The Boeing ecoDemonstrator completed its first flight with ‘green diesel’ along with two new environment-related technologies when it flew from Seattle, Washington, to NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, on June 17 using a blend of 95% petroleum jet fuel and 5% sustainable green diesel, a biofuel used in ground transportation.
The developments have advanced the ecoDemonstrator program’s mission to accelerate the testing and use of technologies to improve environmental performance in the air.
Among more than 15 new systems on the 757, Boeing has begun testing solar and thermal ‘energy harvesting’ to power electronic windows as a way to reduce wiring, weight, fuel use and carbon emissions.
“With the ecoDemonstrator, Boeing is looking to reduce environmental impact through the airplane’s lifecycle, from improving fuel efficiency and cutting carbon emissions to recycling production materials,” explained Mike Sinnett, vice president, product development, Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
“In addition to our new technologies, flying the ecoDemonstrator 757 with US-made green diesel is another positive step toward reducing our industry’s use of fossil fuel.”
NASA and TUI Group, the world’s largest integrated tourism group, are collaborating with Boeing on ecoDemonstrator 757 tests.
June 22, 2015
