Jet Engine Exhaust is Turned into Electricity to Power Dallas International Airport

An example of the pods at Dallas Love Field Airport – credit: JetWind CorporationAn intuitive piece of hardware is collecting days’ worth of renewable energy from airplane engine exhaust before take-off from a Dallas airport.“Boarding is completed” is a common refrain heard over the intercom system in the moments before taxiing to the runway.At that moment, the pilot will begin a series of engine tests and pre-flight checks during which time the turbine engines are idling with their ferocious noise and exhaust fumes.A company called JetWind has realized that all that idling force is like the strong winds needed to power a wind turbine, and has built a series of pods that can capture it during the 5-10 minutes the aircraft is sitting at the gate waiting for clearance to taxi.“The main goal of our project is to harness the consistent wind created by jets and convert it into an eco-friendly energy source,” JetWind’s founder and president Dr. T. O. Souryal told Interesting Engineering.“What was once considered wasted energy can now benefit energy grids, ultimately promoting smarter and more sustainable infrastructure across the globe.”Three years of testing between 2021 and 2024 have informed the official deployment of JetWind’s flagship product at Dallas Love Field airport. 13 sets of pods will sit beneath the gate hooked up to external...
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India’s first flying taxi prototype unveiled at auto expo 2025

New Delhi, (IANS): In a bid to realise the dream of air taxis and transform urban mobility in India, the country’s first flying taxi prototype, called ‘Shunya’, has been unveiled at the ‘Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025’ here.Precision manufacturing firm Sona SPEED signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bengaluru-based Sarla Aviation towards this goal.Sarla Aviation is developing India's most sophisticated electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, HD Kumaraswamy, visited the Sarla Aviation booth, and showed keen interest in the flying taxi prototype, considered a historic step toward sustainable and futuristic mobility in the country.Sona SPEED motors have been part of several space missions of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The agreement positions Sona SPEED as a key partner in revolutionising urban air mobility in the country.“This partnership is a significant step in Sona SPEED’s evolution as a hub for aerospace innovation. Together, we aim to shape a cleaner, faster, and more efficient future for urban transportation,” said Chocko Valliappa, CEO of Sona SPEED.Under the MoU, Sona SPEED will utilise its state-of-the-art facilities in Karnataka to design and manufacture critical components, like the motors and landing gear among others for Sarla...
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Supersonic jets are making a comeback – but despite the hype, don’t expect to book yet

Rendering of Boom Supersonic’s proposed Overture supersonic airliner. Boom Supersonic Chris James, The University of QueenslandLate last week, American company Boom Supersonic flew faster than the speed of sound with its XB-1 supersonic demonstrator aircraft. It’s now the first piloted non-military aircraft to break the sound barrier since the Concorde was retired from service in 2003. It’s the first step in Boom’s ambitious goal to have supersonic airliners carry passengers by 2029. But what exactly is supersonic travel? There are good reasons why it’s not more common, despite the hype. Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 supersonic demonstrator aircraft during its 11th test flight where it became the first civilian aircraft to fly supersonically since the Concorde. Boom SupersonicWhat is supersonic flight? The Mach number is defined as a plane’s speed divided by the speed that sound waves move through the air. To “break the sound barrier” means to fly faster than the speed of sound, with Mach numbers greater than 1. The Mach number is an important ratio: as a plane flies, it disturbs the air in front of it. These disturbances move at the speed of sound. In supersonic flight these disturbances combine to form shock waves around the vehicle. When people say you can see a fighter jet before you hear it, they’re referring to supersonic...
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New Carbon Fiber Batteries Could Form the Actual Framework of Cars and Airplanes

Artist impression of vehicle partly constructed with batteries made of carbon fibre composite stiff as aluminum – Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden / Henrik Sandsjö / SWNSCars and planes could soon be built from the world’s strongest batteries, thanks to a ground-breaking innovation from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.Researchers detailed the advance of so-called massless energy storage—and a structural battery that could cut the weight of a laptop by 50%, make mobile phones as thin as a credit card, or increase the driving range of an EV by up to 70 percent on a single charge.Structural batteries are materials that, in addition to storing energy, can carry loads. Stiff, strong carbon fibers could store electrical energy chemically and, in this way, the battery material can become part of the actual construction material of a product.And, when cars, planes, ships, or computers are built from a material that functions as both a battery and a load-bearing structure, the weight and energy consumption are radically reduced.“We have succeeded in creating a battery made of carbon fibre composite that is as stiff as aluminum and energy-dense enough to be used commercially,” says Chalmers researcher Richa Chaudhary, the first author of a paper recently published in Advanced Materials. “Just like a human skeleton,...
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Anand Mahindra praises IIT-Madras startup for developing electric flying taxi

