gifas report aerospace and the environment - june 2011

7/31/2019 GIFAS REPORT Aerospace and the Environment - June 2011

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2/162 - Aerospace and the Environment

Air transport

and its environment

Background:Scarcely more than a century after the advent of aviation, air transport has become a powerful

driver for innovation as well as economic and social development. The aircraft is a remarkable

resource for trade and social interaction, providing the necessary mobility for tourism, opening up

inaccessible regions of the planet, transporting humanitarian aid, etc.

Air transport:

Accounts for almost 35% of trade in value terms and 2.2 billion passengers each year

Generates more than 5.5 million direct jobs (manufacturing industry, airports andairlines) and more than 26 million indirect jobs (services, tourism, ...) worldwide.

With the globalization of trade and rapid growth in emerging countries, demand for air transport

is increasing by an average of almost 5% per year.

For air transport to be sustainable it must meet the two-fold objective of reducing

fossil fuel consumption and controlling its environmental footprint (impact on the

climate, air quality and noise pollution). The move to moderate the sectors energy

use serves the environment and adds to the competitiveness of our products.

In airport environments, the impact of air traffic on air quality is mainly linked to emissions of

nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx) and soot produced by combustion. Finally, reducing

aircraft noise, which directly affects residents living close to airports, is essential for the

development of air transport to be accepted.

Beyond the reduction of CO2

emissions, the impact of

contrails on the climate must also be precisely defined

and their formation limited if necessary.

It is now recognised that greenhouse gas

emissions resulting from human activity are

a major cause of climate change. Currently,

aviation accounts for2 to 3% of the total.

The industrys goal is to stabilize and then

bring down this percentage in spite ofthe increase in air traffic.

Responsibility :

Sun rays

reaching

the ground

Heat radiated

towards outer space

by CO2

Heat re emitted

by CO2 towards

ground

Heat absorbed

by atmospheric

CO2

EARTH

SUN

Heat radiated

by ground


3/16Aerospace and the Environment - 3

CO2

emissionsThe Kyoto Protocol, adopted in 1997,requires the most industrialized nations tocommit to reducing their greenhouse gasemissions by at least 5% in the 2008-2012period (using 1990 as a benchmark).Space technology is a key resource for

observing the phenomena linked to

climate change. In the longer term,

satellites will be used to map CO2emissions

on a global scale, which should in turnenable us to monitor the extent to whichinternational commitments to reducegreenhouse gas emissions have been met.

One of the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol is the setting up of an international carbon

credit trading scheme. The maximum CO2

emissions objectives of the European Union

are defined in a system called the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The EU ETS currently

applies to power stations and manufacturing plants which consume large amounts of

energy, which is not the case for our manufacturing sites. From 2012 onwards, it will

also cover emissions produced by aircraft serving Europes airports.

Examples of best practiceand avenues for improvement: Energy-efficient buildings, infrastructure thermography

Biomass-type boilers

Promoting renewable energy

Use of recycled materials (aluminium, etc.) /salvaging

offcuts and shavings

Inclusion of CO2

emissions as a supplier selection factor

in calls for tender

Roof of the new building housingthe A350 final assembly line

made up of 22,000sqm

of solar panels

So , aware of its responsabilities, the air transport sector tries to evaluate and identify actions

it can take to reduce emissions across all thier industrial activities. In anticipation of the energy-related requirements ofGrenelle II, GIFAS has prepared industry-specific guidelines to help

companies, particulary SMEs, to prepare their carbon inventory.

Even if the actual contribution of air transport

to global man-made CO2 emissions is limited,our sector is firmly committed to addressingglobal warming and reducing fossil-basedenergy consumption, not only in the designof its products but also in its manufacturingactivities.

Air transport contributionto global man-made CO2emissions

-2% Air Transport3-4% Sea Transport15-17%Ground Transport

(Source GIEO, Stern Review)

)Transport



Five decadesof steady progress

USEMAINTENANCE

END OF LIFE (EOL)AND RECYCLING

DESIGN

INDUTRIALISATION

MANUFACTURING

TRANSPORT

In moving forward on propulsion systems,

aircraft weight and shape, and optimized

flight and trajectory management, the

industry has managed to reduce kerosene

consumption by a factor ofalmost 5 in fifty

years. On the A380, fuel consumption

is less than 3 litres per passenger per

100km.

Advances in technology have brought about

a 20dB noise reduction at source in the

past fifty years, which is equivalent to a

10-fold reduction in sound amplitude.

Understanding and perfecting the

combustion process has practically

eliminated unburned hydrocarbons (UHCs)

and reduced nitrogen oxide generation

by a factor of 4 while maintaining high

pressure in the combustion chamber to

ensure efficient combustion.

Constantly innovating throughout the lifecycle

Sustainable development in

the aerospace industry relies

on evaluation and controlled

reduction of the environmentalimpact of our products, from

their composition, manufacture

and use right through to EOL.



