The development of more environmentally-friendly GPUs is making way for a cleaner setting.
In the ever-changing world of aviation, fuel efficiency, resource conservation, and emission reduction are all goals that the major airliners hope to address and improve on. However, there’s another prospect that’s also being largely emphasized – ground power support.
A Quantum Leap Forward
It isn’t a secret that airports release a significant amount of emissions and pollution into the air on a daily basis. But, certain issues are already being fundamentally addressed. For example, if you are unfamiliar with an aircraft’s auxiliary power unit (APU) system, it’s essentially a primary source of power for electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic purposes. While it may be small in comparison with the aircraft’s main engines, APUs play a major role in an aircraft’s function. Furthermore, they may be required to operate for a lengthy time while on the ground. Case and point, it’s an emission-generating machine. But, the development of diesel electric hybrid GPU systems has placed less emphasis on APUs and diesel fuel and therefore aided in the reduction of overall emissions.
Emission Reduction Continues to Make Strides
While there is still a long ways to go in regards to creating a system that purely runs on electrical power, these self propelled GPU systems are playing significant roles in helping the environment. Technological advancements prove that these hybrid systems can effectively power an aircraft while taking the environment into consideration. More fuel-efficient diesel models and fully electric solid-state power converters are making their mark on today’s aviation industry – and it’s not going to stop there.