New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra has praised the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras startup that is developing an electric flying taxi, saying that the institution has become one of the world's most "exciting and active incubators"."A company is being incubated at IIT Madras to build a flying electric taxi by sometime next year," Mahindra posted on X.Thanking the institution, he further said that with the rapidly growing number of ambitious incubators throughout India, "we're no longer seen as a country that lacks genuine innovators"."Audacious aspirations matter. Accept no limits," Mahindra wrote.Since being shared, his post has been viewed by more than 190K times. Several users also shared their thoughts in the comments."Exciting times, this is audacious thinking taking root. With our immense talent pool and a supportive environment, Indian innovators are truly taking flight," a user wrote."India's incubators are hatching the future, and IIT Madras is leading the charge with their electric flying taxi project. This is the kind of innovation that puts a country on the map and inspires the next generation of dreamers and doers," another user said.Earlier this week, IIT Madras said that it raised an all-time high amount of Rs 513 crore in funding from its alumni, industry and individual donors...
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Wayve secures $1bn in funding for AI-powered autonomous vehicles

UK self-driving car startup Wayve has secured $1.05 billion in investments to develop its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered vehicles, led by Japanese bank Softbank and with1notable contributions from Nvidia and Microsoft.Founded in 2017, Wayve develops AI foundation models to help enable autonomous driving. Its technology equips vehicles with a ‘robot brain’ that can learn from and interact with real-world environments. Known as ‘embodied AI’, the technology will help self-driving vehicles react to situations that do not follow set patterns or rules, such as unexpected events from pedestrians.“AI is revolutionising mobility,” said Kentaro Matsui, Managing Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers in a press release.“Vehicles can now interpret their surroundings like humans, enabling enhanced decision-making that promises higher safety standards. The potential of this type of technology is transformative; it could eliminate 99% of traffic accidents. SoftBank Group is delighted to be at the forefront of this effort with Wayve,” he continued.“By utilizing Microsoft’s supercomputing capabilities and cloud computing technology, copilot-enabled developer platform, enterprise data management applications, and leading AI model commercialization expertise, Wayve can deliver and scale innovative Embodied AI solutions that enable safer and...
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The Car Fueled Entirely by the Sun Takes Huge Step Towards Production

credit – Aptera, via XOne of the most hotly anticipated concept cars in recent history, the Aptera solar-powered car took a large step towards reality recently as the first-ever production-grade body arrived at the company’s headquarters in San Diego.This three-wheeler is advertised as containing 34 square feet of solar paneling that actually powers the car as it drives or while it’s parked, but so many aspects are completely new in a commercial automobile designed for mass production that extra precautions and preparations are needed before it can hit the road.“We had so much fun last week celebrating a company milestone—the arrival of Aptera’s first production body in San Diego,” the company wrote in a post on X. “Now Team Aptera is back to work finalizing the cable routing, connectors, and placement of components in preparation for our first [production-intent] builds.”According to Elektrek, the company has ordered all the parts for its production-intent battery packs, and other non-structural components are currently being “validated” in Italy by the company’s supply partner.The suspension, safety equipment, and drivetrain are yet to be finalized for production models. Still, the company has gone further than many before them, because the design they are currently finalizing is not meant to be an eye-raiser or science project,...
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World's first 100% hydrogen-powered train now runs in Germany

Alstom, global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, on Wednesday announced the launch of the world’s first hydrogen powered train, the Coradia iLint, setting another historical milestone. The train has started plying on the world’s premiere 100 per cent hydrogen train route in Bremervörde, Lower Saxony, Germany, for passenger service. This regional train only emits steam and condensed water while operating with a low level of noise. Altom has developed 14 vehicles with fuel cell propulsion for Landesnahverkehrsgesellschaft Niedersachsen (LNVG). LNVG had started looking for alternatives to diesel trains in 2012, providing the momentum for the development of the trains in Germany. Other project partners for this world debut are the Elbe-Weser railways and transport company (evb) and the gas and engineering company Linde. “Emission free mobility is one of the most important goals for ensuring a sustainable future and Alstom has a clear ambition to become the world leader in alternative propulsion systems for rail. The world’s first hydrogen train, the Coradia iLint, demonstrates our clear commitment to green mobility combined with state-of-the-art technology. We are very proud to bring this technology into series operation as part of a world premiere, together with our great partners,” said Henri Poupart-Lafarge, CEO and chairman...
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Tata Motors unveils futuristic `Ziptron' electric mobility technology

