Perspectivas para a utilização de motores elétrico-híbridos na aviação comercial brasileira

Abstract

The use of hybrid-electric motors is supported on two sources of energy to generate thrust or traction, the electric source and the gas turbine, enabling more sustainable operations at lower costs. At the other end, air operators, especially airlines, are looking for efficient aircraft alternatives that allow a reduction in operating costs and reduce noise and polluting gases. Considering this context, the development of alternative aeronautical engines equipped with sustainable technology has started by the giants Boeing, Airbus and Cessna, which resulted in prototypes with market insertion between 2024 and 2050. Thus, the objective of this research is to verify the feasibility hybrid-electric motors’ using in Brazilian commercial air transport, analyzing and comparing the environmental and economic impacts with conventional motors. As a methodology, a descriptive approach was adopted, with bibliographic and documentary procedures. As a result, data from national commercial air transport companies Gol, Azul and Latam were obtained, which presented high operating costs of conventional aircraft. On average, 25.1% of expenses refer to fuel and lubricants and 16.18% to the maintenance of conventional engines, and these amounts increase every year, which points to the need to adopt other technologies capable of reducing such costs. In order to identify viable solutions to the question, an analysis of the new models of electric and hybrid aircraft was carried out, with the main focus on reducing fuel consumption. The research pointed that this reduction possibility is real with the development of E-Fan X, by Airbus, SUGAR Volt, by Boeing, and Grand Caravan with hybrid engine, by Cessna. However, the current battery technology in the Airbus model makes long-distance operation difficult, increasing stopovers on a single flight. In addition, this aircraft also demands more frequent maintenance. Concerning to Boeing prototype, still in testing phase, there are no operational results released. Cessna, in its turn, announced that hybrid Caravan models can have operating cost reduced by up to 25%, and should operate as early as 2024. This is a possibility for Azul Conecta, that operates these aircraft. In any case, larger planes, such as those of the Airbus and Boeing family, are already being replaced by more economical and less polluting, such as the A320 Neo, already operated in Brazil by Latam, and the Boeing 737 Max 8, used by Gol, which makes it possible to exchange their fleets for these models in the order of 70 and 23 planes, respectively. Despite changes towards more sustainable aircraft, Latam and Gol have not yet expressed interest in hybrid aircraft, even because they are not yet available on the market. In summary, it was inferred that the biggest challenges for hybrid-electric aircraft’s insertion and consolidation result from the frequency of maintenance and the limitations of the batteries, which, as said, do not support long distances. On the other hand, there is the possibility of inserting Cessna's hybrid Gran Caravan model in Azul's regional unit, Azul Conecta, scheduled for the market in 2024.