Grant: Alliance Grants
University of Waterloo
$305,706.00
Sustainable Aviation for Reducing Anthropogenic Greenhouse Gas Emission in Canadian Skies
FY 2023-24
Summary
The Government of Canada has a 2050 target of net-zero emissions, yet the electric aviation (EA) option is missing from Canadian studies of transportation choices, while it has attracted significant interest in European countries with climate conditions similar to that of Canada. The proposed research focuses on atmospheric monitoring/modeling and socio-economic analysis of the EA systems in Canada and provides reliable and economical solutions to reduce associated emissions, using electric planes (e-planes) and airport microgrids. The critical market for the entry of e-planes in Canada is flight schools (1400 aircrafts) where pilots are trained in small two-seat aircraft and will be exposed to this future technology. A second key market is regional travel where small planes (10,000 aircraft) make trips under three hours in duration, such as coastal and remote communities. This includes many Indigenous communities that rely on air access for health services and high value goods, and destinations that increasingly promote sustainable tourism and need a low carbon means of transport. Waterloo-Wellington Flight Center (WWFC) has already partnered with UWaterloo to study the potentials of e-planes for flight training. This Alliance proposal will complement the other awarded grants, which have been utilized to purchase an e-plane to be in WWFC, by supporting research on the operation of the e-plane battery in Canadian climate conditions and proposing infrastructural changes in the electric distribution systems of Canadian flight Centers. The over-arching goals of this research proposal are to test e-plane viability, including analysis of battery system performance under Canadian environmental conditions, including a wide range in temperatures and extended cold season, and provide recommendations for optimal design of airport microgrids to maintain high state-of-health for batteries, while utilizing the e-planes for flight training. Making advances in operational testing of the new technology allows Canada to join other early adopters of e-plane technology and keep an edge in the future of air transportation.
Program
Alliance Grants
Recipient
Location
Ontario, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
577208-2022
Name nom
Pirnia, Mehrdad MP
Department département
Management Sciences
Organization id
33
Institution établissement
University of Waterloo
Province en
Ontario
Province fr
Ontario
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2023
Competition year année de concours
2022
Award amount
305706
Program id
ALLRP
Program name en
Alliance Grants
Program name fr
Subventions Alliance
Group en
RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS
Group fr
PARTENARIATS DE RECHERCHE
Committee code
96
Committee name en
RPP Internal Decision Cttee
Committee name fr
Cté de décision interne - PPR
Area of application code
305
Area of application group en
Energy resources
Area of application group fr
Ressources d'énergie
Area of application en
Energy storage and conversion
Area of application fr
Stockage et transformation de l'énergie
Research subject code
2303
Research subject group en
Fuel and energy technology
Research subject group fr
Other sources of energy (solar, wind, etc.)
Research subject en
Combustibles et technologie de l'énergie
Research subject fr
Autres sources d'énergie (combustibles solaire, éolien, etc).
Application title
Sustainable Aviation for Reducing Anthropogenic Greenhouse Gas Emission in Canadian Skies
Keyword
battery; Cold climate; electric planes; flight training; GHG emission reduction; microgrids; renewable energy; sustainable aviation
Application summary
The Government of Canada has a 2050 target of net-zero emissions, yet the electric aviation (EA) option is missing from Canadian studies of transportation choices, while it has attracted significant interest in European countries with climate conditions similar to that of Canada. The proposed research focuses on atmospheric monitoring/modeling and socio-economic analysis of the EA systems in Canada and provides reliable and economical solutions to reduce associated emissions, using electric planes (e-planes) and airport microgrids. The critical market for the entry of e-planes in Canada is flight schools (1400 aircrafts) where pilots are trained in small two-seat aircraft and will be exposed to this future technology. A second key market is regional travel where small planes (10,000 aircraft) make trips under three hours in duration, such as coastal and remote communities. This includes many Indigenous communities that rely on air access for health services and high value goods, and destinations that increasingly promote sustainable tourism and need a low carbon means of transport. Waterloo-Wellington Flight Center (WWFC) has already partnered with UWaterloo to study the potentials of e-planes for flight training. This Alliance proposal will complement the other awarded grants, which have been utilized to purchase an e-plane to be in WWFC, by supporting research on the operation of the e-plane battery in Canadian climate conditions and proposing infrastructural changes in the electric distribution systems of Canadian flight Centers. The over-arching goals of this research proposal are to test e-plane viability, including analysis of battery system performance under Canadian environmental conditions, including a wide range in temperatures and extended cold season, and provide recommendations for optimal design of airport microgrids to maintain high state-of-health for batteries, while utilizing the e-planes for flight training. Making advances in operational testing of the new technology allows Canada to join other early adopters of e-plane technology and keep an edge in the future of air transportation.
