Aircraft Engine Emissions Research Articles

Runway assignment optimisation model for Istanbul Airport considering multiple parallel runway operations

Abstract The aviation industry has rapidly developed in recent years. Due to the increased number of flight operations, managing air traffic has become essential. The air traffic management system aims to reduce the air traffic control workload and use existing resources more efficiently. This study proposed a new mixed integer linear programming model to minimise the total fuel consumption during taxi operations for the runway assignment problem, comparing the actual Istanbul Airport runway assignment data. The average taxi times are calculated using the 30,000-flight operations data for each arrival and departure taxi route. Also, 47 different aircraft types are obtained using the data for the fuel consumption calculation. The International Civil. Aviation Organisation (IACO) aircraft engine emissions databank provides the fuel consumption values for each aircraft according to engine type. This approach allows our model to calculate more realistic fuel consumption for taxi operations, as each aircraft engine type has a different fuel consumption value. The proposed model is implemented at Istanbul Airport, the busiest airport in Turkey, where multiple parallel runway operations are applied. The results showed that the proposed model reduced total fuel consumption for taxi operations between 6.6% and 14.4% compared to the actual Istanbul Airport runway assignment data.

Toxicological evaluation of primary particulate matter emitted from combustion of aviation fuel

Recently, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blends and novel combustion technologies have been introduced to reduce aircraft engine emissions. However, there is limited knowledge about the impact of combustion technology and fuel composition on toxicity of primary Particulate Matter (PM) emissions, comparable to regulated non-volatile PM (nvPM).In this study, primary PM was collected on filters using a standardised approach, from both a Rich-Quench-Lean (RQL) combustion rig and a bespoke liquid fuelled Combustion Aerosol Standard (CAST) Generator burning 12 aviation fuels including conventional Jet-A, SAFs, and blends thereof. The fuels varied in aromatics (0–25.2%), sulphur (0–3000 ppm) and hydrogen (13.43–15.31%) contents. Toxicity of the collected primary PM was studied in vitro utilising Air-Liquid Interface (ALI) exposure of lung epithelial cells (Calu-3) in monoculture and co-culture with macrophages (differentiated THP-1 cells). Cells were exposed to PM extracted from filters and nebulised from suspensions using a cloud-based ALI exposure system. Toxicity readout parameters were analysed 24 h after exposure.Results showed presence of genotoxicity and changes in gene expression at dose levels which did not induce cytotoxicity. DNA damage was detected through Comet assay in cells exposed to CAST generated samples. Real-Time PCR performed to investigate the expression profile of genes involved in oxidative stress and DNA repair pathways showed different behaviours after exposure to the various PM samples. No differences were found in pro-inflammatory interleukin-8 secretion. This study indicates that primary PM toxicity is driven by wider factors than fuel composition, highlighting that further work is needed to substantiate the full toxicity of aircraft exhaust PM inclusive of secondary PM emanating from numerous engine technologies across the power range burning conventional Jet-A and SAF.

Quantifying the uncertainties in thermal–optical analysis of carbonaceous aircraft engine emissions: an interlaboratory study

Quantifying the uncertainties in thermal–optical analysis of carbonaceous aircraft engine emissions: an interlaboratory study

From Takeoff to Touchdown: A Decade’s Review of Carbon Emissions from Civil Aviation in China’s Expanding Megacities

The rapid growth of urbanization in China has led to a substantial escalation in the demand for civil aviation services, consequently propelling China to the third-largest contributor of carbon emissions within the aviation sector. Using the 2012–2021 data on takeoffs and landings of civil aviation aircraft in China, the aircraft engine emission factor database of the Base of Aircraft Data (BADA) from EUROCONTROL, this paper investigates the spatial-temporal distribution characteristics of atmospheric pollutants, primarily carbon emissions from Chinese civil aviation aircraft in 19 megacities. The results indicate that (1) China’s aviation CO2 emissions equivalent between 2012 and 2022 has been on an upward trajectory, peaking at 186.53 MT in 2019 with an average annual growth of 12.52%. The trend, albeit momentarily interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, appears to persist. (2) CO2 constitutes the highest proportion of aircraft emissions at 83.87%, with Cruise Climb Descent (CCD) cycle emissions accounting for 96.24%. CO2 and NOX, with the highest increase rates in the CCD and Landing and Takeoff (LTO) phases, respectively, are identified as the chief culprits in aviation-related greenhouse effects. (3) There is a marked spatial imbalance, with 19 megacities contributing 62.08% of total CO2 emissions, compared to the 207 least-emitting cities contributing just 9.29%. (4) The pattern of city carbon emissions is changing, with rapid growth rates in the western cities of Xinjiang, Tibet, Shaanxi, and Guizhou, and varied growth rates among megacities. The implications of this study emphasize the urgency for advancements in aviation fuel technology, rigorous management of CCD phase pollutants, strategic carbon emission controls in populous cities, fostering green aviation initiatives in western regions, diverse carbon mitigation tactics, and strengthening the precision and surveillance of aviation carbon accounting systems. Collectively, this study paints a grand picture of the complexities and challenges associated with China’s urban sprawl and aviation carbon emissions.

