Global environmental mapping of the aeronautics manufacturing sector

Environmental Improvement Potential of Flexible Polyurethane Foam for Aviation Applications - A Case Example Analysis

“…However, the assessment of the environmental impacts of aviation should include the full life cycle of an aircraft and its parts and go beyond the CO2 emitted along the use phase. [1][2][3] Environmental impacts from the manufacturing phase, e.g. related to consumption of resources, pollutions and the use of hazardous materials, as well as from the end-of-life phase of an aircraft must be considered when assessing its sustainability and circularity.…”

Collision risk assessment between aircraft and obstacles in the areas surrounding airports

“…The advent of modern technology improved navigation techniques, and the availability of more sophisticated tools permits to manage digital data of the terrain and obstacles. An electronic database relating to the orography and obstacles can support the air navigation in ground proximity warning system (GPWS) with terrain warning and representation system (TAWS) and minimum safety altitude warning system (MSAW) [ 34 ], the definition of contingency procedures to be used in the event of an emergency during a missed approach or take-off, analysis of aircraft operational limitations, design of instrumental procedures (including circling procedures), determination of the en-route drift-down curves and localisation of the en-route emergency landing sites, Advanced Ground Movement Guidance and Control System [ 35 ], production of aeronautical maps and onboard databases, flight simulator, and airport obstacles [ 36 , 37 ]. In particular, digital data are used by the Enhanced-Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) to inform the onboard crew about the potential impact of the ground and/or obstacles [ 38 ].…”

Improving environmental performances of integrated bladed rotors for aircraft

“…Engine manufacturers have been reported to be the second-largest contributor to the climate change footprint, total energy requirements, and water consumption of the aircraft manufacturing industry [1]. Integrated bladed rotors (IBR), or blisks, are an essential part of the engine.…”

“…To achieve the required technical properties, high material buy-to-fly ratios (BTF), which are the ratios of material input over output mass of the final part, characterize blisk manufacturing processes. For titanium alloy parts, average BTF ratios of 10:1 are observed in the aeronautics industry, meaning that a large amount of material is removed during manufacturing in the form of metal chips (swarf) [1].…”

“…In this study, we aim to bridge this knowledge gap and quantify all potential environmental impacts of blisk manufacturing using the ISO-standardized Life Cycle Assessment methodology (ISO 14044;ISO, 2006). We perform a cradle to gate assessment with the specific aims to (1) identify the most contributing processes to environmental impacts of blisk manufacturing, and…”