air traffic & air quality

Presented By:

Huma Farooq

Noor-ul-ain

Aasia Wahab

Farhat Yasmeen

Saba Khursheed

INTRODUCTION

• Emissions may be at ground level or above ground

• Atmospheric composition: effected from aircraft emissions

at altitudes from 8 to 13 km

• Air travel emissions contribute to 5% of global warming

Rosenthal, E. (n.d.). The New York Times - Breaking News, World News

& Multimedia. The Biggest Carbon Sin - Air Travel. Retrieved November

14, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/27/sunday-review/the-

biggest-carbon-sin-air-travel.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/27/sunday-review/the-biggest-carbon-sin-air-travel.html

MAJOR AIRCRAFT EMISSIONS

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

• Unburnt Hydrocarbons

• Oxides of carbon

• Oxides of nitrogen

• Particulate matter

• Sulfur dioxide

(1999). Evaluation of Air Pollutant Emissions from Subsonic

Commercial Jet Aircraft. EPA- Air and Radiation, 77.

TYPICAL EMISSIONS INDICES

No. Pollutant

Species

Emission

Index

(g/kg-fuel

burnt)

1. NOx 13

2 CO2 3600

3. SOx 1

4. PM2.5 0.06

5. HC 1

6. CO 11Ratliff, G., Sequeira, C., & Waitz, I. (2009). Aircraft Impacts

on Local and Regional Air Quality in the United States.

AIRCRAFT EMISSION PHASES

• Aircraft emissions are generally categorized into two phases:

Cruise Cycle

Landing Take-off

(LTO) Cycle

Ratliff, G., Sequeira, C., & Waitz, I. (2009). Aircraft Impacts on Local and Regional Air Quality in the

United States.

CRUISE & LTO CYCLE

Rypdal, K. (n.d.). IPCC - Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas

Inventories. AIRCRAFT EMISSIONS. Retrieved November 15, 2014, from

http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/gp/bgp/2_5_Aircraft.pdf


CRUISE ALTITUDE

• Altitude where most aircraft operating hours and emissions

take place.

• Approximately 68-91% of full flight emissions occur during

cruise operation.

Ratliff, G., Sequeira, C., & Waitz, I. (2009). Aircraft Impacts

on Local and Regional Air Quality in the United States

LTO CYCLE

• The LTO cycle includes phases such as idle, taxi to

and from terminal gates, take-off and climb-out, and

approach to the airport.

• Emissions at mixing height are normally considered

equal to emissions occurring during the LTO cycle.


on Local and Regional Air Quality in the United States

AIRCRAFT EMISSIONS

NITROGEN OXIDES:

• Maximum NOx emissions from aircraft take place during

aircraft takeoff and climb-out operations

PARTICULATE MATTER

• Usually emitted during the high power operations of aircraft


Commercial Jet Aircraft. EPA- Air and Radiation, 77.

AIRCRAFT EMISSIONS

SULFUR DIOXIDE

• Usually emitted when sulfur present in the fuel reacts with

oxygen during the combustion process

AMBIENT PM2.5

• The prominent emissions from aircraft that result in ambient

PM2.5 are SOx and NOx as well as the direct release of

primary PM2.5



AIRCRAFT EMISSIONS

VOCs & CO

• Their emissions rates are maximum when the aircraft engines

are operating at low power

OZONE

• Ozone concentration increases when the NOx emissions from

aircraft are increased in the upper troposphere and lower

stratosphere



• TIER 01 Methodology

• TIER 02 Methodology

• High Tier Methodology


Inventories. AIRCRAFT EMISSIONS. Retrieved November 15, 2014,

from http://www.ipcc nggip.iges.or.jp/public/gp/bgp/2_5_Aircraft.pdf


• Total figure of fuel consumption for air travel multiplied with

average emission factors

Total Emissions = fuel consumption for aviation × average

emission factors





Emissions divided in two parts:

