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In the future, will it be possible to have airplanes designed from materials that withstand the pressure difference in high altitudes without the need for a cabin pressure control systems?

dasdingonesin
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Ashraf Ibrahim
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  • Could you please give me more details – Ashraf Ibrahim Sep 16 '16 at 12:22
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    If you don't bring in fresh air, people will die because the oxygen will be consumed in an air-tight plane. If you don't let out old air, then the plane will eventually go pop. Even in spacecraft, air is recycled. But spacecraft don't have the luxury of having an atmosphere. –  Sep 16 '16 at 13:01
  • I think the question is about not having a control which selects 'cabin altitude' (which is typically higher than sea level) but instead always maintains cabin altitude at sea level. Or takeoff level, Which raises its own questions, but I think that's what he means. – DJClayworth Sep 16 '16 at 13:33
  • @DJClayworth maybe, but we already have a sea-level cabin altitude plane, hopefully OP clarifies what they mean. –  Sep 16 '16 at 15:49
  • @ DJClayworth this is what I meant, but from your answer ymb1 it seems impossible to have such airplane in the future. – Ashraf Ibrahim Sep 16 '16 at 17:44

1 Answers1

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Cabins are pressurized to keep the crew and passengers conscious and alive, and not due to any limitations of structural materials.

Without pressurization, everyone on the airplane would be unconscious from lack of oxygen.

Even if the plane were sealed at the pressure of the departure airport, you still need a pressure control system to continually bring in fresh air, pressurize it, and deliver it to passengers. There just is not enough air in a sealed airplane to sustain all 150+ people for a multi-hour flight. Pressurized, fresh air is an absolute requirement

So I don't see how you're going to do away with a pressure control system, as your question seems to suggest.

abelenky
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