VOA标准英语2010年-Electric-Powered Aircraft Closer To Re

The drive to develop a battery to power automobiles¹, without using petroleum², is also behind the effort to develop an electric powered airplane.  New designs for electric aircraft were recently unveiled at the Experimental Aircraft Association's (EAA) AirVenture show in Wisconsin. While plans for electric powered passenger planes are still way in the future, sport airplanes and small helicopters powered by batteries could be on the market in the next few years.

 John Monnett is the founder³ of Sonex Aircraft. He gets excited each time he demonstrates the capabilities⁴ of his new, experimental WAIEX aircraft.

It looks like a small plane. It feels like a small plane, but it doesn't sound like a small plane.

That's because this version of the WAIEX is not powered by a combustion⁵ engine.  It's uses batteries. 

"We wanted to stimulate⁶ thought about electric airplanes, and this is really the culmination⁷ of that," said John Monnett. "It's ready to fly, it's a completely autonomous⁸ electric airplane now, meaning that it has its own electronics battery and motor."

The battery-powered WAIEX is the product of the Sonex e-flight initiative. The company launched the program in 2006 to promote the development of alternative energy sources for aircraft.

"We are faced today with what I believe is a watershed⁹ event," said Craig Willan.

Craig Willan is a flight engineer. He's closely monitored the development of electric powered aircraft.

"What is electric mobility¹⁰ going to give us?  Not only on the ground but in the air?  The sky's the limit," he said. "It's a clean, renewable, highly efficient form of propulsion."

Sikorsky Engineer Jonathan Hartman agrees.

"Electric propulsion has a lot of benefits over internal combustion engines," he said. "It's quieter, it has less vibration¹¹, its inherently less complex which drives down costs, and it's easier to operate."

Hartman is part of a team at Sikorsky Aircraft working on Project Firefly. It's a single rotor helicopter powered by batteries made by US Hybrid¹².

"The power source for the aircraft are the two battery packs you see on either side, which are lithium ion batteries which are similar to what you find in our laptops, only custom made for us for this application," said Hartman.

Hartman says the wide swing in fuel prices made Sikorsky think about an alternative. 

"Rotor craft specifically play a critical role for both military and commercial applications," he said. "And that role could be threatened by shortages in fuel or spiraling fuel costs."

But the very thing that drives electric powered aircraft is also the biggest hurdle¹³. Batteries are bulky and heavy, and for machines that need to be light. the major innovation ahead is making those batteries lighter¹⁴ and smaller.

Hartman thinks Sikorsky has found a solution. Although Project Firefly is still grounded, Hartman expects manned flight tests to begin soon.

"This can fly, and will fly," said Jonathan Hartman. "And we're looking forward to doing so when ground tests end, which we anticipate for later this year."

The Sonex and Sikorsky projects are two examples in a growing field of innovation in electric powered flight - most in their infancy¹⁵.

Experts say bringing this technology to commercial air travel is a dream far in the future.

1 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

3 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

4 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

5 combustion   

n.燃烧；氧化；骚动

参考例句：

• We might be tempted to think of combustion.我们也许会联想到氧化。
• The smoke formed by their combustion is negligible.由它燃烧所生成的烟是可忽略的。

6 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

7 culmination   

n.顶点；最高潮

参考例句：

• The space race reached its culmination in the first moon walk.太空竞争以第一次在月球行走而达到顶峰。
• It may truly be regarded as the culmination of classical Greek geometry.这确实可以看成是古典希腊几何的登峰造级之作。

8 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

9 watershed   

n.转折点，分水岭，分界线

参考例句：

• Our marriage was at a watershed.我们的婚姻到了一个转折关头。
• It forms the watershed between the two rivers.它成了两条河流的分水岭。

10 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

11 vibration   

n.颤动，振动；摆动

参考例句：

• There is so much vibration on a ship that one cannot write.船上的震动大得使人无法书写。
• The vibration of the window woke me up.窗子的震动把我惊醒了。

12 hybrid   

n.(动，植）杂种，混合物

参考例句：

• That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
• The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。

13 hurdle   

n.跳栏，栏架；障碍，困难；vi.进行跨栏赛

参考例句：

• The weather will be the biggest hurdle so I have to be ready.天气将会是最大的障碍，所以我必须要作好准备。
• She clocked 11.6 seconds for the 80 metre hurdle.八十米跳栏赛跑她跑了十一秒六。

14 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

15 infancy   

n.婴儿期；幼年期；初期

参考例句：

• He came to England in his infancy.他幼年时期来到英国。
• Their research is only in its infancy.他们的研究处于初级阶段。