Graduate School of Innovation and Technology Management, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 305-701, Korea.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2011 Sep;8(9):3777-95. doi: 10.3390/ijerph8093777. Epub 2011 Sep 22.
The past oil crises have caused dramatic improvements in fuel efficiency in all industrial sectors. The aviation sector-aircraft manufacturers and airlines-has also made significant efforts to improve the fuel efficiency through more advanced jet engines, high-lift wing designs, and lighter airframe materials. However, the innovations in energy-saving aircraft technologies do not coincide with the oil crisis periods. The largest improvement in aircraft fuel efficiency took place in the 1960s while the high oil prices in the 1970s and on did not induce manufacturers or airlines to achieve a faster rate of innovation. In this paper, we employ a historical analysis to examine the socio-economic reasons behind the relatively slow technological innovation in aircraft fuel efficiency over the last 40 years. Based on the industry and passenger behaviors studied and prospects for alternative fuel options, this paper offers insights for the aviation sector to shift toward more sustainable technological options in the medium term. Second-generation biofuels could be the feasible option with a meaningful reduction in aviation's lifecycle environmental impact if they can achieve sufficient economies of scale.
过去的石油危机导致所有工业部门的燃料效率都有了显著提高。航空业——飞机制造商和航空公司——也通过更先进的喷气发动机、高升力机翼设计和更轻的机身材料，为提高燃料效率做出了重大努力。然而，节能飞机技术的创新并没有与石油危机时期相吻合。飞机燃料效率的最大提高发生在 20 世纪 60 年代，而 20 世纪 70 年代和之后的高油价并没有促使制造商或航空公司更快地进行创新。本文通过历史分析，考察了过去 40 年飞机燃料效率技术创新相对缓慢的社会经济原因。基于对行业和乘客行为的研究以及替代燃料选择的前景，本文为航空业提供了一些见解，以便在中期转向更可持续的技术选择。如果第二代生物燃料能够实现足够的规模经济，那么它们可能是一种可行的选择，可以显著降低航空生命周期的环境影响。
