumer demand, but is the result of different players joining together, principally fuel producers. This resulted in a new eco-car market and consumers were happy to accept the new technology. “For businesses it is image and economics working together that has boosted sales of ecocars. For the individual consumer the key things are price and availability of supplies, not the environment factor,” says Anders. Volvo Cars has invited various environmental organisations, institutions and authorities to discuss environmental issues. “It helps us keep abreast of development and see early on what are the demands and expectations of consumers and authorities,” says Anders Wahlén. DIFFICULT TO MAKE ENVIRONMENTAL CHOICE Andreas Hardeman is Manager Aviation Environment at IATA; the International Air Transport Association in Geneva. He sees a lot of similarities concerning environmental issues be- tween the auto and aviation industries, but the differences will be decisive in determining whether the aviation follows the same development as the auto industry. “They are both means of mass transport. The difference today is that we can design cars that run on different fuels. Today there is no alternative fuel for aircraft, which means that consumers cannot choose an airline that is more environmentally adapted than a competitor,” says Andreas Hardeman. Airlines are choosing alternative fuels for land-based transport carrying baggage, passengers or catering, but Andreas Hardeman does not foresee any alternatives for aircraft in the near future. Instead the eco-aware passenger must look to choose an airline with a wel-developed environmental policy. “There are a few airlines with environmental certificates, but very few use them in their marketing. British Airways does allow fliers to make a voluntary contribution for carbon dioxide emissions when they book online, but they are not marketing this idea very strongly.” SIMILAR PERFORMANCE Surveys of passengers show that compared with other factors, the environment has a low priority. To make things develop the way they have in the auto industry a number of factors have to be brought together, believes Andreas Hardeman. “To start with consumers have to understand the problem, how they are affected and what they can do to solve it. Then there has to be better alternatives available. Because all the airlines have about the same environmental performance, the only alternative for the consumer is not to fly at all. And that is not a specially popular choice.” μ To start with consumers have to understand the problem, how they are affected and what they can do to solve it. Then there has to be better alternatives available.” ANDREAS HARDEMAN, MANAGER OF AVIATION ENVIRONMENT AT IATA
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=30">Aero Environment Alternative fuels for cleaner avi</a> ation 30 aero | future fuels Dwindling oil resources... The oil will run out in 50 years. Sound familiar? Newspapers regularly print new stories about how long we can continue using fossil fuels. TEXT: Jonas Rydin THE ONLY thing that aviation industry experts can predict with certainty is that tomorrow’s aircraft will fly with alternative fuels in their tanks. Tord Torisson, professor of power plant technology at Faculty of Engineering at Lund University, is sceptical about the very idea of oil supplies running dry. MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE “In all probability oil will get more and more expensive so will consumption will drop and then oil supplies will probably last for a very long time,” he says. As supplies of fossil fuels dwindle, prices will rise. At a certain price level, alternative fuels will become more attractive. Airlines will at some stage stop using traditional Jet A fuel and start using other fuels. Today there is no tax on aircraft fuel. If gov- ernments want airlines to start using environmentally adapted alternative fuels, they might decide to tax Jet A. “Environmental demands will drive the price of jet fuel even higher. Fossil fuels mean carbon dioxide emissions but the aviation industry is currently moving very slowly on bio-fuels,” continues Tord Torisson. In other words, the amount of oil reserves is not the only factor determining when the industry moves towards alternative fuels. And yet another factor is war and peace. UNCERTAINTY LEADS TO HIGHER PRICES The oil crisis of 1973 was mainly due to a great deal of uncertainty around the world. Oil companies began drilling in the North Sea to secure production. Throughout the airline industry tests are being made to run engines on biofuel. One of the problems is that there is currently no tax on standard Jet A fuel. Thus tax concessions cannot be made to encourage alternative fuels in the same way they were used to boost development in the auto industry. μ ”Environmental demands will drive the price of jet fuel even higher.” TORD TORISSON, PROFESSOR OF POWER PLANT TECHNOLOGY ...can lead to cleaner fuels The future’s eco-adapted aviation fuel might soon be a reality. Volvo Aero is involved in a project where synthetic fuel is being tested in the combustion lab at the faculty of engineering, Lund University. TEXT: Jonas Rydin ECO-ADAPTED FUELS for cars have been around for some time, but it’s much harder to develop a biofuel for an aircraft equipped with turbine engines. Ethanol contains too little energy, for example, and a plane could not carry enough fuel to cross the Atlantic. Neither is rape-oil a good alternative. MUST FLOW SMOOTHLY “The fuel must flow smoothly and not clog up the injectors,” explains Rolf Gabrielsson, who is both a co-opted professor of Lund University and a specialist at Volvo Aero. The solution is to find a fuel that is as similar as possible to traditional Jet A fuel. That’s just what Volvo Aero, SAS the Swedish air authority and development company Oroboros are working together to find. Funding is provided through Vinnova. The project is examining whether it is possible to