Aircraft Design for Reduced Carbon Emissions     

presented by

Tony Hays

Lecturer at California State University, Long Beach

 Wednesday, September 19th, 2018

Huntington Beach, CA

To reduce the rate of climate change, power systems to drive the world economy must be transformed.  Liquid hydrogen (LH₂) or electrical power are feasible alternatives to hydrocarbon fuel for many applications.  For aircraft, an important requirement is that the energy storage system must have a high energy per unit weight.  LH₂ meets this requirement, but distribution and storage are expensive, rendering it economically impracticable.  Batteries are an alternative, but the specific energy of a lithium battery is an order of magnitude less than that of carbon-based fuel.  Long-range aircraft with significantly reduced carbon footprint will either need batteries with increased specific energy or burn synthetically-produced fuel made from atmospheric carbon dioxide and water.  Both are in early stages of development.  This presentation will examine propulsion options and possible design synergies.

Tony Hays worked in the aerospace industry over 50 years.  He holds a B.Sc. degree in aeronautical engineering from Bristol University in the UK, and an S.M. degree in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT.  He worked at Lockheed Martin for 30 years, mostly in aircraft advanced design.  Concepts he has worked on varied from a vertical takeoff airliner to a single stage to orbit scramjet-powered spyplane (NASP).  He has taught classes in aircraft design at several universities, including Northrop University, UC San Diego, Cal State Long Beach, and Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

NOTE:  This program is the second of a series co-sponsored by AIAA OC and Golden West College.  It will be held at Golden West College in the Technology Building, Room 102 (Building 19 in the campus map).  Free parking is available in Lot A and Lot B off of Goldenwest Street for guests who register online.  A parking permit for the evening of September 19^th will be emailed to each online registrant. The permit must be printed, placed in the vehicle on the driver’s side dashboard, and the vehicle parked in a white lined “student” parking space (i.e., not “Staff” or metered).