Tata Motors on Thursday unveiled a state-of-the-art electric vehicle technology ‘Ziptron’, which will power a range of aspirational Tata electric cars, starting with a new launch in the fourth quarter of the current financial year. The new technology will form the basis of Tata Motors’ future EVs, and with it the auto major will ramp up its presence in the electric vehicle segment. The new technology, branded ‘Ziptron’, will first be used on a model set for launch in early 2020. “Ziptron, a soon to be introduced EV powertrain technology, is a building block towards Tata Motors’ consistent strive for commonality, to drive economies of scale and to make new technologies affordable for the Indian consumers. It embodies distinctive characteristics: efficient high voltage system, zippy performance, long range, fast charging capability, battery with warranty of 8 years, and adherence to IP67 standard,” Tata Motors stated in a release. Tata Motors says Ziptron has been developed keeping Indian climatic and traffic conditions in mind, and also addresses typical EV buyers' concerns of performance, range and safety.  While Tata Motors has not revealed final specifications as yet, company spokespersons announced that cars built with Ziptron will have a “minimum range of 250km” and will support fast charging. The battery pack comprises...
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World's first fully electric plane takes to air for almost 15 minutes

The world's first fully electric commercial aircraft took its inaugural test flight on Tuesday, taking off from the Canadian city of Vancouver and offering hope that airlines may one day free themselves from polluting fossil fuels and end their polluting emissions. The first flight of the fully electric commercial aircraft took place on Tuesday around Vancouver, Canada. The whole flight lasted just 15 minutes. The plane was a 62-year-old, six-passenger seaplane that had been retrofitted with an electric motor. It was designed by Australian engineering firm MagniX and tested in partnership with Harbour Air, the world’s largest seaplane airline.  Harbour Air says it plans to electrify its entire fleet by 2022, depending on whether it can secure the necessary safety and regulatory approvals. The aircraft can only fly about 100 miles (160 kilometers) for now, but that’s sufficient for the sort of short-hop journeys the airline needs. However, Harbour Air will have to wait at least two years before it can begin electrifying its fleet of more than 40 seaplanes. The e-plane needs to be tested further to confirm it is reliable and safe. In addition, the electric motor must be approved and certified by regulators. Harbour Air ferries half a million passengers a year between Vancouver, Whistler ski resort and nearby islands and...
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Driverless cars see fewer crashes than human-driven cars

domain-b: Self-driving cars are involved in fewer crashes on average than vehicles with a driver behind the wheel, a study released on Friday by the Virginia TechTransportation Institute shows. The study was commissioned by Alphabet Inc's Google unit, which has reported a series of minor crashes involving its self-driving fleet. It looked only at Google's fleet of more than 50 self-driving cars, which has logged 1.3 million miles in Texas and California in self-driving mode. The test fleet has reported 17 crashes over the last six years, although none were the fault of the self-driving cars, Google said. After adjusting for severity and accounting for crashes not reported to police, the study estimated cars with drivers behind the wheel are involved in 4.2 crashes per million miles, versus 3.2 crashes per million miles for self-driving cars in autonomous mode. Crash rates for conventional vehicles at all severity levels were higher than self-driving crash rates, the study found. A 2015 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study found about 60 percent of property-damage-only crashes and 24 percent of all injury crashes are not reported to the police. California law requires all crashes involving self-driving vehicles be reported to police. Google spokesman Johnny Luu said the company asked Virginia Tech "to look...
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Brain Controlled Flight Advancing in Europe

© Brainflight An EU-funded project has flown a drone controlled from the ground using only a person's brainwaves. The technology could one day make it easier to pilot larger aircraft, such as cargo jets, and result in safer airways, say the project's researchers. The BRAINFLIGHT project’s demonstration of a control system to interpret a humans brain signals and convert them into commands took place at a small airport near Lisbon, Portugal in May 2014. An operator wearing a skin-tight head cap that picks up electric signals from brain activity was able to control the drone's path by thinking about the movements he wanted it to take during the live test. The drone was a specially equipped model of a plane about half the length of a human. Essentially, the electricity flowing through a pilot's brain acts as an input to the drone's control system to follow a flight path, says project coordinator Andre Oliveira, of Tekever in Portugal. The demonstration results suggest that the technology could eventually be used to help pilots fly small aeroplanes and even large cargo jets more efficiently – increasing safety in the air. A more developed system, once authorised for use, could allow pilots to concentrate more than is currently possible on evaluating their current flight situation, while another part of their brain focuses simultaneously...
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Solar-powered plane breaks solo flight record

