An important invention of a Pakistani woman engineer to prevent harmful fumes from airplanes

A Pakistani woman scientist, Dr. Sara Qureshi, has developed a system for passenger jets that can not only make the planes more environmentally friendly, but also solve the long-standing problem of air pollution from the aviation industry.

Today is the International Day of Women Engineers and accordingly their invention can solve a big problem of the whole world.

We know that while industries and cars play a key role in climate change and global warming, countless planes flying around the world are also polluting the atmosphere. The system devised by Dr. Sara Qureshi does not allow the water vapor emitted by airplanes to enter the atmosphere and preserves it inside the aircraft as water.
Aircraft Cold Vapor and Global Warming

The smoke emitted by airplanes at an altitude of thousands of meters (exhaust) contains water vapor along with carbon dioxide. These water droplets freeze at high altitudes and form clouds. They live at an altitude of 10,000 meters and this place is so high that all the climatic activities take place below it. Be it hail or raindrops, heat wave or rainbow, the whole game is limited to 2000 meters above the ground.

Artificial clouds made by airplanes

Due to extreme cold and low pressure at high altitudes, water vapor takes the form of a white line (contrail) and comes down a little to form artificial clouds, which are difficult to remove. Thus, the burning of fuel in thousands of airplanes every day creates long-lasting clouds that form a blanket around the earth. At first the plane’s fine smoke shows a long line, then expands and takes the form of an artificial cloud above the atmosphere.

According to an estimate, 0.2% of the earth’s atmosphere is currently covered by these clouds and now after the end of the lockdown, international flights have also started. In total, the water vapor emitted by commercial aircraft is five times more harmful than carbon dioxide, the famous global warming gas. Thus the share of aviation industry in global warming has reached 15%. Even if these frozen droplets become water, they have the same greenhouse gas effect as carbon dioxide.

At the beginning of this year, after the global corona virus, our atmosphere itself has breathed a sigh of relief due to the lockdown and stoppage of flights. Although ground pollution and lack of ridership also played a role, global flight disruptions also noted an increase in the rate of formation of environmentally unfriendly water vapor clouds in the atmosphere. Many experts have also noted its positive climatic effects, but this is only temporary and sooner or later our skies will be filled with airplanes again.

According to the International Air Travel Association (IATA), in 2013, the aviation industry was responsible for 733 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions, which increased to 915 million tons in 2019. Artificial clouds and contrails have also increased in the same proportion.

The role of the airline industry in global warming and climate change continues to be debated, even as people in Europe and the US are reluctant to take long-haul flights.

Eco-friendly creation

This invention has been named as ‘contrall-free aero engine’ which can make passenger planes environment friendly.

Dr. Sara Qureshi’s invention is a device that can be installed in the turbofan engines of commercial ships. Once installed, it converts the water vapor emitted by the aircraft into vapor and then separates it from the remaining gases and collects it. This water is then kept on the plane itself and thus does not evaporate into the atmosphere or form clouds. This water can then be drained before the aircraft lands.

This would have two benefits: First, global warming from water vapor would be reduced; And secondly the aviation industry can be made green and environment friendly.

From Cranfield University to the Aircraft Company

The Eco-Friendly Engine is Sarah Qureshi’s doctoral project at Cranfield University, UK, at the suggestion of her PhD examiner. In this context, initial computer simulation work was also done in the university. Then the practical project started in Pakistan and this journey includes his father Mr. Masood Latif Qureshi who is also the owner of several inventions and patents related to the earlier aircraft and auto industry.

But the interesting thing is that on the basis of this very invention, seven research papers up to Masters level have been written which show its usefulness.

Dr. Sara said that a scale-down model of this invention has been made with the engine on which various tests are being conducted. In this regard, other parts of the module are also being worked on. This work was supposed to be completed by July this year, but currently the global epidemic of Corona has slowed down this work.

Profit vs. Environment

Dr Sara said that this technology will require fundamental changes in the design of aircraft. Because when the exhaust water does not go out, arrangements have to be made to keep it safe in the aircraft. Earlier, the aviation industry focused on making airplanes lighter, more passenger capacity, and lighter. But now the pressure is increasing to make this industry environment friendly. In this regard, public awareness is increasing and legislation is also being made.

It is expected that the global warming and the environment will be taken into consideration in the aviation industry and the designing of future aircrafts and the aircrafts will be designed with this in mind. Although this will certainly add some additional costs, these measures are very important for the better future of our planet and the future generations themselves.

In response to a question, Dr. Sarah said that the A380 is the largest aircraft with four engines. An engine of this ship burns one kilogram of fuel and produces two kilograms of water. Thus, if this plane with four engines flies only for 8 hours, then 160,000 kg of water will be produced, which will have to be stored on the plane.

Although Dr. Sara Qureshi’s invention is an unusual concept, if successful, Pakistan could become the first country to provide an eco-friendly solution to the aviation industry worldwide. But we know that reaping the fruits of science and technology requires constant hard work, consistency, resources and patience.

Contrail Free Aero Engine is also a story of successful partnership between several institutions. On the one hand, there is the role of Cranfield University, on the other hand, the role of the organization that provides capital for technology startups cannot be forgotten. On the other hand, this concept has been developed in the Incubation Center of Lahore University of Management Sciences. On the other hand, Dr. Sarah himself and his father have also founded a company called Airplane Craft. These companies strive for high technology inventions and manufacturing of products.