Fuel-saving and emission accounting: An airliner case study for green engine selection

In this research, differences in the quantities of hazardous emissions induced by equipping the first composite constructed narrow body aircraft, which is commonly used in commercial aviation today, with the most common engine combinations are examined. Each engine combination that is the subject of this research is actively deployed by a number of airlines and serves the majority of passenger transportation demands. The objective is to clearly depict the variation in the quantities of emissions generated by the various engine types employed in this commonly used passenger aircraft. The instability in the amounts of emissions in various flight phases of the same aircraft, performed with various engine specifications on the same trajectory and route, is determined using EUROCONTROL's Integrated Aircraft Noise and Emissions Modelling Platform (IMPACT), which is founded on the Base of Aircraft Data, Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA), and International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Helicopter and Aircraft Engine Emission Database. The research seeks to answer the following question: Considering that airlines serve many destinations throughout the year, how much fuel saving and, indirectly, emissions mitigation are achieved per sortie as a result of replacing the engines used by airlines in their existing fleets with the most environmentally friendly equivalents?

21 Toxicity of Aircraft Engine Emissions in Calu-3 Human Cells in Air-Liquid Interface Condition.

Abstract Particulate Matter (PM) emissions from aircraft engines adversely affect air quality around airports, contributing to public health concerns for airport workers and neighbouring communities. In this research, PM was collected from the exhaust of turbine engine after combustion of various types of aircraft fuels, including conventional fuel types Jet A and Jet A1, and more sustainable alternatives with relative low levels of aromatics. PM samples’ toxicity was studied in vitro by air-liquid interface (ALI) exposure of Calu-3 cells in monoculture and co-culture with macrophages (differentiated THP-1 cells). Cells were exposed to PM suspensions (250 µg/mL) using a cloud-based ALI exposure system and analysed 24-hours after exposure. DNA damage was detected through Comet assay in cells exposed to Jet A and Jet A1 samples in absence of cytotoxicity; co-incubation with endonucleases-III and formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase showed that this was not associated with oxidation of DNA bases. Real-Time PCR was performed to investigate the expression profile of genes involved in oxidative stress and DNA repair pathways. Heme Oxygenase 1 gene, Mucin 5AC, and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 were modulated in the same samples where DNA damage was present. No differences were shown in the pro-inflammatory interleukine-8 secretion among the samples. Most of the PM samples generated using jet fuel with high content of aromatic compounds induced enhanced genotoxicity, suggesting that strategies lowering aromatic content may also result in less toxic PM emissions. Funded by Horizon2020 – Research of Aviation PM Technologies, mOdelling and Regulation (RAPTOR), grant number 863969.

Dynamics of soot surface growth and agglomeration by enclosed spray combustion of jet fuel

Understanding the dynamics of soot formation and growth during combustion of jet fuel is essential for mitigation of aircraft engine emissions. Here, soot formation during enclosed spray combustion of jet fuel is investigated for its capacity to form soot with comparable characteristics to that from aircraft engines. For this, microscopy, scanning mobility particle, X-ray diffraction & Raman spectroscopy measurements and discrete element modeling (DEM) are employed along the flame centerline at various Effective eQuivalence Ratios (EQR). The DEM-derived mobility and primary particle size distribution dynamics are in excellent agreement with those measured at 5–63 cm height above the burner (HAB) for the measured temperature and soot volume fraction. At low EQR (1.46 and 1.59), soot surface growth stops at residence time, t = 4–7 ms, resulting in median soot primary particle diameters, d¯p, of ∼ 14 nm. At longer t (high HAB), agglomeration takes over increasing the median mobility diameter from 16 to 88 or 145 nm at EQR of 1.46 or 1.59, respectively, without altering d¯p and having the disorder over graphitic Raman band ratio, D/G = 0.9 ± 0.01 and a crystallite length, Lc = 1.24 ± 0.02 nm. In contrast, increasing EQR from 1.59 to 1.88, enhances soot surface growth, increases d¯p up to 23 nm and results in more graphitic soot having D/G = 0.8 ± 0.01 and Lc = 1.47 ± 0.01 nm. Furthermore, the D/G of soot is inversely proportional to its d¯p that is determined largely by surface growth.

