Grant: Alliance Grants

Demand for environment-friendly business jets is expected to increase due to the growing number of corporations enacting environmental initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint. Yet, few realistic studies have been conducted on alternative propulsion for business jets and major R&D investments around the world are not driven by rational decision, but rather by the current technology hype around electric aircraft. This project aims to identify promising alternative propulsion technologies to reduce the environmental impact of business jets while maintaining the target aircraft performance. True and realistic benefits and challenges of alternative propulsion will be quantified including the overall life-cycle impact of novel propulsion systems and not only the in-flight emissions. This project will benefit Bombardier, Pratt & Whitney Canada and Calogy Solutions in their technology development roadmap by providing a clear and realistic picture of promising alternative propulsion technologies and their requirements. Furthermore, it will foster collaboration between large and well-established aerospace companies, and a start-up developing new technologies, thus increasing Québec's and Canada's global competitiveness by developing worldwide recognized technical expertise and highly qualified personnel in new aircraft propulsion technologies, a field highly in demand by the aerospace industry here and abroad.