extract gas from wood chips or other organic material and then convert the gas into a liquid fuel cost-efficiently. CLEANER EMISSIONS The team has tested synthetic fuels in the combustion lab at Lund University in conditions that correspond to a modern aircraft engine. The tests show that there are no major differences in combustion properties between synthetic fuel and Jet A. But the most positive result is that emissions are much cleaner, compared with fossil fuels. “Synthetic fuel has marginally lower density than Jet A, but otherwise it is very similar,” reports Rolf Gabrielsson. The project has shown it is possible to produce eco-adapted aircraft fuel. One key area remains to be tackled – making the price competitive. μ 30 aero | future fuels Dwindling oil resources... The oil will run out in 50 years. Sound familiar? Newspapers regularly print new stories about how long we can continue using fossil fuels. TEXT: Jonas Rydin THE ONLY thing that aviation industry experts can predict with certainty is that tomorrow’s aircraft will fly with alternative fuels in their tanks. Tord Torisson, professor of power plant technology at Faculty of Engineering at Lund University, is sceptical about the very idea of oil supplies running dry. MORE AND MORE EXPENSIVE “In all probability oil will get more and more expensive so will consumption will drop and then oil supplies will probably last for a very long time,” he says. As supplies of fossil fuels dwindle, prices will rise. At a certain price level, alternative fuels will become more attractive. Airlines will at some stage stop using traditional Jet A fuel and start using other fuels. Today there is no tax on aircraft fuel. If gov- ernments want airlines to start using environmentally adapted alternative fuels, they might decide to tax Jet A. “Environmental demands will drive the price of jet fuel even higher. Fossil fuels mean carbon dioxide emissions but the aviation industry is currently moving very slowly on bio-fuels,” continues Tord Torisson. In other words, the amount of oil reserves is not the only factor determining when the industry moves towards alternative fuels. And yet another factor is war and peace. UNCERTAINTY LEADS TO HIGHER PRICES The oil crisis of 1973 was mainly due to a great deal of uncertainty around the world. Oil companies began drilling in the North Sea to secure production. Throughout the airline industry tests are being made to run engines on biofuel. One of the problems is that there is currently no tax on standard Jet A fuel. Thus tax concessions cannot be made to encourage alternative fuels in the same way they were used to boost development in the auto industry. μ ”Environmental demands will drive the price of jet fuel even higher.” TORD TORISSON, PROFESSOR OF POWER PLANT TECHNOLOGY ...can lead to cleaner fuels The future’s eco-adapted aviation fuel might soon be a reality. Volvo Aero is involved in a project where synthetic fuel is being tested in the combustion lab at the faculty of engineering, Lund University. TEXT: Jonas Rydin ECO-ADAPTED FUELS for cars have been around for some time, but it’s much harder to develop a biofuel for an aircraft equipped with turbine engines. Ethanol contains too little energy, for example, and a plane could not carry enough fuel to cross the Atlantic. Neither is rape-oil a good alternative. MUST FLOW SMOOTHLY “The fuel must flow smoothly and not clog up the injectors,” explains Rolf Gabrielsson, who is both a co-opted professor of Lund University and a specialist at Volvo Aero. The solution is to find a fuel that is as similar as possible to traditional Jet A fuel. That’s just what Volvo Aero, SAS the Swedish air authority and development company Oroboros are working together to find. Funding is provided through Vinnova. The project is examining whether it is possible to extract gas from wood chips or other organic material and then convert the gas into a liquid fuel cost-efficiently. CLEANER EMISSIONS The team has tested synthetic fuels in the combustion lab at Lund University in conditions that correspond to a modern aircraft engine. The tests show that there are no major differences in combustion properties between synthetic fuel and Jet A. But the most positive result is that emissions are much cleaner, compared with fossil fuels. “Synthetic fuel has marginally lower density than Jet A, but otherwise it is very similar,” reports Rolf Gabrielsson. The project has shown it is possible to produce eco-adapted aircraft fuel. One key area remains to be tackled – making the price competitive. μ
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=31">Aero Environment More efficient flight routes bene</a> fit the environment efficiency | aero 31 GREEN LANDING The Green Approach communication system can cut fuel consumption during landing by up to 200 litres, saving airlines millions of dollars per year. More efficient flying is an excellent way to conserve fuel and, by extension, money and the environment. However, it is equally as important to land efficiently as it is to fly hundreds of miles the right way. TEXT: Henrik Norberg PHOTO: Getty Images/Pressens Bild Continued ➜ efficiency | aero 31 GREEN LANDING The Green Approach communication system can cut fuel consumption during landing by up to 200 litres, saving airlines millions of dollars per year. More efficient flying is an excellent way to conserve fuel and, by extension, money and the environment. However, it is equally as important to land efficiently as it is to fly hundreds of miles the right way. TEXT: Henrik Norberg PHOTO: Getty Images/Pressens Bild Continued ➜
