System upgrade - The world of tomorrow [Air transport]
Air transport is an important sector in the transportation field, better on long-distance, transport within air enable make possible to distance between two point without the need of avoiding an obstacle located on the ground. Air is less dense than water which consume less energy to move but more energy to lift. Also, comparing to ground transport mean, air transport mean induce less friction energy loss with the ground.
Air transport is an important enabler to achieving economic growth and development. Air transport facilitates integration into the global economy and provides vital connectivity on a national, regional, and international scale. It helps generate trade, promote tourism, and create employment opportunities.
This article is not about non-renewable air transport means because non-renewable energy source will be missing or too expensive in the world of tomorrow.
Here is a comparaison between different air transport means, the note reflect an overall efficiency but not a specific effiency.
The only renewable energy source avaible for air transport is electricity, the main problem with electricity is it's storage that often have a too low capacity. Fuel cell and solid state battery solve this problem.
Electricity for air transport make easier the VTOL (vertical take-off and landing), saving transport time and improving reliability.
Copters
Copters use engines to both lift and move, enabling a high reliability, the capacity to take of and land everywhere but a slow speed and a poor cost/weight and lifting efficiency.
Here is the Ehang 184, an electrical quad-copter with eight motors that produce an output up to 152kw that can lift the copter (240KG) and 100KG. The copter can go up to 60 km/h and flight up to 25 minutes with it's 17 kWh battery. The technical limitation for speed and flight time is the battery. A larger scale model with the same design could carry more passangers.
VTOL planes
Note: With the possiblity that give electrical technology to make VTOL (vertical take-off and landing), HOTOL (horizontal take-off and landing) will tend to disappears.
Plane can go a lot faster than copters and be more energy efficient due to the lift maid by wings. VTOL enable planes to take of and land without runway just like copters.
Here is the Lilium Jet, an electrical VTOL plane that can go up to 300 km/h within a 300 km distance range, carrying up to 5 people. The technical limitation for speed and flight time is the battery. A larger scale model with the same design could carry more passangers.
Here is the XTI TriFan 600, an electrical VTOL plane that can go up to 483 km/h within a 1180 km distance range, carrying up to 6 people. The aircraft have two electric motor with a 250kw (335 SHP) power plus a 1,000 SHP engine and is currently in a research for investors. The technical limitation for speed and flight time is the battery. A larger scale model with the same design could carry more passangers.
VTOL supersonic planes
As Elon Musk and many others have mentioned, a supersonic VTOL plane would be the optimal sort of air transport solution, possible with some improvment in the electrical technology field. This would speed up air transportation speed and energy efficiency.
Airship
Airships are very big, are as fast as copters, can also VTOL, and can lift huge weight without energy due to the lift made by hydrogen or helium and wings-shape body structure.
Here is the solarship product range, designed to carry from 200 to 30,000 kg for about 200 - 2,000 km. Its wing-ship design allows for extreme short takeoff and landing (XSTOL), such as in a soccer field.
Here is the aether, a concept of a luxury commercial airship designed to have a great comfort for passengers with bedrooms, a lobby, and a bar, also offering a great panorama.
Here is the lockheed martin hybrid airship that can carry up to 21,000 kg or 19 passengers at 111 km/h.
Here is the VTOL aeros sky dragon that can carry up to 66,000 kg at 222 km/h for 57km. As a result, only 1/3 of the fuel used in a traditional cargo airplane is needed to fly the Aeroscraft up to 3,100 nautical miles at the same speed as a helicopter.
Conclusion
Copters are effective inside city, while VTOL plane can take-off and landing everywhere and travel at a much more higher speed, VTOL plane plane are effective for continental flights. VTOL supersonic plane are ultra-effective for inter-continental flights. Airship are awesome to carry huge weight for long-distance where traditional plan can't go.
Electrical technologies offer the possibility to reduce consumption and increase efficiency while unlocking new technological possiblity such as VTOL, however, electrical energy storage storage are still too weak.