Continuous researcheffort: the main innovation

levers

Turbofans first appeared in the 1960s. In

this type of engine, the chemical energy (fuel)

is converted into propulsive power in two

stages. In the core of the engine, the primary

airflow, highly compressed and hot, convertsthe energy of combustion into mechanical

energy. This energy is then used to compress

the secondary (cold) airflow to create thrust.

The key parameter for these engines is the

by-pass ratio defined as the ratio of the

secondary air flow to the primary air flow.

An increasingly integrated approach to Research & Development on the part of all air

transport players, optimizing the inevitable technical compromises, will reduce

the environmental footprint of aircraft.

The aerodynamic forces exerted on an

aircraft during flight are thrust, weight, lift

and drag. The aim is to find the optimum

balance between these forces by reducing

weight (lightening the airframe, for example

by incorporating composite materials),

increasing lift for certain stages of the flight

(high-lift devices), reducing drag which slowsdown the aircraft and, of course, increasing

thrust with more efficient engines.

With air traffic projected to increase by

70% in Europe between now and 2020,

the industry will need to adopt routes, flightprofiles and flight paths to reduce flight

times and fuel consumption and optimize

airspace occupation without compromising

safety. At the same time, procedures and

flight paths will be modified to minimize

perceived noise on the ground.



Improved performance thanks to newmaterials:

Organic matrix composites with woven

carbon fibre reinforcement (200kg

reduction in engine weight on the A320)

Ceramic composite for the hot sections

Innovative technology to:

reduce perceived noise

exploit synergies between aircraft propulsion

and aerodynamics

Work focus on 6 areas: propulsion, architecture and materials,

systems and equipment, airport operations, air traffic management,

production and lifecycle management.

The higher by-pass ratios of todays engines

reduce both noise and fuel consumption.However, while noise continues to diminish,

fuel consumption quickly reaches a minimum

threshold due to the increase in weight and

drag caused by the low pressure sections

and the nacelle. The use of lightweight

technologies such as composite materials

pushes this minimum threshold down further.

Promising avenues of development:

Improving the primary cycle, essentially

by increasing temperature and pressure andcontrolling combustion and emissions.

Increasing propulsion efficiency by

increasing the bypass ratio (large diameter fan

to slow down the exhaust expulsion speed).

Making engines lighter and optimizing

integration with the aircraft.

High-pressure

turbine

Low-pressure

compressor

Low-pressure

shaftCombustion

chamberLow-pressure

turbineNozzle

High-pressure

shaft

High-pressure

compressor

Fan

Fuelconsumption

By-pass ratio

4 8 12 16

0,8

1,2

1,1

1

0,9

0,7

Lightweight technologiesNoise

Propulsion and propulsionintegration

1



Reducing drag

The addition of wingtip devices (or winglets)

to reduce wingtip vortices is now standard

practice. Drag can be further reduced by

integrating the wingtip device into the wing

design. Designing wing shapes that maintain

the maximum laminar airflow area (at the cost

of a reduction in cruising speed) is a promising

avenue for reducing friction drag.

Airframe weight reduction

Progress in this area relies first on the use

of high-performance materials such as

carbon fibre composites. Nonetheless, new

metalworking techniques like friction welding,

large part machining and cast assemblies

can also help to reduce airframe weight. The

introduction of a load control system improves

airframe design by reducing the maximumload the airframe can withstand.

Noise reduction

Engine integration that takes advantage of

the inherent noise-masking capabilities of the

aircrafts existing structures (empennage in

particular) is the preferred approach to reducing

noise pollution caused by jet engines. For noise

generated by protuberances (landing gear and

high-lift devices), smart fairing solutions arebeing studied.

Architecture and materials

2



Aircraft equipment manufacturers contribute

to reducing aircraft weight with lighter and

more efficient equipment: landing gear

using composite materials or titanium, carbon

brakes, cabin fittings, etc.

The advent of more-electric aircraft

will result in lower life cycle cost, better

propulsion efficiency and a lesser impact on

the environment. Ongoing research aims to

replace the current energy carriers (hydraulic

fluids and compressed air) with electrical

current and achieve significant reductions

in fuel consumption.

Green taxiing, whereby the wheels are driven

by individual electric motors rather than the

aircrafts jet engines, is an idea that engineers

are currently developing.

Finally, high-lift devices and landing gear

are designed to reduce noise on finalapproach.

The avionics and onboard systems constitute the intelligence of the aircraft, giving it the

ability to carry out the functions necessary to its operations, in optimal conditions of safety

and security. These functions are becoming increasingly complex as more and moresocial responsibility issues (e.g. reduction of perceived noise and polluting emissions)

and competitiveness factors (operational costs, consumption, performance, availability,

new capabilities, etc.) have to be taken into account.

