Green Tech Part 1

By Nilesh Gogineni, Technology Blogger

With all the talk about going green (make sure you check out the Experience Green blogs), I decided to take a look at how technology can help us achieve that goal. Obviously, technology is what got us into this rut in the first place; we might as well have technology clean it up. This is the first of a three part post which explores technology that is trying to make the world a better place.

Lets get a roundup of exactly what companies are producing to enter this new green age.

General Electric (or simply GE) has designed an aircraft engine, the GEnx, that has 15% better fuel economy, 60% less noise, and the ability to meet stringent NOx (emissions) regulations.

The blades and the external housing of the GEnx are made with composite materials that are lighter, stronger, and able to last much longer than aluminum, or steel. Such materials can reduce the weight of the entire engine by up to 350 lbs which translates into more fuel efficiency as the engine can burn less fuel with the same energy output.

However, since Boeing began production of the Dreamliner, they needed an engine that can produce more power and with all the cost saving features included. To achieve this, the GEnx engine, a standard on all of Boeing's new Dreamliners, will have a 23:1 compression ratio. This will effectively
allow the engine to generate up to 85,000 lbs of thrust for the massive aircraft.

Now, you would think that making bigger things is not necessarily in the best interest of the green age; it isn't size we should be concerned about (for the most part...) but rather, how we are able to energize and utilize whatever we make. If a bigger airplane has better fuel economy and more power than a regular airplane, then why not go bigger?

The question is not why, but rather, how can we make things that are efficient and provide the same or better utility while still being good for the environment.

Read more of this series.