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| The future of electric aircraft depends on the development of batteries |
The world is facing a number of increasingly serious environmental risks, the most important of which may be the threat of global warming on the one hand and the consumption of organic energy resources on the other. After the success of electric cars in recent years, the world now needs to develop electric aircraft faster.
Airplanes currently use a lot of fuel. For example, a Boeing 747 consumes one gallon of fuel per second of flight. It is projected that 8.2 billion people will travel by air each year until 2037, and the risk is increasing.
This is why research pioneers, scientists and businessmen have cherished the dream of electric planes since the end of the 19th century. In fact, a lot of effort has been put into flying with clean energy. Including relying on solar panels or by transmitting microwave energy.
Over time and with the development of batteries, aircraft began to use electric power in a variety of ways. But the biggest challenge is balancing the weight of the battery and the ability to fly.
In fact, the massive airplane we see today consumes up to 1.2 million pounds of batteries to run in addition to a conventional engine. This is of course impossible.
The development of electric aircraft and batteries
Batteries need to be lighter and more efficient so we can rely on them to power electric planes. In addition to providing the reliability required for the internal combustion engine on which it is currently based.
Lithium-ion batteries are currently the most widely used batteries. However, scientists have worked for many years to develop alternatives based on other chemical elements such as sodium.
Lithium-ion batteries offer an energy density of 260 W/kg, while CATL has been able to provide a sodium-ion-based energy density of 160 W/kg, which is expected to reach 200 W/kg in 2023.
Some other batteries are lighter than lithium-ion batteries, are more reliable, and have longer run times. However, it is still in the beginning of its development.
On the other hand, however, the elements of reliability and safety in electric aircraft have not improved significantly yet. This is because one or all of the batteries in the battery pack may become too hot to overheat above a safe level. Especially in battery systems that aim to conserve energy for as long as possible.
There is no doubt that electric aircraft will face major challenges facing electric cars today. It's a balance between distance, speed, and battery capacity. If the battery runs out during the flight, the airline is sure to get upset.