Possible Energy Sources for Future Aircraft

Fossil fuels remain the main source of energy for aviation propulsion systems in the aviation sector today. Global aviation operations are estimated to emit about 900–950 million tonnes of CO₂ per year and contribute significantly to climate change. Therefore, in many research labs, aircraft electrification has emerged as an attractive alternative to conventional fuel-based propulsion systems that may substantially decrease carbon emissions related to aviation.

Aircraft electrification, however, does have environmental impacts, although it eliminates direct emissions during flight. Electricity and battery production may emit CO₂, NOₓ, CH₄, particulate matter, and other pollutants during their life cycle. On a per-molecule basis, methane (CH₄) has a much higher global warming potential than CO₂, and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) contribute to ozone formation and can have negative human respiratory health impacts.

This raises an important question: Do the indirect environmental impacts of aircraft electrification exceed the environmental impacts associated with conventional aviation fuels? If so, then finding the best next generation sustainable energy source is paramount. Among the different available options, solar energy has attracted a lot of attention due to its abundance and zero-emission operation.

However, solar energy has serious drawbacks, especially the weight of the system and the complexity of implementation, and, on the other hand, the current solar system doesn't fulfill the high energy needs of future aircraft. Wind and magnetic energy are other ideas still in the works [Xu H. et. al. 2018]. These possibilities have continued to inspire the development of advanced propulsion technologies, SAFs, and hybrid-electric systems for future aviation.

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