Journal article
Aircraft Emissions of Methane and Nitrous Oxide during the Alternative Aviation Fuel Experiment
Environmental science & technology, v 45(16), pp 7075-7082
15 Aug 2011
PMID: 21728352
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Given the predicted growth of aviation and the recent developments of alternative aviation fuels, quantifying methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission ratios for various aircraft engines and fuels can help constrain projected impacts of aviation on the Earth's radiative balance. Fuel-based emission indices for CH4 and N2O were quantified from CFM56-2C1 engines aboard the NASA DC-8 aircraft during the first Alternative Aviation Fuel Experiment (AAFEX-I) in 2009. The measurements of JP-8 fuel combustion products indicate that at low thrust engine states (idle and taxi, or 4% and 7% maximum rated thrusts, respectively) the engines emit both CH4 and N2O at a mean la rate of 170 +/- 160 mg CH4 (kg Fuel)(-1) and 110 +/- 50 mg N2O (kg Fuel)(-1), respectively. At higher thrust levels corresponding to greater fuel flow and higher engine temperatures, CH4 concentrations in engine exhaust were lower than ambient concentrations. Average emission indices for JP-8 fuel combusted at engine thrusts between 30% and 100% of maximum rating were -54 +/- 33 mg CH4 (kg Fuel)(-1) and 32 +/- 18 mg N2O (kg Fuel)(-1), where the negative sign indicates consumption of atmospheric CH4 in the engine. Emission factors for the synthetic Fischer-Tropsch fuels were statistically indistinguishable from those for JP-8.
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Details
- Title
- Aircraft Emissions of Methane and Nitrous Oxide during the Alternative Aviation Fuel Experiment
- Creators
- Gregory W. Santoni - Harvard UniversityBen H. Lee - Planetary Science InstituteEzra C. Wood - Aerodyne ResearchScott C. Herndon - Aerodyne ResearchRichard C. Miake-Lye - Aerodyne ResearchSteven C. Wofsy - Planetary Science InstituteJ. Barry McManus - Aerodyne ResearchDavid D. Nelson - Aerodyne ResearchMark S. Zahniser - Aerodyne Research
- Publication Details
- Environmental science & technology, v 45(16), pp 7075-7082
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society; Washington, DC
- Number of pages
- 8
- Grant note
- FAA Missouri University of Science and Technology National Science Foundation; National Science Foundation (NSF) Transport Canada NASA; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Chemistry
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000293758400048
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-80051738422
- Other Identifier
- 991020902866104721
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- Collaboration types
- Industry collaboration
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Engineering, Environmental
- Environmental Sciences