A New Approach to Estimate Particulate Matter Emissions From Ground Certification Data: The nvPM Mission Emissions Estimation Methodology

Abstract Estimating nonvolatile particulate matter (nvPM)—or black carbon—emissions during an aircraft mission is extremely challenging because of the lack of reliable data in flight. For this reason, a detailed study has been undertaken to estimate in-flight emissions from data measured on the ground during engine certification. Aircraft engine emissions certification is based on the “Landing and Take-Off” (LTO) cycle developed by the Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). It represents operations below 3000 ft. The aim of this regulation is to control and reduce pollutant emissions in the vicinity of the airport. Carbon monoxide (CO), unburnt hydrocarbon (UHC), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) have been regulated using the LTO cycle by different international standards for four decades. New certification standards on nvPM have been introduced recently. The first one, put in place in CAEP10, regulates the peak nvPM mass concentration. It has been in effect since 2020. The second set established in CAEP11 regulates the nvPM mass and number of emissions on the LTO cycle and it becomes effective in 2023. With these regulations, manufacturers are now reporting nvPM emissions data publicly. All emissions data of in-production engines, and some legacy engines, are available in the engine emissions data bank (EEDB), downloadable from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) website. Methodologies have been proposed to estimate emissions at altitude and calculate total mission emissions for NOx, i.e., the “Boeing Fuel Flow Method” or the “DLR Döpelheuer and Lecht” methodology, which are only relying on these publicly available data from the EEDB. In the following, a new methodology for estimating nvPM emissions at altitude is proposed. The methodology was developed and validated in the framework of the CAEP technical working groups. It comprises four dedicated steps. In the present article, the different steps are explained and validation data is provided as applicable. Examples of in-production engines are analyzed, discussed, and compared against the full methodology using proprietary engine performance and emissions certification data. Following the proposed methodology, total nvPM mass and number of mission emissions can be estimated and used for emissions inventories and evaluation of climate impacts.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on air pollution from jet engines at airports in central eastern China.

Aircraft engine emissions (AEEs) generated during landing and takeoff (LTO) cycles are important air pollutant sources that directly impact the air quality at airports. Although the COVID-19 pandemic triggered an unprecedented collapse in the civil aviation industry, it also relieved some environmental pressure on airports. To quantify the impact of COVID-19 on AEEs, the amounts of three typical air pollutants (i.e., HC, CO, and NOx) from LTO cycles at airports in central eastern China were estimated before and after the pandemic. The study also explored the temporal variation and the spatial autocorrelation of both the emission quantity and the emission intensity, as well as their spatial associations with other socioeconomic factors. The results illustrated that the spatiotemporal distribution pattern of AEEs was significantly influenced by the policies implemented and the severity of COVID-19. The variations of AEEs at airports with similar characteristics and functional positions generally followed similar patterns. The results also showed that the studied air pollutants present positive spatial autocorrelation, and a positive spatial dependence was found between the AEEs and other external socioeconomic factors. Based on the findings, some possible policy directions for building a more sustainable and environment-friendly airport group in the post-pandemic era were proposed. This study provides practical guidance on continuous monitoring of the AEEs from LTO cycles and studying the impact of COVID-19 on the airport environment for other regions or countries.

3D High-Resolution Modeling of Aircraft-Induced NO x Emission Dispersion in CAEPport Configuration Using Landing and Take-Off Trajectory Tracking.