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=32">Aero Environment Page 32 32 aero | efficiency Gree</a> ner landings using the Green Approach communication system. The system gives flight controllers access to the same information as pilots. This means that planes can be put in queues earlier and thus the queues themselves can be reduced. Up to 200 kilos of jet propulsion fuel per landing. That is how much the aviation industry can save with a unique communication system called Green Approach. Fully implemented, the system can save airlines almost one billion Swedish krona per year. This does not begin to take into account the environ mental gains. “WE ARE FIRST in the world to use a system in which several major airlines have expressed an interest. Green Approach gives air traffic controllers the same information as the pilot, which is a completely new concept. It allows controllers to line up incoming aircraft well in advance and thereby avoid queue problems at the airport,” explains Fredrik Lindblom, project manager at the Swedish Civil Aviation Administration (LFV). With today’s routines, an aircraft flies toward a specific airport and hopes for clearance to land directly. Most often however, queues to the landing strip mean that aircraft have to wait which means circling and consuming fuel that has an impact on the environment. GREEN APPROACH LFV and the airline SAS started testing a new system to avoid queue problems in mid-March 2006. The project is appropriately named Green Approach and is part of the NUP2+ EU project. Traditional air traffic control is based on the controllers using their own systems to make their own estimates. But the pilots have access to more detailed information than the controllers via their flight management systems (FMS) computer. The FMS gathers and analyses data about velocity, position, weather and wind and can compute precisely when the plane will land. With the Green Approach system, this information is then transmitted from the aircraft’s flight path computer to a computer at LFV which in turn transmits the information to air traffic controllers, among others. Since air traffic control has access to the same information as the pilot, they can give the aircraft information so it can land without waiting. Less fuel is required since the aircraft maintains an even speed throughout the flight and does not have to circle. Noise levels are reduced as well since the aircraft glides the last distance with the engine in neutral. MORE DIRECT FLIGHT PATHS “Our estimates indicate that the planes use up to 200 kilos less jet propulsion fuel for each landing. Arlanda airport sees about 125,000 landings every year which in total implies cost
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=33">Aero Environment Page 33 efficiency | aero 33 Air </a> routes across Europe look like spaghetti. Air space around airports is specially congested. But away from airports, aircraft are relatively free to fly directly to a destination, though even here there is room for improvement. The Single European Sky is a European project aimed at more effectively utilising European air space. ILLUSTRATION: EUROCONTROL savings of about SEK 100 million,” says Fredrik. The air space around airports is the most congested sector and the greatest environmental gains are realised through systems like Green Approach. But outside these parameters, aircraft are relatively free to fly directly to a destination, though even here there is room for improvement. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has estimated that better traffic control can generate 9 per cent lower fuel consumption. The Single European Sky is a European project aimed at more effectively utilising European air space. The routes that planes follow in the air – the airways – sometimes entail a detour. Some areas are restricted since they constitute military zones. A more peaceful world has however contributed to a reduction in such zones, which allows planes to fly more directly. For example, 15 years ago there was only one airway in over the Russian territory and it went over the Baltic States. An aircraft en route from Copenhagen to Tokyo was forced to detour north in order to fly over Russia and on towards Tokyo. THE PROS AND CONS OF HUBS Initially, planes flew directly to their final destination. But the evolution of large-sized jets gave rise to the system of hubs – gathering points where passengers are rounded up. Smaller planes feed passengers into the hubs for further transport on longer flights in larger planes. The downside of the system is more take-offs and landings. The upside is more options for passengers since larger airports can offer more departures to the same destinations. In addition, aircraft fly with a fuller capacity, which reduces emission levels per passenger. “We see a distinct trend toward more direct flights. This is made possible through modern regional jets that offer faster, more comfortable flights. Low-price airlines have discovered this feature and use it to provide economic solutions,” explains Jeffrey C. Price of University of Metropolitan State College of Denver. μ modern regional jets that offer faster, more comfortable flights.” We see a distinct trend toward more direct flights. This is made possible through JEFFREY C. PRICE OF UNIVERSITY OF METROPOLITAN STATE COLLEGE OF DENVER
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=34">Aero Environment Global legislation for improved a</a> viation environment 34 aero | the law GLOBAL INDUSTRY WITH GLOBAL REGULATIONS Aircraft today are both cleaner and quieter than earlier generations. An important reason for this is that the aviation industry, like so many others, is governed by international as well as European regulations. To further reduce global emissions the EU is planning to include aviation in today’s system for trading emission allowances. TEXT: Henrik Norberg ILLUSTRATION: Tobias Flygar Continued ➜ 34 aero | the law GLOBAL INDUSTRY WITH GLOBAL REGULATIONS Aircraft today are both cleaner and quieter than earlier generations. An important reason for this is that the aviation industry, like so many others, is governed by international as well as European regulations. To further reduce global emissions the EU is planning to include aviation in today’s system for trading emission allowances. TEXT: Henrik Norberg ILLUSTRATION: Tobias Flygar Continued ➜