Equipment and systems

3



This new approach is based on monitoring information in real time (weather conditions, traffic,

etc.), sharing it via an ATM intranet, increased automation (allowing humans to focus on high

value-added tasks), etc. Central to these concerns is the development of green operations

(optimized flight plans, continuous descent approach, optimization of airport

resources, etc.).

More environment-friendly ground operations

The move towards all-electric aircraft, which will eliminate the hydraulic

system and use the airports universal electrical infrastructure instead

of an aircrafts APU to start the engines for example, will lead to more

environment-friendly ground operations.

Reducing taxiing

Reducing the amount of time aircraft spend on the ground, taxiing and

particularly waiting to take off, is a European objective. This can be

achieved with better coordination and more sophisticated IT systems.

Aroports de Paris has committed to reducing the average taxiing time

at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport by 10% by 2015, in liaison with the

relevant parties.

Airport operations

4

Air traffic management5

Greener airportsEleven European airport service companies, including Aroports de

Paris, participate in the Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme which

enables them to manage and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Regular progress checks are carried out by independent auditors.

Air traffic management (ATM) is evolving towards a global approach based on the concept

of optimum end-to-end flight path involving the various stakeholders (airspace users, air

traffic control, airport operators, etc.) in a collaborative initiative.



With 7,000 aircraft worldwide ready for dismantling within

the next 20 years, there is a need for safe, environment-

friendly EOL solutions. The European project PAMELA

(Process for Advanced Management of End-of-Life Aircraft),

coordinated by Airbus, has given rise to the industrial

company Tarmac Aerosave bringing together Airbus, Sita,

Aeroconseil, EquipAero and Snecma, allowing for up to85% of an aircrafts constitutive parts to be recycled.

Adopt a valorization/recycling approach, which is both environment-friendly and economic, on the basis that secondary production (recycling) processes are

generally more economic and consume less energy than primary production processes

and taking into account the increasing raw materials requirements of industry worldwide.

The aerospace sector pays part icular attention to carbon waste from compositeresidues and is developing innovative technologies (pyrolysis, solvolysis) to process it.

Eco-responsible production

6

Beyond regulatory compliance, the aerospace manufacturing industry is voluntarily

committed to reducing its environmental footprint whenever possible, employing

environmental management systems (mainly ISO 14001 certification) to achieve

this goal.

Reduce water, electricity and fossil-based

energy consumption, wastewater discharge,

CO2

emissions and minimize wasteA large number of companies in the sector have defined ambitious

programmes aimed at reducing their emissions impacting on the

environment (air, water and soil).



The replacement process calls for a substantial commitment bearing in mind the

long development cycles of the industry, the approvals necessary to ensure safety

and reliability, and also the need to adapt the supply chain.

The ability of the sector and the supply chain to anticipate and adapt to the profound

changes brought about by REACh is key to ensuring that production processes will

be able to comply with the regulations.

Limit and eliminate the most hazardous

substances and preparationsConsiderable effort is put into eliminating substances

like chromates, cadmium, lead in electronics, volatile

organic compounds (VOCs), substances that deplete

the ozone layer (halons for example), radionuclides and

so on from manufacturing processes and products and

replacing them with more environment-friendly alternatives.

Examples of best practice

and avenues for improvement:Developing more environment-friendly surface treatment

techniques, e.g.:

- Eliminating chemical masking operations

- Substituting sulfochromic pickling and chromic anodizing

Reducing VOC emissions by developing water-soluble and/or

high NVC paints

Eliminating or cutting down on cleaning/scouring operations

Publishing sector-specific technical guides on key issues

such as REACh and radiation protection.

REACh (Registration Evaluation Authorization of Chemicals) is the European regulatory

framework in force for controlling chemical substances in Europe. Its main objective is

to ensure a high level of protection for human health and the environment. Substances of very high concern (SVHCs) could ultimately be banned and substitutes

must therefore be found. The banning or phasing out of certain substances will have

an impact on the techniques and products of the sector.

Users at the lower end of the supply chain (as most of our industries tend to be) must

now ensure that any specific use they might make of these substances is registered

by the manufacturers/importers higher up.

If an SVHC makes up more than 0.1% of a product on the market, the customer must

be provided with information which has to be passed down throughout the entire

supply chain.



Ensuring a sustainable

future for air transport:

2020-20502020 vision:

In 2000, a strategic agenda was set by the

Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research

in Europe (ACARE) to develop the technology

on new aircraft to meet the following objectives

by 2020: Greenhouse gases: 50% reduction in

CO2

(carbon dioxide) emissions

Local pollutants: 80% reduction in NOx

(nitrogen oxide) emissions

Noise: 50% reduction in perceived noise

2050 vision:This new long-term strategy prepared for the EuropeanCommission in early 2011 by a high-level group representing

several industry sectors (infrastructure, aircraft, operation, fuels

and research) calls for all parties to work towards a cleaner, safer,

more competitive and reliable aviation sector by 2050, while at the

same time paying particular attention to the needs of society and

its citizens. The main environmental objectives applicable to new

aircraft for 2050 are:

A 75% reduction in CO2

emissions per passenger/km

A 90% reduction in NOx emissions

A 65% reduction in perceived noise

taking 2000 as the reference year.

