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Ask Slashdot: What Stands In the Way of a Truly Solar-Powered Airliner?

Posted by Soulskill on from the i-blame-gravity dept.

centre21 writes "I've been reading about solar-powered aircraft all over the Internet, as well as solar power in general. But I'm wondering: is it more than just solar cell efficiency that's preventing the creation of a solar-powered airliner? Conspiracy views aside (which may be valid), it seems to me that if I were running an airline the size of United or American, eliminating the need for jet fuel as a cost would be highly appealing. So, I'm asking: what stands in the way of creating true solar-powered airliners?"

5 of 590 comments (clear)

  1. Let's go retro... by Flounder · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I always thought that heavy-lifting solar-powered airships would make excellent replacements for long-haul trucks.

    --

    No boom today. Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow. - Cmdr. Susan Ivanova

    1. Re:Let's go retro... by gman003 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Let's bring some numbers into this.

      According to this page, I can get a cargo container from Shanghai to San Francisco in 18-30 days. That's a distance of roughly 10,000km,

      The Hindenburg could reach air speeds of 135km/h. While modern airships could doubtless reach higher speeds, we're also running off solar power here. So let's just run with that 135km/h figure. That gives us about three days to cross the same distance.

      For further comparison, a Boeing 747 can make the trip in roughly 11 hours.

      So we're beating the container ship by a factor of 6-10, but the jet is beating us by a factor of 6. So we just have to have a price halfway between the two. Unfortunately, that's hard to figure out, because the container ship charges by volume, while the aircraft rates I can find charge by weight. Ultimately, though, it's a moot point, as any figure I can come up with for the costs of running a solar-powered airship will cite work by a certain Dr. M. Y. Ass.

      But hey, it might be a good niche to fit into. Faster and safer* than a container ship, but slower than a jet. Someone might be able to find a good use for that.

      * Assuming, of course, no Sky Pirates are encountered. Then all bets are off.

  2. Re:Size. by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 5, Interesting

    You use the energy to synthesize liquid hydrocarbons with high energy density, then you pour them into the airplane...and you have a solar-powered airplane! Come to think of it, all airplanes are solar-powered these days, only the sunlight is of a vintage brand.

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
  3. Re:The math doesn't work by faedle · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Technically, the "MPG" per passenger mile is lowest on an airplane. A fully loaded Boeing 747-400 gets the equivalent of 91 miles per gallon.

  4. Short Answer by CanHasDIY · · Score: 5, Interesting

    what stands in the way of creating true solar-powered airliners?

    Nothing.

    Oh, you meant airplanes? Yea, sorry, can't help you there.

    --
    An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese