Will we be in for quieter plane rides?

The first jet engine, the turbojet, made by British engineer Frank Whittle, worked something like this. The thrust came from the air that was pushed into the front of the engine. Then, the air travelled into the compressor where it was squeezed, mixed with fuel, and ignited.  This causes the air, now very hot, to shoot out of the back of the engine, causing thrust.(The compressor was turned by a turbine that used exhaust gases to power itself.) But, these engines had a problem. They were not very fuel efficient and were very loud.

Next, came the turbofan engine, the engines that we use today. These engines worked similar to the turbojet engines. A fan, powered by the turbine, directed some air to move around the compressor instead of through it. Even though this air is not moving as fast as the exhaust gases, the sheer volume of it gives it more thrust than the turbojet. This made the engine more fuel efficient and quieter. Some of the latest and biggest turbofans engine fans are so big that they have a bypass ratio of 9:1. To explain this, we have to get into  little math. Let's say that we have ten parts of air. The 9:1 ratio means that only 1 part of the air is going inside the compressor while the other 9 parts are going around. This is much more efficient and provides a lot more thrust. These fans are getting bigger and bigger, but there is  a limit to which they can grow. As these fans get bigger, they also get faster and some fans are getting close to the speed of sound. If these fans reach the speed of sound, they will produce shock waves that cause dangerous vibrations. To slow down the fans but still keep the turbine running at an optimal speed, we need gearboxes. This is where the Purepower by Pratt and Whitney that is a geared turbofan engine comes in.

The fan will have a gearbox behind it and the engine will be bigger

Geared turbofans have been used in small jets for quite a few years. The reason they haven't been used in bigger jets is that since the engine is so big, the forces acting on the gearbox will be so high that it will break. Pratt and Whitney has been working on this problem for more than 15 years and spent more than $10 billion. But, all this work has paid off. Pratt and Whitney have created the new engine which is called the Purepower. They have a strong gearbox made out of nickel based alloys. This engine has a bypass ratio of 12:1 and is quieter and more fuel efficient. Even though this engine is going to be used by many planes, it has a few drawbacks. The engine will take quite a while to cool down. This may cause delays and in busy airports, take away a plane's take off shot.



It is too early to say whether the Purepower will be a success or not, but one thing is for sure. it will revolutionize the process of  engine manufacturing.

Boeing 787-9/10 vs Airbus A350XWB

The two largest plane manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing have always been trying to top each other in a war of innovations. Now, both companies have come out with two planes that will take flying to a whole new level. The Boeing 787-9 and the Airbus A350XWB. So which one is better?

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The maiden flight of the A350XWB

Boeing Launched it's Dreamliner program in 2009 and have come out with 3 types since. The 787-8, 787-9 and the 787-10. These planes were Boeing's idea to reduce fuel consumption and were made out of Carbon Fiber and other composite materials. They were created to be a direct competitor of the Airbus A330. This pushed the European based Airbus to come up with another plane that could rival the 787. So, they came out with the A350XWB which, like the 787, was created to be a fuel efficient plane used for long haul flights. The A350XWB also has 3 models. The A350-800, the A350-900 and the A350-1000.

Range and Dimensions

The new Boeing 787-10 on which Boeing says it will start construction on in 2017 has a seating capacity of 330 with 2 class configuration. The Airbus A350 on the other hand has only 225 seats but with 3 class configuration. According to the Boeing and Airbus websites, the older Boeing 787-9 has a superior range of 7,635 nautical miles while the A350 has a range of 7,600 nmi. Boeing says that the new 787-10 will have a range up to 8,200 nmi but we don't know for sure yet. The Airbus 

A350-900 beats the Boeing 787-10 in all dimensions except length. here is a table that shows the dimensions of both planes. 

Note: The width of the 787 is smaller, but it has an option of having 8 or 9 seats in a row while the A350 has 9. 

Fuel Efficiency

Boeing claims that the 787-10 is 25% more fuel efficient than similar sized planes but Airbus claims the same for the A350XWB. Both planes are made out of carbon fiber and other composite materials that make the plane lighter and thus more fuel efficient. The planes also have new and fuel efficient engines. Boeing has been working with two engines for the Dreamliner. The Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 and the  General Electric while Airbus has only been working with one engine for the A350. The Rolls-Royce TrentXWB

Interior

Windows

The windows of a 787

The windows on the Dreamliner are one of the first things that catch the passengers' eyes. These windows are 70% bigger than older aircraft and 30% bigger than it's contemporaries. The A350's windows are bigger than other Airbus aircrafts' but noticeably smaller than the Dreamliner windows.

Another difference between the windows' is how they shut out light. Boeing has dimmable windows that can be dimmed or brightened again by pressing buttons. The A350, on the other hand has the classic shut out blind windows.

Lighting

The interior of a 787

Both Airbus and Boeing have gone above and beyond to provide the best LED lighting. Both the 787 and the A350 have millions of shades of lighting! The cabin, using the LED lighting, is programmed to look like the day sky with the sun in the day and the night sky with the moon and stars at night. This lets the passengers sleep and adjust to the time zone shift, thus reducing jet lag

Passenger Comfort

Both planes use stronger but lighter carbon-fiber fuselages that make the cabin more comfortable. The cabins will be pressurized to 6000 ft instead of the standard 8000 ft to make the passengers more comfortable. Both planes also use air filters and cycle out air every few minutes. 

The winner? Well, the person who gains the most is the passenger! The competition between Airbus and Boeing forces both companies to innovate and create a more comfortable experience for the passenger.

Just a cool picture of the 787 and 747