• LTO emissions

• Cruise emissions





Estimated Fuel Use = Fuel used in LTO Phase + Fuel used in

Cruise Phase

Fuel used in Cruise Phase = Total Fuel used – Fuel used in

LTO Phase

Total Emissions = Estimated fuel use × Aggregate emission

factors





• In this, emission estimates can be made just from flight

movement data

• Involves data on cruise flight distances and provides fuel use

factors for individual aircraft per mile cruised or in LTO phase





Total sets of greenhouse gas emissions produced by an

organization, event, product or person

Aircraft emissions vary because of factors like:

o the size and type of aircraft

o the altitude,

o the fraction of passenger or freight capacity of a particular

flight,

o the distance of the journey, &

o the number of stops en route

Ross, D. (2009, June 6). Carbon Planet - Global, Full Spectrum Carbon Management. GHG Emissions

Resulting from Aircraft Travel. Retrieved November 15, 2014, from

http://www.carbonplanet.com/downloads/Flight_Calculator_Information_v9.2.pdf


“How to make our flight carbon neutral”

WAYS TO MINIMIZE AIR TRAFFIC

EMISSIONS

• Emissions and fuel use linked to time duration spent by aircraft

• System delays cause longer idle and taxi times leading to increased

fuel burn and ground level emissions

• Air Traffic Management inefficiencies can become the cause of

unnecessary fuel burn and air emissions



• Enroute operational procedures

• Use of alternative fuels

• Improvements in aircraft and engine design

• Policy options to stimulate these advances

Ways to minimize aircraft fuel consumption and emissions:

A. Lovegren , J., & Hansman, J. (2011, ). [email protected] OF POTENTIAL

AIRCRAFT FUEL BURN REDUCTION IN CRUISE VIA SPEED AND ALTITUDE

OPTIMIZATION STRATEGIES. Retrieved November 14, 2014, from

http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/62196/Lovegren_ICAT-2011.pdf?sequence=1

http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/1721.1/62196/Lovegren_ICAT-2011.pdf?sequence=1

Air travel

disturbs climate

by CO2

emissions and

creation of high-

altitude

contrails

To minimize the

formation of

contrails Limiting the

cruise altitude

of aircraftCO2 emissions

increase by

flying at lower

altitude

RESTRICTING CRUISE ALTITUDE

Williams, V. (n.d.). Redirect. Reducing the climate change impacts of aviation by restricting

cruise altitudes. Retrieved November 15, 2014, from

http://www.geomatics.cv.imperial.ac.uk/html/ResearchActivities/..%5C..%5Cdocuments%5

Cpublications%5Cyear2002%5Cwp25_williams_etal.pdf

http://www.geomatics.cv.imperial.ac.uk/documents/publications/year2002/wp25_williams_etal.pdf

ROUTE OPTIMIZATION

• Changes in the altitude and speed profiles

• Annual domestic fuel burn decline of 300 million gallons and reduction of

3.2 million tons achieved by adjusted flight’s speed and altitude trajectory

• Speed improvements show highest potential for reducing fuel burn and

emissions






ALTERNATIVE FUELS

• Ongoing tests of biofuels like jatropha

and algae

• Plant derived biofuels propose large

reduction in CO2 emissions

• Continental Airlines has flown with

one of the engines operating on a

mixture of 44% Jatropha oil,

6% Algae oil and 50% traditional jet

fuel

(2012,). Heathrow. Reducing the Environmental Impacts of Ground

Operations and Departing Aircraft. Retrieved November 14, 2014,

from

http://www.heathrowairport.com/static/Heathrow/Downloads/PDF/De

partures_code_of_practice-LHR.pdf

http://www.heathrowairport.com/static/Heathrow/Downloads/PDF/Departures_code_of_practice-LHR.pdf

• Reduction of the amount of fuel burned and the

release of ground-level emissions when less number

of engines operating

• Need to incorporate the effects of APU operation

IMPROVED OPERATING PROCEDURES






REDUCTION OF CONTRAILS

• Aircrafts soaring at high altitude

• Planes flying in troposphere minute

climatic impact

• Jet aircrafts cruising in the lower

stratosphere cause impact from

contrails

• Reduction of maximum aircraft cruising

altitude

• Cruising at lower altitudes would

increase flight time and raise fuel

consumption by 4%

Krollova, S. (July 2012). AVIATION EMISSIONS AND THEIR IMPACT ON

ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY. Centre of Excellence for Air Transport, VII (2), 6.

