By 2045, we may just be flying in aircraft that run on cryogenically frozen liquid natural gas. Boeing has just unveiled a new NASA-commissioned concept called the SUGAR Freeze, SUGAR being an acronym for Subsonic Ultra Green Aircraft Research, that runs on liquid natural gas and uses up notably less fuel than current aircraft.
The design is based on an earlier concept called the SUGAR High, designed to show that an aircraft might look like in twenty or so years time. The initial high design was a 154-seat plane that has a long span, strut braced wing to improve aerodynamic efficiency and the Freeze is more or less the same; essential difference being the engine technology that runs on LNG, and two tanks at the front and rear to hold the gas.
The new design not only lets the aircraft burn 64% less fuel compared to a conventional Boeing 737-800, but also, and most importantly, reduces costs. The main reason being that natural gas is expected to be comparatively cheap for the foreseeable future. New aircraft technology generally takes two decades before commercially viable, and Boeing has a few obstacles to overcome with the Freeze. There are some safety concerns with regards to how the tanks and engines are constructed with the aircraft, as well as environmental issues due to methane emissions that result from LNG production. But with time till 2045, Boeing definitely has a long time to work out and fix the niggles with the design.
