NO and NO₂Emission Ratios Measured from In-Use Commercial Aircraft during Taxi and Takeoff

Abstract

In August 2001, the Aerodyne Mobile Laboratory simultaneously measured NO, NO2, and CO2 within 350 m of a taxiway and 550 m of a runway at John F. Kennedy Airport. The meteorological conditions were such that taxi and takeoff plumes from individual aircraft were clearly resolved against background levels. NO and NO2 concentrations were measured with 1 s time resolution using a dual tunable infrared laser differential absorption spectroscopy instrument, utilizing an astigmatic multipass Herriott cell. The CO2 measurements were also obtained at 1 s time resolution using a commercial non-dispersive infrared absorption instrument. Plumes were measured from over 30 individual planes, ranging from turbo props to jumbo jets. NOx emission indices were determined by examining the correlation between NOx (NO + NO2) and CO2 during the plume measurements. Several aircraft tail numbers were unambiguously identified, allowing those specific airframe/engine combinations to be determined. The resulting NOx emission indices from positively identified in-service operating airplanes are compared with the published International Civil Aviation Organization engine certification test database collected on new engines in certification test cells.

Air quality and engine emission at Paris CDG airport during AIRPUR field campaigns

“…Particle emissions depend on mode of combustion; kerosene combustion is similar to diesel combustion: when temperature and pressure are higher, the injection of fuel is performed without stequiometry equilibrium bringing a heterogeneous mixture and enhances the particle emissions. By using the relationship between of emission index of CO 2 , the CO 2 deviations from background and the variations of CO, NO, NO 2 and PM concentration during engine test, engine emission indices can be correctly estimated (using equation (1) Herndon et al [5] For CF6-80C2B1F equipping the B747 using an EI CO 2 of 3150 g/kg the calculated EI at low thrust for other species show a maximum value for CO (76.90 g/Kg) and a minimum for NOx (3.13 g/Kg). At higher thrust EI is lower for CO (4.12 g/Kg), and maximal for NOx (21.3 g/Kg).…”

The global impact of the transport sectors on atmospheric aerosol in 2030 – Part 2: Aviation

“…Although this sector accounts for a relatively small fraction of the global CO 2 emissions from fossil fuels (2.6 % in the year 2004; Lee et al, 2010), it has a substantial impact on climate due to a wide range of non-CO 2 effects, including ozone formation and methane destruction via NO x emissions, direct and indirect aerosol effects from sulfate and black carbon (BC), the formation of contrail and contrailcirrus clouds, and the perturbation of natural cirrus clouds due to BC (see Sausen et al, 2005;Lee et al, 2010, and references therein). In addition to impacts on the climate, emissions of particulate matter from aircraft and related activities at and in the vicinity of airports can have detrimental effects on air quality and related impacts on human health (Herndon et al, 2004(Herndon et al, , 2008Schürmann et al, 2007). The study by Barrett et al (2010) also found significant impacts on air quality from aircraft emissions at cruise level, but the resulting health impacts have been questioned by H. Lee et al (2013a).…”

Impacts of aircraft emissions on the air quality near the ground

“…Previous studies have shown a strong relationship between emissions during the landing and takeoff (LTO) cycle below 1000 m altitude and air quality near 5506 H. Lee et al: Impacts of aircraft emissions on the air quality near the ground airports (Herndon et al, 2004;Schurmann et al, 2007;Herndon et al, 2008). Tarrason et al (2004) found that the emission by aircraft during climb/descent and during cruise, the so called non-LTO emissions occurring above 1 km in altitude, can have a larger impact than LTO emissions on air quality in Europe because of the relatively large amount of non-LTO emissions compared to LTO emissions.…”