ENGINE EXHAUST CONTRAILS

IMPACTS OF AIR TRAFFIC ON TROPOSPHERE

• Increase of ozone by 3–6% due to aircraft

emissions

• Maximum emissions from air traffic occur

over the southern hemisphere

• Strongest effect on the ozone mixing ratio

Gauss, M., Isaksen, I., & Lee, D. (2006). Impact of aircraft NOx emissions on the

atmosphere – tradeoffs to reduce the impact. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, , 20.

• In northern UTLS region, effect of aircraft emissions

dominates the ozone disturbances

• NOx emissions are three times more efficient in

generating ozone

Hoor, P., & Kleefeld, J.B. (2009). The impact of traffic emissions on atmospheric ozone and OH:

results from QUANTIFY. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, , 24.

IMPACTS OF AIR TRAFFIC ON

STRATOSPHERE

•Launch of NASA's Space Shuttle and similar rockets

•Inserts chlorine compounds directly in the stratosphere

• Depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer

P., J Garcia, M., R Jackman, A., & Dak, N. (1990). The space shuttle's impact on the

stratosphere. Journal of Geophysical Research.

• Solid rocket motors on the Space Shuttle utilize a solid fuel

• Exhaust from this fuel consists of gaseous HCl, CO, water

vapor, molecular nitrogen and aluminum oxide

• Total amount of chlorine emitted into the stratosphere by the

solid rocket motorsis calculated to be 725,000 kg

IMPACTS OF AIR TRAFFIC ON STRATOSPHERE



• Each launch of the Space Shuttle introduces 0.068 kt of chlorine

• Lead to the destruction of ozone molecules

• Exhaust from the solid rocket motors

HC1 (21%),

CO (24% by weight),

N2 (9%),

H20 (10%),

CO2 (4%) and H2(2%)

IMPACTS OF AIR TRAFFIC ON STRATOSPHERE



HEALTH IMPACT OF AIR

TRAFFIC ON AIR QUALITY

HEALTH IMPACTS

• The main cause of almost all aircraft related

health impacts is the ambient particulate

matter

• This PM exposure has led to approximately

160 yearly incidences of premature mortality


Commercial Jet Aircraft. EPA- Air and Radiation, 77

Impacts Related to Nitrogen Oxides

EFFECTS ON AIRWAYS:

• Healthy individuals suffer from respiratory problems

when exposed to high levels of NO2 even for short

duration

ACID RAIN

• Acid rain results in surface water acidification and

also causes damage to trees, buildings and statues.


Commercial Jet Aircraft. EPA- Air and Radiation, 77

OZONE

• An irritant gas, mainly effects the airways

• O3 exposure leads to repeated lung inflammation

• Damage of respiratory tissues which ultimately reduced

quality of life

Krollova, S. (July 2012). AVIATION EMISSIONS AND THEIR IMPACT ON

ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY. Centre of Excellence for Air Transport, VII (2), 6.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

• Instant symptoms include eye and respiratory tract irritation,

visual disorders, dizziness, headaches, and memory

impairment

• May damage the genetic material in the cells

• May contribute to cancer

• Also cause a variety of environmental effects

Ross, D. (2009, June 6). Carbon Planet - Global, Full Spectrum Carbon

Management. GHG Emissions Resulting from Aircraft Travel. Retrieved November 15,

2014, from



Fine Airborne Particulates

• Can worsen already existing heart and lung diseases

• Can cause aggravation of asthma and increased respiratory

illness

• Chronic respiratory effects due to long tem exposure to high

concentration of fine and coarse airborne particulates

Ross, D. (2009, June 6). Carbon Planet - Global, Full Spectrum Carbon

Management. GHG Emissions Resulting from Aircraft Travel. Retrieved November 15,

2014, from