Pollutant emissions from aircraft operations contribute to the degradation of air quality in and around airports. Meeting the ICAO’s environmental certification standards regarding both gaseous and particulate aircraft engine emissions is one of the main challenges for air-transportation development over the coming years. To increase the accuracy of airport air pollution monitoring and prediction, advanced decision-making tools need to be developed. In this context, the present study aimed at demonstrating the modeling capabilities of an innovative methodology that accounts for the microscale evolution of aircraft emissions, both spatially and temporally. For this purpose, 3D high-resolution CFD simulations were carried out in the CAEPport configuration (medium-size mock airport) as defined by the Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP/8) for local air-quality assessment. The modeled domain extends up to 8 km around the airport. A spatial resolution down to 1 m was used around buildings to refine the prediction of pollutant-emission concentrations. The model accounts for ambient meteorological conditions along with the background chemical composition. NOx emissions from main engines and auxiliary power units (APUs) were individually tracked along LTO trajectories with a time resolution down to 1 s. The impact of atmospheric stability was investigated in three cases, i.e., stable, neutral, and unstable. The results show NO2 dominating in apron areas due to the low power setting of main engines along APU contribution during extended parking. Conversely, a domination of NO emissions was observed at the runway threshold due to the high power setting of the main engines. Stable atmospheric conditions promoted higher NO and NO2 concentrations as compared to both neutral and unstable cases. The use of APUs contributed to higher concentrations of both NO and NO2 emissions and especially of NO2 in terminal areas.

Review: Particulate Matter Emissions from Aircraft

The contribution of aircraft operations to ambient ultrafine particle (UFP) concentration at and around airports can be significant. This review article considers the volatile and non-volatile elements of particulate matter emissions from aircraft engines, their characteristics and quantification and identifies gaps in knowledge. The current state of the art emission inventory methods and dispersion modelling approaches are reviewed and areas for improvement and research needs are identified. Quantification of engine non-volatile particulate matter (nvPM) is improving as measured certification data for the landing and take-off cycle are becoming available. Further work is needed: to better estimate nvPM emissions during the full-flight; to estimate non-regulated (smaller) engines; and to better estimate the emissions and evolution of volatile particles (vPM) in the aircraft exhaust plume. Dispersion modelling improvements are also needed to better address vPM. As the emissions inventory data for both vPM and nvPM from aircraft sources improve, better estimates of the contribution of aircraft engine emissions to ambient particulate concentrations will be possible.

Comparing Methods of Calculating Aircraft Engine Emissions of Harmful Exhaust Components During the Takeoff and Landing Cycle in the Airspace of an Airport

Abstract An airport authority needs accurate information about the actual amount of harmful emissions being generated within its airspace, to be able to take measures leading to their reduction. This article presents two methods for estimating the amount of these emissions from aircraft engines during the take off and landing cycle (LTO) in the airspace of a medium-sized airport: one based on the total amount of the aircraft annually operated in it, and a second, more precise, one for a specific airline annually operating at this airport. The conclusions stemming from the comparison of these methods can support the introduction of operational and technical procedures reducing harmful emissions in the airport airspace during LTO cycle.

Responses of reconstituted human bronchial epithelia from normal and health-compromised donors to non-volatile particulate matter emissions from an aircraft turbofan engine

Health effects of particulate matter (PM) from aircraft engines have not been adequately studied since controlled laboratory studies reflecting realistic conditions regarding aerosols, target tissue, particle exposure and deposited particle dose are logistically challenging. Due to the important contributions of aircraft engine emissions to air pollution, we employed a unique experimental setup to deposit exhaust particles directly from an aircraft engine onto reconstituted human bronchial epithelia (HBE) at air-liquid interface under conditions similar to in vivo airways to mimic realistic human exposure. The toxicity of non-volatile PM (nvPM) from a CFM56-7B26 aircraft engine was evaluated under realistic engine conditions by sampling and exposing HBE derived from donors of normal and compromised health status to exhaust for 1 h followed by biomarker analysis 24 h post exposure. Particle deposition varied depending on the engine thrust levels with 85% thrust producing the highest nvPM mass and number emissions with estimated surface deposition of 3.17 × 109 particles cm−2 or 337.1 ng cm−2. Transient increase in cytotoxicity was observed after exposure to nvPM in epithelia derived from a normal donor as well as a decrease in the secretion of interleukin 6 and monocyte chemotactic protein 1. Non-replicated multiple exposures of epithelia derived from a normal donor to nvPM primarily led to a pro-inflammatory response, while both cytotoxicity and oxidative stress induction remained unaffected. This raises concerns for the long-term implications of aircraft nvPM for human pulmonary health, especially in occupational settings.

