一種不使用化石燃料的發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)

科學(xué)家發(fā)明了一種不使用化石燃料的“空氣等離子”發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)原型

A prototype jet engine can propel itself without using any fossil fuels, potentially paving the way for carbon-neutral air travel.

噴氣發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)的原型可以在不使用任何化石燃料的情況下自行推進(jìn)，這可能為碳中和航空旅行鋪平道路。

The device compresses air and ionizes it with microwaves, generating plasma that thrusts it forward, according to research published Tuesday in the journal AIP Advances. That means planes may someday fly using just electricity and the air around them as fuel.

根據(jù)周二發(fā)表在《AIP進(jìn)展》雜志上的研究，該設(shè)備壓縮空氣并用微波將其離子化，產(chǎn)生推動(dòng)其前進(jìn)的等離子體。這意味著飛機(jī)有一天可能僅使用電力和周圍的空氣作為燃料飛行。

There's a long way to go between a proof-of-concept prototype and installing an engine in a real plane. But the prototype was able to launch a one-kilogram (2.2-pound) steel ball 24 millimeters (almost one inch) into the air. That's the same thrust, proportional to scale, as a conventional jet engine.

從概念驗(yàn)證原型到在真正的飛機(jī)上安裝引擎，還有很長(zhǎng)的路要走。但原型能夠?qū)⒁还?2.2磅)的鋼球發(fā)射到空中24毫米(幾乎1英寸)。這和傳統(tǒng)噴氣發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)的推力是一樣的，與比例成正比。

"Our results demonstrated that such a jet engine based on microwave air plasma can be a potentially viable alternative to the conventional fossil fuel jet engine," lead researcher and Wuhan University engineer Jau Tang said in a press release.

首席研究員、武漢大學(xué)工程師唐鈺(音譯)在一份新聞稿中說：“我們的研究結(jié)果表明，這種基于微波空氣等離子體的噴氣發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)，可以成為傳統(tǒng)化石燃料噴氣發(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)的潛在可行替代品。”。

Air travel represents a small but not insignificant portion factor of climate change. The New York Times reported in September that commercial air is responsible for 2.5 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions - though that excludes military jets.

航空旅行是氣候變化的一個(gè)很小但并非微不足道的部分因素?！都~約時(shí)報(bào)》9月報(bào)道稱，商用航空公司的溫室氣體排放量占總排放量的2.5%，不過這還不包括軍用飛機(jī)。

"The motivation of our work is to help solve the global warming problems owing to humans' use of fossil fuel combustion engines to power machinery, such as cars and airplanes," Tang said in the release.

唐鈺在發(fā)布會(huì)上說：“我們工作的動(dòng)機(jī)是幫助解決全球變暖問題，因?yàn)槿祟愂褂没剂先紵l(fā)動(dòng)機(jī)為汽車和飛機(jī)等機(jī)械提供動(dòng)力。”。

"There is no need for fossil fuel with our design, and therefore, there is no carbon emission to cause greenhouse effects and global warming."

“我們的設(shè)計(jì)不需要化石燃料，因此不用擔(dān)心碳排放造成溫室效應(yīng)和全球變暖。”