An eruption of chaos across Europe

YouTube ^ | 4-17-10 | AlJazeeraEnglish

[Las Vegas Ron]

Excellent footage showing the enormity of this Volcanic eruption.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Aerospace Filtration Systems, Inc. (AFS). You can use filters to keep sand out of helicopter turbines. But the particle size distribution of sand is much coarser than volcanic ash -- volcanic ash can be fine like talcum powder. It is much harder to filter out fine particulate matter than coarse. And you also have the problem of much higher forward speeds in commercial aircraft than in helicopters -- filters work with very low "face velocities" -- ie, the velocity of the gas perpendicular to the filter element. Very fine particulate builds up as "filter cake" on the filter surface as the filter does its job and chokes off the flow of gas through the filter. The high pressure drop would cause big problems with aircraft compressors. I don't think you are going to find a practical solution.

Here's a pic of a helicopter filter being installed. Looks just like your furnace filter, doesn't it?

[SatinDoll]

Weeks of closed air space could mean the resurrection of transatlantic ocean liner crossings.

Sometimes it takes a crisis to spark a revolution in design. Don’t think of transportation as dead - this of it as evolving and changing.

[brityank]

Here's a great group of pics from Öskufall undir Eyjafjöllum - mbl.is:

I found lots of other pics scanning through their main site at http://www.mbl.is/mm/frettir/.

[MediaMole]

It would have been much less of an issue in the 1940s. Piston engined planes are far less susceptible to ash once air filters have been fitted.

[RobRoy]

I actually wondered about that, but was not sure.