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=35">Aero Environment Page 35 the law | aero 35 </a>
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=36">Aero Environment Page 36 36 aero | the law The avi</a> ation industry recognises that it must find new ways of reducing its environmental impact, including its contribution to climate change. You could say that the aviation industry’s future depends on its ability to meet its environmental responsibilities.” STEPHEN ARROWSMITH, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OFFICER AT EASA LIKE SO MANY OTHER industries, the aviation industry is global, and governed by international as well as European regulations. The UN’s ICAO – International Civil Aviation Organization – is the main forum for international discussions on environmental issues with regulations to reduce aircraft emissions and noise levels. One issue is the maintenance of a set of standards and recommended practices stating the permitted emission levels of the aircraft engines and permitted aircraft noise levels. This includes permitted emission levels of NOx (oxides of nitrogen), carbon monoxide, smoke and unburned hydrocarbons for different engines to gain certification. There is however no limit to the permitted emission levels for the aviation industry as a whole. The focus on air pollutants and noise is only natural. Noise is annoying, especially for people living near airports. And air pollution has multiple health and environmental impacts while also contributing to the greenhouse effect. The aviation industry has made major advances in cutting noise levels and emissions. A modern aircraft for example uses less fuel per mile/passenger than a normal European family car , and since the 1960s the aviation industry has succeeded in cutting fuel consumption by 50 per cent while halving noise energy levels. International aviation currently represents around 2% of the global emission of carbon dioxide, CO2. But there’s a problem. If growth in the aviation industry continues at the present rate it could lead to emissions from international aviation from airports in the EU increasing by 150 per cent by 2012 compared to 1990. So while aviation emissions today are relatively low, the percentage could increase dramatically if nothing is done about it. And this is a major challenge for the aviation industry. “The aviation industry has made significant advances, but not enough to compensate for the increase in air traffic. Real change will be needed if we are to have sustainable development, which is one of the key elements of European environmental policy. EASA’s environmental work focuses on cutting aircraft emissions and noise at the source, that is at the aircraft and engine level,” says Willem Franken, Head of Environment at EASA, the European Aviation Safety Agency. The international aviation industry differs in one important aspect from other industries. It’s emission of the most important greenhouse gas (GHG), carbon dioxide (CO2), is not regulated by the Kyoto protocol, which is the UN’s treaty for climate change issues. This is because negotiators couldn’t agree on how emissions could be allocated between different countries for international flights. What they did agree on however was to continue to work through ICAO to pursue approaches to limiting or reducing GHGs from the international aviation sector. The ICAO has focused on cutting emissions using technological advances, promoting the use of more efficient flight paths, and other methods.. But no concrete action plan with an overall emissions limit has been introduced. Instead, the ICAO has endorsed the concept of international open emissions trading to be implemented through voluntary emissions trading or the incorporation of international aviation into the existing schemes of States. Therefore, setting an overall tradable emissions limit is something that the European Commission is proposing to introduce, which has received the support of Member States. INFLUENCE THROUGH CHANGE The environmental impact of aviation can be cut in many ways: technical advances, more efficient traffic control, voluntary agreements, financial
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=37">Aero Environment Page 37 the law | aero 37 FACTS I</a> nternational organisations ICAO instruments, information and legislation, to name but a few. Financial instruments such as taxes and surcharges lead to more expensive flights. This should also result in less demand for flights. Voluntary agreements might be difficult to put into practice because so many different partners with different prerequisites are involved. It will take time for all the countries of the world to use the same legislative system. The ICAO for example cannot force countries to follow these regulations but makes recommendations that each country or region should implement into national legislation. SHARED RULES THROUGHOUT THE EU To cut the overall emissions the EU has proposed that European aviation should be included in the existing system for trading with emission allowances, ETS (Emission Trading System). The system will apply to carbon dioxide, as well as potentially to other forms of emissions. In terms of geographical coverage, the main option being discussed is that ETS should apply to all flights taking off from an airport in the EU. And it doesn’t matter if the destination is inside or outside the EU. In this way all airlines will be treated equally and thereby compete on the same terms. Calculations presented by the EU Commission show that ticket prices might increase by anything up to EUR 9 for a return flight. The costs for the airlines are more difficult to calcu- late. But airlines that use older aircraft emitting higher levels of pollution will be charged more because they’ll need more emission allowances. The rapid advancement in aviation has revolutionised the transport sector. Passengers and goods can be transported