Airbus Helicopters flight tests kerosene-fueled lightweight V8 piston engine

Airbus Helicopters flight tests kerosene-fueled lightweight V8 piston engine

Most piston-driven helicopters use aviation-grade gasoline or avgas, but as part of the European Clean Sky initiative, Airbus Helicopters has begun flight testing of a new high-compression engine that burns widely-available kerosene aviation fuel. Installed in an H120 demonstrator aircraft, the advanced lightweight V8 piston engine promises to be a more efficient, cleaner alternative to turbine powerplants in high-performance rotorcraft. 

According to Airbus Helicopters, the new 4.6-liter, V8 high-compression piston engine demonstrates a wide variety of advanced features and technologies. With one turbocharger per cylinder bank, the engine achieves pressures of 1800 bar and has common-rail direct injection. It has fully-machined aluminum blocks, titanium connecting rods, steel pistons and liners, and for the motor oil it uses liquid-cooling and a dry sump management system similar to that used on aerobatic aircraft and race cars.

The engine has been under development since 2011 and ground tests of the H120-equipped helicopter were conducted in February and March 2015. Its maiden flight took place on November 6 at about 3 pm at Marignane Airport, France. Airbus Helicopters says that future tests will work on determining the optimum power-to-weight ratios, confirming the engine's emission standards, and making it competitive with turbine power plants.

"The first result of the 30 minutes flight confirms the advantages of new-technology high-compression piston engines for rotorcraft in offering reduced emissions; up to 50 percent lower fuel consumption depending on duty cycle, nearly doubled range and enhanced operations in hot and high conditions," says Tomasz Krysinski, Head of Research and Innovation at Airbus Helicopters.

The kerosene-burning engine is being developed by Airbus Helicopter as part of the European Clean Sky initiative's Green Rotorcraft Integrated Technology Demonstrator (ITD) program which aims to produce greener, quieter, more efficient aircraft engines. The goal is to eventually cut down fuel consumption by 30 percent, CO2 emissions by 40 percent, and NOx by 53 percent.

Cityzen smart shirt tracks your health, recharges during washing

Cityzen smart shirt tracks your health, recharges during washing

Rightly or wrongly, the French are known for clothing designs that are often less than practical. Now, however, French company Cityzen Sciences has won the CES 2014 Inclusive Innovation in Everyday Health award for its development of a Smart Sensing fabric woven with integral micro-sensors – these add the practical benefit of monitoring the health and fatigue levels of the wearer.

The Smart Sensing fabric reads body heat, respiration rate, heart rate, and motion through location via GPS. "The fabric can be made into any clothing; gloves, shirts, pants, you name it," said Gilbert Reveillon, Cityzen's international managing director.

The new smart fabric combines sensors, fabric, distributed computation, and a small battery-powered transmitter into a unit that links in real time to a smartphone. The phone runs an app that stores and analyzes data from the fabric, showing if the person wearing the garment is tired, stressed, or in the path of an imminent heart attack. Obvious applications are for people who find themselves in extreme conditions, such as athletes, first responders, and soldiers.

Smart Sensing fabric, which costs perhaps 30 to 40 percent more than ordinary material, can be safely laundered and ironed. Additional sensors can be added to the fabric, as compatible versions are developed. Such information as blood oxygen, tidal volume (the amount of air flowing in and out of the lungs when breathing normally), and perhaps eventually blood glucose levels could make such fabrics vital systems in monitoring people's day-to-day health.

Perhaps the cleverest part of Smart Sensing fabric is still under development. Cityzen is working on a recharging system for the fabric, that receives most of its energy when the clothing is washed. This is a perfect use for a motion-driven recharging system – can you think of a better environment for collecting mechanical energy than a washing machine?