RockBottom

Boeing mulls adding electric motor to jets
Mon Aug 1, 2005 1:20 PM EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Boeing Co. has tested an electric motor that could allow commercial jets to taxi around airports without using their engines or ground-based towing vehicles, the planemaker said on Monday.

Chicago-based Boeing said its Phantom Works unit had used the nose-wheel motor, built by Gibraltar-based Chorus Motors Plc, to move around an Air Canada Boeing 767 jet in tests simulating various runway conditions in June.

The system could offer a glimmer of hope to U.S. airlines, which have been scouring for ways to boost economies amid record fuel prices, by directing pilots to taxi with single engines, among other steps.

It was unclear how soon the motor would be ready or how much it would cost. Boeing said the companies are working to overcome various technical issues that had surfaced during the tests.

The motors could save airlines money by eliminating the use of airport tow tugs and boost efficiency by running their jets less, as well as reduce emissions, the companies said.

WatchThis!

Namely heat. How much current do you think a motor would draw to tug around a fully loaded 777 or 767 (forget the whale!). That much juice generates lots of heat - which requires time to cool. So the technical problem is, how do you cool it? Either wait at the end of the runway with engines running, which burns fuel and reduces the advantage - or install a cooling device in the nose wheel well which adds wt. and reduces the advantage. Another option is the "leave the gear down for one minute after TO" approach but you impact 2nd segment climb and burn more fuel.

My guess will be a insulating blanket and fire detection loop in the nose wheel well, plus another EP for pilots.