Enlightenment from International experiences on air pollution control in airport areas to China

The construction of China’s management and prevention and control system regarding air pollutants in airport area is of great significance to improve the regional ambient air quality in Chinese cities. By analyzing the deficiencies of air pollution control in airport areas in China and sorting out the international experience in pollution control, this paper proposes to improve the standard system of aircraft engine emission, establish a database of aircraft engine emission coefficients, carry out technical research on assessment of atmospheric impact caused by aviation emission, and explore the multiple prevention and control paths of aircraft pollution.

IVOC/SVOC and size distribution characteristics of particulate matter emissions from a modern aero-engine combustor in different operational modes

The particulate matter (PM) of Intermediate-Volatile Organic Compounds (IVOC) / Semi-Volatile Organic Compound (SVOC) from aircraft engine emissions, despite being significant precursors of secondary organic aerosols deteriorating air quality in the vicinity of airports, have not been fully investigated at molecular level. In this study, the particulate IVOC/SVOC emissions from a rig test on a Technology of Low Emission Stirred Swirl aero-engine combustor, being operated with dual diffusion and premixed-dominant combustion modes, have been characterized via a two-dimensional gas chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometer (GC × GC-ToFMS). The IVOC/SVOC compounds, including 25n-alkanes, 15 cyclic alkanes and 13 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were analyzed in this study. We found that including the premixed-dominant combustion mode at climb/takeoff conditions reduced the particulate IVOC/SVOC emissions significantly by nearly 80%, compared to using the diffusion combustion mode alone at idle/approach condition. Meanwhile, the measurements on organic PM obtained from a scanning mobility particle sizer spectrometer with a catalytic stripper demonstrated a consistent trend with the the IVOC/SVOC emissions, which were also suppressed by over 85% at climb/takeoff compared to idle/approach. The inter-relationship between the size-resolved organic PM and the speciated IVOC/SVOC emissions has been further explored, showing that the nucleation mode PM is dominated in organic PM by over 50%, in which IVOCs/SVOCs may be a significant contributor. This study expands the understanding of aviation-emitted organic particles, and suggests a path for future aero-engine development to mitigate the IVOC/SVOC emissions particularly at low power conditions. However, compared to the real aero-engine emissions, the results from rig combustor tests should be interpreted with great care, since there are still some work to be done to establish the quantitative relationship between emissions from rig combustors andthose from real engines.

Climate assessment of single flights: Deduction of route specific equivalent CO2 emissions

Climate impact of anthropogenic activities is more and more of public concern. But while CO2 emissions are accounted in emissions trading and mitigation plans, emissions of non-CO2 components contributing to climate change receive much less attention. One of the anthropogenic emission sectors, where non-CO2 effects play an important part, is aviation. Hence, for a quantitative estimate of total aviation climate impact, assessments need to comprise both CO2 and non-CO2 effects (e.g., water vapor, nitrogen dioxide, and contrails), instead of calculating and providing only CO2 impacts. However, while a calculation of CO2 effects relies directly on fuel consumption, for non-CO2 effects detailed information on aircraft trajectory, engine emissions, and ambient atmospheric conditions are required. As often such comprehensive information is not available for all aircraft movements, a simplified calculation method is required to calculate non-CO2 impacts. In our study, we introduce a simple calculation method which allows quantifying climate assessment relying on mission parameters, involving distance and geographic flight region. We present a systematic analysis of simulated climate impact from more than 1000 city pairs with an Airbus A330-200 aircraft depending on the flight distance and flight region to derive simplified but still realistic representation of the non-CO2 climate effects. These new formulas much better represent the climate impact of non-CO2 effects compared to a constant CO2 multiplier. The mean square error decrease from 1.18 for a constant factor down to 0.24 for distance dependent factors and can be reduced even further to 0.19 for a distance and latitude dependent factor.