The solar-powered aircraft, Solar Impulse, flying from Japan to Hawaii, on the most perilous leg of a round-the-globe bid, has beaten the record for the longest solo flight, organisers said yesterday. They admitted though that veteran Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg was exhausted after over four days of continuous flying, which made the final 24 hours of flight particularly challenging. The plane was set to land this morning local time at Kalaeloa Airport on the main Hawaiian island of Oahu, some 20 miles (30 kilometers) west of Honolulu. By 7:30pm GMT (1am IST, Friday) on Thursday, Solar Impulse 2 had traveled 86 per cent of the way to the tropical US state, after flying 7,075 kilometers. However, it was in the process of crossing a cold front that required careful navigation on the part of Borschberg, which would significantly increase stress levels for the 62-year-old. Borschberg had so far flown over 97 hours easily beating the previous longest solo endurance flight undertaken in 2006. The Japan to Hawaii trip was expected to take 120 hours. The Swiss aviator was napping for only 20 minutes at a time so as to maintain control of the pioneering plane and has on the plane a parachute and life raft, in case he needed to ditch in the Pacific. The experimental solar-powered aircraft left Japan around 6pm GMT (11:30pm IST) on Sunday...
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Solar-powered Formula E can overtake Formula 1, says Richard Branson

The Virgin tycoon believes all-electric and solar-powered racing cars will prove more attractive to sponsors and racing enthusiasts within the next four or five years. Richard Branson celebrates with Formula E inaugural champion Nelson Piquet Jr in London. Richard Branson, the British billionaire and owner of the Virgin brand, suggested at the weekend that the pace of development of electric vehicles (EV) is so great that the all-electric Formula E racing series will soon surpass Formula 1 as the de facto choice for racing enthusiasts and sponsors. Speaking ahead of the U.K.’s first-ever 100% electric motor car race in London at the weekend – which featured solar-charged vehicles at the Battersea Park track in front of 60,000 spectators – Branson was bullish on EVs’ potential to seriously disrupt the automobile industry in all its guises."I think there is still going to be room for Formula 1 in the next few years, but four or five years from now you will see Formula E overtaking Formula 1," said the tycoon. "Just as clean energy type of businesses will power ahead of other types of businesses." Branson said that he is "willing to bet" that 20 years from now no new vehicles will be made anywhere in the world that are not powered by an electric battery. "The current technology is antiquated and polluting and will disappear. Like...
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Wireless Online Electric Vehicle Charges On The Move, No Need To Stop To Recharge Batteries

OLEV tram, Credit: KAIST The Online Electric Vehicle (OLEV), developed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), is an electric vehicle that can be charged while stationary or driving, thus removing the need to stop at a charging station. Likewise, an OLEV tram does not require pantographs to feed power from electric wires strung above the tram route. Following the development and operation of commercialized OLEV trams (at an amusement park in Seoul) and shuttle buses (at KAIST campus), respectively, the City of Gumi in South Korea, beginning on August 6th, is providing its citizens with OLEV public transportation services. Two OLEV buses will run an inner city route between Gumi Train Station and In-dong district, for a total of 24 km roundtrip. The bus will receive 20 kHz and 100 kW (136 horsepower) electricity at an 85% maximum power transmission efficiency rate while maintaining a 17cm OLEV tram, Credit: KAIST air gap between the underbody of the vehicle and the road surface.  OLEV is a groundbreaking technology that accelerates the development of purely electric vehicles as a viable option for future transportation systems, be they personal vehicles or public transit. This is accomplished by solving technological issues that limit the commercialization of electric vehicles such as price,...
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Nissan's 100 percent electric commercial vehicle to hit road next year

By Dan McCue, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. will begin selling its 100 percent electric commercial vehicle, the "e-NV200," in Japan next year, with the intention of eventually offering it to prospective buyers worldwide. The e-NV200 is the Yokohama, Japan-based auto makter's second all-electric model available globally, following on the heels of its successful = Nissan LEAF. Production of the e-NV200 will begin at Nissan’s plant in Barcelona, Spain in mid-2014, the company said. In order to establish an effective model case that leverages the characteristics of e-NV200, Nissan is discussing specific strategies with Yokohama's city government. Under consideration are the use of e-NV200 by Yokohama city for its public services vehicles and the establishment of a vehicle monitor user program which would be available to all city residents. Nissan and the city are already collaborating on the "Yokohama Mobility Project Zero," which aims to create a working model of a functional city with a low carbon footprint. Activities so far have included the use of Nissan LEAF and the Nissan New Mobility CONCEPT, an ultra-compact electric vehicle. The parties may expand the project with the introduction of e-NV200. Measures to utilize the e-NV200 are evolving in Barcelona, Spain, which is involved in a mutually cooperative arrangement with Yokohama city...
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World record-breaking electric vehicle journey crosses finish line