over vast distances very quickly, which has contributed to greater economic growth and prosperity. The European Commission considers that the ETS is preferable to taxes and charges because the same environmental target can be achieved at a lower cost for society. In other words ticket prices, airlines and domestic economies won’t be affected as much as they would with taxes and charges. But naturally there are critics to this system – critics who say we are just sweeping the problem under the carpet and that the environment will only benefit when there is a drop in travel. The aviation industry does however have a positive attitude to trade emission allowances. “The aviation industry recognises that it must find new ways of reducing its environmental impact, including its contribution to climate change. You could say that the aviation industry’s future depends on its ability to meet its environmental responsibilities,” says Stephen Arrowsmith, Environmental Protection Officer at EASA. If it comes about in aviation there is no doubt that the ETS will lead to airlines, engine and aircraft manufacturers investing more in cutting the source of carbon dioxide emissions – fuel consumption. Towards the end of wwiiI representatives of 52 countries met in Chicago. They drew up guidelines for future civil aviation. Negotiations resulted in the Chicago convention, which is the foundation of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s activities. The icao answers to the un and has 189 member countries, but the organisation cannot issue binding regulations. The icao recommends standards that countries must introduce into legislation for things like safety, engine emissions and aircraft noise. For an aircraft to be permitted to operate, the aircraft and engines must be certified according toicao standards. The eu, us and many other countries have ratified the Chicago convention, meaning they are obliged to recognise icao standards. EASA easa, the European Aviation Safety Agency, has been responsible for all regulation work carried out by airlines in the eusince September 2003. easa works with safety issues and the environment, mainly noise and emissions from aircraft. easa works closely with the icao. ECAC ecac, the European Civil Aviation Conference, was founded in 1955 and is a consultancy body for European aviation authorities. The aim is to favour development of a safe, effective and sustainable European aviation transport system. CAEP caep, the Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection, is icao´s environmental committee. Eurocontrol Eurocontrol is a cooperative body for developing European flight management systems. An important part of the work is to develop the capacity of air space whilst retaining flight safety levels. The basis of all the work carried out is the Eurocontrol convention. μ
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=38">Aero Environment Of course it’s noisy – but not as</a> much as you think 38 aero | quiet, please BANNING NOI Reducing noise is a key challenge for the aviation industry. But what exactly is noise? And how much does an aircraft make? We asked Hans Bodén, lecturer in engineering acoustics at the Marcus Wallenberg laboratory for noise and vibration research, to come up with some answers. TEXT: Florence Oppenheim PHOTO: Getty Images What makes the noise in an aircraft? “95% of the noise during start-up and 50% during landing comes from the engines. There is the jet noise that comes from air being propelled out of the engines and there is noise coming from the large fans in the modern engine. In addition there is the noise of the air flowing round the fuselage. Half of the noise on landing comes from these flows.” How much noise does an aero engine make compared with other means of transport? “Road traffic makes the most noise in our modern society. To be disturbed by aircraft noise you have to live near an airport, but if you live very close the noise can be very loud. But the same applies for railway stations.” How far does aircraft noise travel? “The noise only reaches us when the plane is at a low level, during take-off or landing, within a few miles of the airport. If you live below the flight paths you will hear the most noise. Weather and wind play an important role. In recent years the noise from individual aircraft has been reduced significantly. On the other hand, air traffic has increased considerably, so the total amount of noise is fairly constant.” What can be done to reduce noise? “On top of technical advances, air traffic control procedures and approach routes can be improved. Aircraft currently come down to land like they were on stairs. If you follow a green landing, i.e. glide down more evenly, noise would be reduced significantly. Airlines can demand quieter planes and phase out noisier ones quicker.” What exactly is noise? “Noise is unwanted sound that feels disruptive or in some cases is dangerous. It’s a very subjective matter and some people are disturbed by noise that is well below legal limits.” What type of noise is dangerous? “Noise can cause harm in different ways. In industrial environments there are limits as to the amount of noise an employee can be exposed to during a working day to avoid damaging their hearing. There are other limits for sudden, loud noises. Someone exposed to loud noise over a long period can also have other health problems apart from damaged hearing.” μ reduced significantly. On the other hand, air traffic has increased considerably, so the total amount of noise is fairly constant.” HANS BODÉN, LECTURER IN ENGINEERING ACOUSTICS In recent years the noise from individual aircraft has been 38 aero | quiet, please BANNING NOI Reducing noise is a key challenge for the aviation industry. But what exactly is noise? And how much does an aircraft make? We asked Hans Bodén, lecturer in engineering acoustics at the Marcus Wallenberg laboratory for noise and vibration research, to come up with some answers. TEXT: