BINUS @
  • Greater Jakarta
  • Bekasi
  • Bandung
  • Malang
  • Semarang
Computer Engineering
Computer Engineering
  • BINUS @Greater Jakarta
  • BINUS @Bekasi
  • BINUS @Bandung
  • BINUS @Malang
  • BINUS @Semarang
  • About Us
    • Introduction
      • Vision & Mission
      • Program Objective
      • Graduate Competency
      • Prospective Career of The Graduate
      • Curriculum
        • Course Structure
        • Prerequisites
        • Quality Controlled Examination (UPM)
    • Accreditation
      • BAN PT
      • ABET
    • Social Media
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • Youtube
      • Keluarga Besar Sistem Komputer Binus University
      • Contact Us
    • Partnership/Collaboration
      • Teaching
      • Research
      • Community Development
      • Self Development
  • Lecturer
    • Department
      • Daniel Patricko G. Hutabarat, S.T., M.T.
      • Rico Wijaya, S.Kom, M.T.I.
      • Dr. Lukas Tanutama
      • Wiedjaja, S.Kom., M.Kom.
      • Endra, S.Kom, M.T.
      • Jimmy Linggarjati, S.Kom., M.Sc.
      • Dr. Eng. Suryadi, S.Si., M.Eng.
      • Ivan Alexander, S.T., M.T.I.
    • Research Interest Group Leader
      • Dr. Rinda Hedwig
      • Dr. Suryadiputra Liawatimena
    • Student Affairs & Community Development
      • Robby Saleh, S.Kom., M.T.
    • Faculty Member
      • Iman Herwidiana Kartowisastro, Ph.D.
      • Dr.Eng. Zener Sukra Lie
      • Rudy Susanto, S.Kom., M.T.I.
      • Ir. Santoso Budijono, M.M.
      • Johannes, S.Kom., M.T.
  • Student Activities
    • Company Visit
    • Guest Lecturer
    • Senior Gathering
    • Student Achievement
    • Himpunan Mahasiswa Sistem Komputer (HIMTEK)
  • CE Online Course
  • CE Laboratory
  • Certification
    • Recommended Certification Course
    • BINUS – Huawei ICT Academy
      • MoA
      • Instructor
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • Social Media
  • More
BINUS 41th
  • Home
  • Articles
  • Plasma Jets May One Day Propel Aircraft

Plasma Jets May One Day Propel Aircraft

04 Sep 2020
  • Articles

Plasma thrusters could help jet planes fly without fossil fuels

By Charles Q. Choi

Jet planes may one day fly without fossil fuels by using plasma jets, new research from scientists in China suggests.

A variety of spacecraft, such as NASA’s Dawn space probe, generate plasma from gases such as xenon for propulsion. However, such thrusters exert only tiny propulsive forces, and so can find use only in outer space, in the absence of air friction.

Now researchers have created a prototype thruster capable of generating plasma jets with propulsive forces comparable to those from conventional jet engines, using only air and electricity.

“We could lift a steel ball weighing about 1 kilogram using only about 400 watts of microwave power,” says Jau Tang, a physicist at Wuhan University in China and senior author of a new study describing the work.

The scientists estimated the jet pressure from their device reached 2,400 newtons per square meter, comparable to that from a commercial airplane jet engine. “This result surprised me,” Tang says. “It means that if we could scale up the microwave power and the compressed air inlet stream to the standard of an actual jet engine, we could have the same strength of jet propulsion using only electricity and air but no fossil fuel.”

If air plasma jets ever become practical, they could reduce fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions, the researchers say. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, aircraft contribute 12 percent of U.S. transportation emissions, and account for 3 percent of the nation’s total greenhouse gas production. Globally, aviation produced 2.4 percent of total carbon dioxide emissions in 2018.

“We are quite excited that only electricity and air are needed,” Tang says. “We do not need fossil fuels to power a jet engine.” [READ MORE]

Share to your friends
Cancel Reply

BINUS UNIVERSITY | Computer Engineering

Jl. K. H. Syahdan No. 9, Kemanggisan, Palmerah
Jakarta 11480, Indonesia
Phone +62 21 534 5830, +62 21 535 0660 ext. 2205
Fax +62 21 530 0244

Copyright © BINUS Higher Education. All rights reserved