The Epic Electric American Road Trip, a 24-day, 12,183-mile battery-powered journey sponsored by electric vehicle (EV) software and information services company Recargo Inc. came to its triumphant conclusion on 22 April 2014. Now the sponsors are seeking Guinness World Record verification for longest vehicle journey ever taken using 100 percent electric power, a trip they say served to emphasize the possibilities of the nation's current electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Norman Hajjar, Managing Director of Recargo's driver research division, PlugInsights, crossed the finish line in a stock Tesla Model S sedan. At the trip's end, Norman has ventured across a 27-state route spanning the four corners of the lower 48 states: Washington, Maine, Florida, and California, ending at Recargo's offices in Venice, California. Hajjar took advantage of Tesla's newly built, proprietary string of cross-country "Supercharger" stations, in order to make the coast-to-coast electric venture. "We wanted to illustrate what's possible with the nation's charging infrastructure, and draw attention to needs for further improvement," said Norman Hajjar. "The plausibility of a mass switch to EV usage in America simply can't be separated from the need for a robust fast-charging network. I've traveled over 12,000 miles in under 3.5 weeks. With the...
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Nissan develops stylish ?Bladeglider? EV

Car manufacturer Nissan has developed a new and stylish ‘wedge’ shaped electric car called the ‘BladeGlider’ which it describes as a proposal for the future direction of Nissan EV development The company developed the vehicle in order to give both the driver and passengers a new, sustainable and exhilarating driving experience. It has a unique architecture which Nissan describes as ‘targeting the visionary individual’ and incorporates a ‘pioneering’ spirit that distinguishes it from anything yet envisioned for EV’s. “The goal was to revolutionise the architecture of the vehicle to provoke new emotions, provide new value and make visible for consumers how Zero Emissions can help redefine our conception of vehicle basics” said Francois Bancon, division general manager of Product Strategy and Product Planning at Nissan. The car has a narrow front track which is designed to challenge the orthodoxy of car design that the company says has dominated the roads since the earliest days of the internal combustion engine. The concept has its roots in the aerial images of a soaring, silent, glider and the triangular shape of a high performance "swept wing" aircraft.  This means that the main developmental focus was aerodynamics in order to achieve low drag and generating a road-hugging downforce. “BladeGlider was conceived around...
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Gen-next solar plane to fly around the world in 2015

The solar plane, dubbed Solar Impulse 2, will circumnavigate the world in March 2015. (Reuters) A next generation solar-powered plane that will fly around the world for five consecutive days next year without using any fuel has been developed. The solar plane, dubbed Solar Impulse 2, will circumnavigate the world in March 2015. Swiss pilots Andre Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard, who unveiled the futuristic flying machine in a ceremony, hopes to accomplish the first around-the-world flight in a solar-powered aircraft. Solar Impulse officials said the plane will take off from the Gulf region, and will fly over the Arabian Sea, China, the Pacific Ocean, the US, the Atlantic Ocean and Southern Europe or North Africa. Landings will be made every few days to change pilots and to accommodate outreach events with participating governments and schools, ‘LiveScience’ reported. “Today, we are one step closer to our dream of flying around the world on solar power,” Piccard said. Solar Impulse 2 has a wingspan that stretches 72 meters, longer than a Boeing 747 commercial jet. According to the company, the wings are covered with 17,000 solar cells that power the plane’s various systems. The upgraded aircraft also features a larger cockpit with better ergonomic designs, which will help Borschberg and Piccard live comfortably in the space...
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Nissan develops stylish ?Bladeglider? EV

Car manufacturer Nissan has developed a new and stylish ‘wedge’ shaped electric car called the ‘BladeGlider’ which it describes as a proposal for the future direction of Nissan EV development The company developed the vehicle in order to give both the driver and passengers a new, sustainable and exhilarating driving experience. It has a unique architecture which Nissan describes as ‘targeting the visionary individual’ and incorporates a ‘pioneering’ spirit that distinguishes it from anything yet envisioned for EV’s. “The goal was to revolutionise the architecture of the vehicle to provoke new emotions, provide new value and make visible for consumers how Zero Emissions can help redefine our conception of vehicle basics” said Francois Bancon, division general manager of Product Strategy and Product Planning at Nissan. The car has a narrow front track which is designed to challenge the orthodoxy of car design that the company says has dominated the roads since the earliest days of the internal combustion engine. The concept has its roots in the aerial images of a soaring, silent, glider and the triangular shape of a high performance "swept wing" aircraft. This means that the main developmental focus was aerodynamics in order to achieve low drag and generating a road-hugging down force. “BladeGlider was conceived around delivering...
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