Florence Oppenheim PHOTO: Getty Images What makes the noise in an aircraft? “95% of the noise during start-up and 50% during landing comes from the engines. There is the jet noise that comes from air being propelled out of the engines and there is noise coming from the large fans in the modern engine. In addition there is the noise of the air flowing round the fuselage. Half of the noise on landing comes from these flows.” How much noise does an aero engine make compared with other means of transport? “Road traffic makes the most noise in our modern society. To be disturbed by aircraft noise you have to live near an airport, but if you live very close the noise can be very loud. But the same applies for railway stations.” How far does aircraft noise travel? “The noise only reaches us when the plane is at a low level, during take-off or landing, within a few miles of the airport. If you live below the flight paths you will hear the most noise. Weather and wind play an important role. In recent years the noise from individual aircraft has been reduced significantly. On the other hand, air traffic has increased considerably, so the total amount of noise is fairly constant.” What can be done to reduce noise? “On top of technical advances, air traffic control procedures and approach routes can be improved. Aircraft currently come down to land like they were on stairs. If you follow a green landing, i.e. glide down more evenly, noise would be reduced significantly. Airlines can demand quieter planes and phase out noisier ones quicker.” What exactly is noise? “Noise is unwanted sound that feels disruptive or in some cases is dangerous. It’s a very subjective matter and some people are disturbed by noise that is well below legal limits.” What type of noise is dangerous? “Noise can cause harm in different ways. In industrial environments there are limits as to the amount of noise an employee can be exposed to during a working day to avoid damaging their hearing. There are other limits for sudden, loud noises. Someone exposed to loud noise over a long period can also have other health problems apart from damaged hearing.” μ reduced significantly. On the other hand, air traffic has increased considerably, so the total amount of noise is fairly constant.” HANS BODÉN, LECTURER IN ENGINEERING ACOUSTICS In recent years the noise from individual aircraft has been
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=39">Aero Environment Page 39 quiet, please | aero 39 I</a> SE AIDA – towards quieter flying The EU has a vision of reducing aircraft noise by 10 decibels for each flight by 2020. One method of achieving this is called AIDA – Aggressive Intermediate Duct Aerodynamics. AIDA IS AN EU RESEARCH PROGRAMME that will develop an alternative design for an intermediate casing in order to reduce noise levels and carbon dioxide emissions. ■ The project is being managed by Volvo Aero. It started in 2004 and will end in 2008. The project manager is Stephan Baralon. ■ The project has 16 participants, including the University of Cambridge, Rolls-Royce and Chalmers University of Technology. ■ The project is worth eur 8.2 million, with the eu contributing eur 5.6 million. ■ aida is focusing development efforts on flow channels in the intermediate casing and turbine section of the engine. A 20% increase in the deflection of air flows will help lower noise levels. Emissions of carbon dioxide can also be cut by 2% with a more aggressive, shorter duct. ■ So far the milestones set for the project have been met. The next milestone is a critical assessment of the project at the mid term review. ■ Volvo Aero is involved in several other eu projects. CoJeN is focused on design tools that will predict noise. hisac is looking at the outlet nozzle for quiet business jet engines, while vital is researching noise reduction and outlet channels in fan modules. All these projects are working to cut noise levels in future engines. μ Intermediate casing Flow channels The engine is secured to the aircraft partly via the intermediate casing, one of the components in Volvo Aero’s product specialization. Reshaping of the flow channels will help to make engines less noisy.
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=40">Aero Environment Volvo Aero investing in environme</a> ntal recycling 40 aero | recycling 40 aero | recycling
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=41">Aero Environment Page 41 recycling | aero 41 Recyc</a> led! Recycling paper, plastic and metal has become a normal routine for companies that take their environmental responsibility seriously. For Volvo Aero, recycling was an important part of production right from the start, for both environmental and economic reasons. TEXT: Florence Oppenheim ILLUSTRATION: Tobias Flygar “THE COMPANY IS 75 YEARS old and we have recycled as long as there has been production here,” says Robert Lundberg, Marketing Director at Volvo Aero in Trollhättan. “Now, both the environmental and commercial benefits are massive.” Almost 100% of product materials are recycled. Each year the company returns around 1,000 tonnes of waste and spills from different processing activities in production and development to recycling plants. The economic benefits are still considerable and sales of these materials earn the company around SEK 25 million each year. It also represents an impressive husbanding of resources being able to re-use both the normal steel and specialist alloys peculiar to the aviation industry. “The aviation industry has high quality requirements and often uses small volumes and special materials. Components in an aero engine are critical parts and so we never re-use material that has been scrapped to make a new engine part. But the material can be perfect for use in a turbocharger for a car, for example,” explains Robert. Robert describes how his colleagues at Volvo Aero Services in Florida are involved in recycling. Volvo Aero Services are experts in used parts from aero engines