NASA is offering a $1.6 million prize – the largest ever offered in aviation to help the industry advance by using efficiency and zero carbon energy sources.
A competition next month will test the flight efficiency limits of airplanes powered by low-carbon fuels and batteries.
The NASA Innovative Partnerships Program and the nonprofit Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency Foundation are holding the Green Flight Challenge, which launches September 25 at the Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport in California.
Technologies to support the avaition industry are also expected to broader applications for transportation and energy storage.
Competing aircraft must demonstrate speeds of at least 100 mph and fuel efficiency of 200 passenger miles per gallon on a 200-mile flight.
Airplanes that can carry the most passengers the greatest distance on the least amount of fuel have the highest passenger miles per gallon.
Google is sponsoring the first-ever electric aircraft charging station. The station will use geothermal power from plants in the Mayacama Mountains North of Santa Rosa to charge the batteries for seven different aircraft in the competition.
Other prototype planes in the competition include biofuel-electric hybrids, a traditional hybrid, an ethanol-powered plane, and another that runs on diesel. Competing teams hail from California, Florida, Kansas, Montana, Oregon, Pennsylvania and other locations across the US.
In addition to the main prizes for highest scores, the competition includes a bio-fuel prize and plans for a special Lindbergh Prize for Quietest Aircraft, to be presented by Erik Lindbergh, grandson of the renowned winner of aviation’s Orteig Prize, Charles Lindbergh.
Loading...