Calculation and Analysis of Aircraft Pollutant Emission Based on Time Wake Separation Mode under Coastal Airport and Headwind Conditions

During the final approach, the headwind leads to a reduction of landing rate, which affects the achieved capacity and the predictability of operation, time, fuel efficiency, and environmental pollution. Under headwind conditions, ground speed decrease results in increased flight time. Time-based separation (TBS) changes the separation rule of the final approach, which changes the distance separation between two aircrafts into a time separation. This paper introduces the time-based separation (TBS) based on the distance-based separation (DBS). According to the aircraft landing schedule of each airport, the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) aircraft engine emission database, Boeing Fuel Flow Method 2 (BFFM2), and meteorological data of Pu-dong airport, this study uses the modified P3-T3 aviation pollutant emission model to calculate, respectively, the fuel consumption and pollutant emissions based on distance separation mode and time separation mode. According to the calculation results, TBS operation mode can save 32.52%, 19.12%, and 30.41% fuel, reduce 28.93%, 17.9%, and 29.29% CO, 31.02%, 19.36%, and 33.78% HC, 30.85%, 16.42%, and 28.67% NOx, respectively, compared with the DBS operation mode at three stages of the day. It ends that TBS has an obvious optimization effect on fuel consumption and pollutant emission compared with DBS from data.

Air Quality Studies at Ukrainian Airports

Sustainability of aviation must be provided to limit the harmful influence and protect public health and the environment. As a rule, national and international regulations aim to reduce ambient air pollution from the aviation sector. Ukraine and other countries have historically adopted international regulations concerning air quality to protect public health and the natural environment. Local regulations also regulate it. However, these documents cover mainly stationary emission sources. In contrast, mobile sources, especially aircraft, are not considered, although, unlike most transportation modes, aircraft travel great distances at various altitudes, generating emissions that potentially impact air quality. This paper was aimed to study the principles and methods to monitor air pollution from aircraft engines at main airports of Europe, north America, and Asia. Based on measurement campaign analysis at some airports of the world and modelling results by complex model PolEmiCa (Pollution and Emission Calculation), the method and technical characteristics for measurement system detect the aircraft engine emissions. The developed practical recommendations were realised at Ukrainian airports and used for validation of model PolEmiCa. Thus, the modelling results for each engine are in good agreement with the results of measurements by the AC32M Nitrogen Oxides (NOX) analyser system due to considering the jet and plume-regime during an experimental investigation at Boryspol airport. Analysis of measured instantaneous concentration demonstrates a high correlation with the runway movements and take-off at Zhulyany airport.

Passenger aircraft emissions analysis at Ordu-Giresun International Airport, Turkey in 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to present the pollutant gas produced by hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) and the quantity of fuel burned from commercial aircraft at Ordu-Giresun International Airport, Turkey during the landing and take-off (LTO) cycles in 2017.Design/methodology/approachThe flight data recorded by the General Directorate of State Airports Authority and the aircraft engine emission data from International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Engine Exhaust Emission Databank were used for calculation. The aircraft and engine types used by the airlines for flight at Ordu-Giresun International Airport were determined. To evaluate the effect of taxi time on emission amounts, analysis and evaluations were made by taking different taxi times into consideration.FindingsAs a result of the emission analysis, the amount of fuel consumed by the aircraft were calculated as 6,551.52 t/y, and the emission amounts for CO, HC and NOx were estimated as 66.81, 4.20 and 79.97 t/y, respectively.Practical implicationsThis study is aimed to reveal the effect and contribution of taxi time on the emitted emission at the airport during the LTO phase of the aircraft.Originality/valueThis study helps aviation authorities explain the importance of developing procedures that ensure the delivery of aircraft to flights in minimum time by raising awareness of the impact of taxi time on emitted emissions, and contributes to the determination of an aircraft emission inventory at Ordu-Giresun International Airport.

Prediction of aircraft engine emissions using ADS-B flight data

ABSTRACTReal-time flight data from the Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) has been integrated, through a data interface, with a flight performance computer program to predict aviation emissions at altitude. The ADS-B, along with data from Mode-S, are then used to ‘fly’ selected long-range aircraft models (Airbus A380-841, A330-343 and A350-900) and one turboprop (ATR72). Over 2,500 flight trajectories have been processed to demonstrate the integration between databases and software systems. Emissions are calculated for altitudes greater than 3,000 feet (609m) and exclude landing and take-off cycles. This proof of concept fills a gap in the aviation emissions inventories, since it uses real-time flights and produces estimates at a very granular level. It can be used to analyse emissions of gases such as carbon dioxide ($\mathrm{CO}_2$), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides ($\mathrm{NO}_x$) and water vapour on a specific route (city pair), for a specific aircraft, for an entire fleet, or on a seasonal basis. It is shown how$\mathrm{NO}_x$and water vapour emissions concentrate around tropospheric altitudes only for long-range flights, and that the cruise range is the biggest discriminator in the absolute value of these and other exhaust emissions.