NASA General Aviation Propulsion (GAP) Diesel Engine Research Paper

NASA General Aviation Propulsion (GAP) Diesel Engine - Research Paper Example NASA’s General Aviation Propulsion (GAP), started in the 2000, is one of the programs that have pioneered to revolutionize the aviation industry and transform the development of engines of future. The aim of the program is to develop an innovative engine which ushers in affordability, comfort and reduced cost for the aviation industry. The new engine is to reduce noise and vibrations and load on pilot for monitoring the plane, thereby adding greater comforts to the passengers. The aim of the paper is to discuss on GAP programme implications in the aviation industry and describe the working and usage of two engines developed as a part of the project. The paper also analyzes the challenges faced during the development and aviation industry in general. The advantages of new engines in terms of cost and efficiency have been dealt in detail in the paper. The new programme has been developed by NASA in collaboration with Advanced General Aviation Transport Experiment (AGATE). The GAP engine runs on 200 HP, liquid cooled, two stroked engine that runs on jet fuel. The engine is expected to cost half the price of conventional engines of 200 HP. This would make the new engines a major success in terms of fuel efficiency by reduction in the dependency for leaded gasoline thereby improving maintenance, passenger comfort and ease of use. Teledyne Continental Motors, Aerosance Cirrus Design, Hartzell Propeller, Lancair and Mod Works together partnered with NASA to develop diesel engine, an advanced piston engine. Although being heavy diesel engines are the reliable engines which combine technologically advanced construction coupled with two stroke engine. The GAP diesel engines offers noise and vibration free facility to the passengers with low speed propellers, feasible technology to use. With less than one-fourth of fuel consumption as compared to the current engines, the new GAP engines offer reliability, comfort, and greater control over the design and process