and aircraft. Throwing parts away on a scrap heap just does not happen these days, for both environmental and commercial reasons. “Using its knowledge of aero components and materials, Volvo Aero Services helps its customers to dismantle an aircraft and sell the parts. The staff numbers are not high but they actually account for a quarter of Volvo Aero’s total turnover.” Process chemicals from washing and treatment activities within Volvo Aero are handled separately, but are not recycled for safety reasons. However, there is a sophisticated treatment plant for oil-based fluids that separates the fluid into clean water and oil, which is then re- used to generate energy. A project being run by the company is looking into the possibility of re-using the oil in cutting fluids and other fluids used to support production. RECYCLING COMPOSITES One of the challenges for the future of recycling lies in the increased use of composites, lighter materials that are made of different materials with different properties. “Composites are becoming more common in aircraft and engines because they help reduce weight. The problem is that they cannot be melted in the same way that pure metals can,” explains Robert. Traditional recycling of paper, board, plastic and compost materials has been carried out by the company for many years. Robert Lundberg, who recently ordered a company car powered by biogas, is proud to contribute so fully to a balanced eco-cycle. “It feels good to know that an apple core I throw away at work ends up at a biogas plant and is processed into the fuel that helps me drive to work,” he says. He is also proud of the way Volvo gets rid of used PCs in a non-commercial way. “Around half of all the electronics that we scrap go to schools, institutions and voluntary organisations. The rest is recycled.” μ Around half of all the electronics that we scrap go to schools, institutions and voluntary organisations. The rest is recycled.” ROBERT LUNDBERG, MARKETING DIRECTOR, VOLVO AERO
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=42">Aero Environment Volvo Aero has the world’s leadin</a> g environmentally adapted factory 42 aero | internal environmental work Volvo Aero’s factory in Trollhättan is one of the most environmentally adapted aero engine factories in the world. Volvo Aero – one of the world’s most environmentally adapted aero engine Environmental work at Volvo Aero has been undergoing major change for almost the past twenty years. The focus used to be on production environments and local disruption. Now it’s on products and entire production processes. TEXT: Florence Oppenheim PHOTO: Volvo Aero VOLVO AERO’S environmental director Leif Mowitz has been part of the team since the start. Since he joined the company’s environmental department in 1989 the demands from the owners and authorities, plus his own ambitions have driven the development of the plant in Trollhättan to become one of the most environmentally adapted aero engine factories in the world. “It’s probably the most environmentally adapted of any. We have led the way in many areas and the environment has been one of Volvo’s core values for decades,” says Leif Mowitz. In the 1980s water issues were prioritised, in terms of emissions and volumes, and work has continued ever since. Thanks to purification and reuse, the annual consumption of water, used in surface treatment operations is down to a fifth of the consumption in 1988. “You should consider that in 1988 the plant had already halved its annual water consumption compared to the years before,” he continues. REDUCED ENERGY CONSUMPTION The company has worked consistently at reducing energy consumption. Fuel consumption for example in engine testing has fallen by almost 80 per cent since the mid 1990s. There have been systematic efforts to replace hazardous and environmentally damaging chemicals with less harmful alternatives since the beginning of the 1980s. In 1996 Volvo Aero was the first aerospace company in the world to phase out the use of chlorinated solvents for degreasing, mainly tri, and was also first to phase out freon for use in engine testing. Furthermore, the company was the first aero engine manufacturer to completely replace chlorinated cutting fluids in production. The strict safety regulations in the aviation industry make quick transitions more difficult. Volvo Aero must prove that the chemicals it uses won’t damage the aero engine components over time. Development work can take many years and in extreme cases flight tests are required to verify the altered method. Volvo Aero has been forced to do a lot of the work in these areas itself, because there hasn’t been a developed technology available. REPLACING HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES “Work on replacing hazardous substances helped develop expertise and order in handling chemicals. Our systematic method has meant that we are better off than most European aviation industry in meeting EU legislation such as REACH* and organisations in Sweden are used to creating consensus solutions together with the authorities, says Leif Mowitz. μ * reach – Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of CHemicals Read more about Volvo Aero’s environmental work on page 42. 42 aero | internal environmental work Volvo Aero’s factory in Trollhättan is one of the most environmentally adapted aero engine factories in the world. Volvo Aero – one of the world’s most environmentally adapted aero engine Environmental work at Volvo Aero has been undergoing major change for almost the past twenty years. The focus used to be on production environments and local disruption. Now it’s on products and entire production processes. TEXT: Florence Oppenheim PHOTO: Volvo Aero VOLVO AERO’S environmental director Leif Mowitz has been part of the team since the start. Since he joined the company’s environmental department in 1989 the demands from the owners and authorities, plus his own ambitions have driven the development of the plant in Trollhättan to become one of the most environmentally adapted aero engine factories in the world. “It’s probably the most environmentally adapted of any. We have led the way in many areas and the environment has been one of Volvo’s core values for decades,” says Leif Mowitz. In the 1980s water issues were prioritised, in terms of emissions and volumes, and work has continued ever since. Thanks to purification and reuse, the annual consumption of water, used in surface treatment operations is down to a fifth of the consumption in 1988. “You should consider that in 1988 the plant had already halved its annual water consumption compared to the years before,” he continues. REDUCED ENERGY CONSUMPTION The company has worked consistently at reducing energy consumption. Fuel consumption for example in engine testing has fallen by almost 80 per cent since the mid 1990s. There have been systematic efforts to replace hazardous and environmentally damaging chemicals with less harmful alternatives since the beginning of the 1980s. In 1996 Volvo Aero was the first aerospace company in the world to phase out the use of chlorinated solvents for degreasing, mainly tri, and was also first to phase out freon for use in engine testing. Furthermore, the company was the first aero engine manufacturer to completely replace chlorinated cutting fluids in production. The strict safety regulations in the aviation industry make quick transitions more difficult. Volvo Aero must prove that the chemicals it uses won’t damage the aero engine components over time. Development work can take many years and in extreme cases flight tests are required to verify the altered method. Volvo Aero has been forced to do a lot of the work in these areas itself, because there hasn’t been a developed technology available. REPLACING HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES “Work on replacing hazardous substances helped develop expertise and order in handling chemicals. Our systematic method has meant that we are better off than most European aviation industry in meeting EU legislation such as REACH* and organisations in Sweden are used to creating consensus solutions together with the authorities, says Leif Mowitz. μ * reach – Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of CHemicals Read more about Volvo Aero’s environmental work on page 42.
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=43">Aero Environment Page 43 internal environmental wo</a> rk | aero 43 Volvo Aero invests millions in environmentally optimised aircraft engines VOLVO AERO and the Swedish state will be investing 63 million kronor each when state authority Vinnova for the first time ever distributes funds to a civilian demonstrator programme in the aero industry. The funds are to be used in the company’s development of lightweight components for more fuel-efficient and thus more environmentally optimised aircraft engines of the future. “This announcement is particularly gratifying since Sweden has never before had a civilian demonstrator programme for aviation. The aviation industry faces major environmental challenges and it has to deal with them. We can contribute our expertise in lightweight materials when we work together with the rest of the aviation industry to meet the emissions targets agreed on in Europe,” says Volvo Aero President Olof Persson. Volvo Aero was recently appointed Associate Member of the pan-European JTI (Joint Technology Initiative), a step regarded as key recognition that the company is working with lightweight technologies vital to the entire industry. The company is also participating in a major joint operation with American engine manufacturers, also with the aim of reducing fuel consumption. μ Environmental work in other Volvo companies VOLVO TRUCKS factories FACTS ENVIRONMENTAL WORK More key environmental milestones for Volvo Aero 1995 – First in Sweden to install an evaporator to take care of all process water with oily contaminants. 1997 – Installation of highly effective dust filter in thermal spraying shop. 2002 – The world’s quietest test cell for engine testing goes into operation. 2004 – Transition to OMS (computerised operative system) saves three tonnes of paper per year. 1996/97 and 2004 respectively – All personnel given environment and environmental management system training. 2005 – Installation and transition to PC canons with drastically reduced use of overhead acetates. 2007 – Volvo Aero will start the process of switching to a carbon dioxide-free factory. The company will gradually change over to district heating instead of heating with oil as at present. VOLVO TRUCKS HAS DECIDED to make its manufacturing sites in Ghent, Tuve and Umeå free from carbon dioxide. Five large wind turbines and a bio-fuel furnace in Tuve produce the total electrical and heating needs of the factory without releasing any carbon dioxide. The cabin factory in Umeå has, together with Umeå University and Umeå Energi, agreed upon a pre-study to develop a process to replace LPG with locally produced, environmentally adapted bio-synthetic gas. Three wind turbines and a new plant for bio-fuel in Ghent will supply the factory with electricity and heating without emitting any carbon dioxide. μ Volvo Trucks’ factory in Tuve will be a carbon dioxide free oasis, as will the sister factories in Umeå and Ghent. AB VOLVO Volvo’s new hybrid vehicles provide fuel savings of up to 35 per cent. The biggest savings will be in city traffic. IN MARCH 2006 AB Volvo presented an efficient hybrid solution for heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses that provides fuel savings of up to 35 per cent. The biggest fuel savings occur on stretches with many stops and starts, such as bus routes, distribution in towns and cities, waste disposal and plant work. μ
<a href="/v5/viewer/files/Default_s.aspx?gKey=0rcg9kdc&gInitPage=44">Aero Environment Page 44 WHEN IT COMES TO LIGHTWEI</a> GHT DESIGNS WE’RE ALREADY OFF THE GROUND – www.volvoaero.com