In France, a new dynamic was created in 2008 with the formation of the

civil aviation research council, Corac, which brings together nationalstakeholders including manufacturers, operators and

government. Corac coordinates research efforts based on

a common technology roadmap. A series oftechnology

demonstrators was put forward for funding in 2010

under Frances national investment programme for

the future (Great Loan). The aim is to speed up

progress of our industry towards achieving the objectives set by ACARE.

The SESAR programme, Europes key air

transport management initiative, has set

itself the target of reducing fuel consumption

by 10% per flight. Clean Sky, the most

far-reaching research programme ever

conducted by European industry in

conjunction with the European Commission,launched in 2008, brings together all industry

stakeholders (aircraft, engine and equipment

manufacturers) with the aim of

meeting more than half the

objectives set

by ACARE.



Alternative fuels but not at any price:

the development of alternative fuels must be

sustainable, i.e. it must not use areas of land and

quantities of water and energy that would interfere

with the food chain or fresh water resources.

One solution is to use drop-in fuels:alternative fuels that can be mixed with conventional

kerosene in different proportions without modifying

the engine or the required properties (wide

operating temperature range, safety, etc.). The

airlines, including Air France-KLM, are involved,

and the engine and aircraft manufacturers are

assisting the chemical and refining industry with

the specifications and test flights.

To decouple the re lationshipbetween the increase in CO

2

emissions and the increase in airtraffic, we must simultaneously:

Pursue and step up technological

research and development Replace ageing fleets with the

latest models

Make air traffic more efficient

Develop alternative fuels with a lowcarbon footprint.

By combining efforts in all these areas, the air transport sector could halve itstotal CO

2emissions by 2050 compared to 2005 levels.

Biofuels: 80%* less CO2than fossil-based

kerosene

During their growth cycle, the plants used to

make biofuels absorb the CO2

available in the

atmosphere. Although biofuels, like traditional

kerosene, produce CO2 during the combustionphase (3.15 tonnes of CO

2per tonne of fuel burnt),

lifecycle analysis (taking into account cultivation,

harvesting, processing and final use) reveals a

reduction in CO2

of up to 80% compared with

fossil-based kerosene.

* Michigan Technology University (May 2009)

Key factors for reduction of CO2 emissions(Source: IATA)

Estimated emissions growthwithout reduction measures

Ongoing fleet renewal/ technologicaldevelopment

ATM improvement

Low carbonfootprint alternative fuels

Economicalmeasures

Reference levelCO2

emissions

2005 2050

In March 2011, the European Commission stated in its Transport Strategy for 2050 that the aim

was to increase the proportion of sustainable, low-carbon fuels used in air transport to 40%

by 2050.



Satellites

watching over the earth

To protect our planet, we need to monitor and

understand it better. Nowadays, everything

that affects the earth can be studied in great

detail from space thanks to satellites which

provide a unique and comprehensive means

of continuously observing our environment

and monitoring climate change.

Satellites improve our scientific understanding of

the planets systems, for example by analysing oceancurrents, studying the effect of clouds on the

climate or measuring tiny variations in the earths

gravitational field. (see GOCE satellite in the opposite

picture).

From a more operational point of view, space technology is used to monitor phenomena such

as desertification, state of the oceans and coastal zones, and changes in the earths vegetation

or the stratospheric ozone layer. Constant monitoring of climate change and natural hazards

(cyclones, tsunamis, forest fires, volcanic eruptions, pollution, etc.) using a combination ofground and satellite-based systems should enable the necessary action to be taken as quickly as

possible and even predict disasters. GMES (Global Monitoring of Environment and Security) is a

major EU programme which, using a combination of space systems and in situ sensors (ground-

based, airborne or seaborne), is intended to create autonomous earth monitoring capability

for environmental and security purposes, on a scale ranging from local to global. Some pre-

operational services are already available, for example in cartography.



Sustainable space

Antennas

of the Graves radar

for tracking objects

in low orbit.

We are now accustomed to seeing images of the earths atmosphere taken by weather satellites.

These images, as well as other observational data gathered in space, on the ground and within

the atmosphere itself, are used to create more and more accurate weather forecasting models.

Satellites orbiting at lower altitudes (approx.

800 km) on paths passing close to the poles

are also used. Because they are closer to the

earth, these satellites provide more accurate

data relating to humidity, the composition of

the atmosphere, etc. The European satellite

METOP was launched by ESA and EUMETSAT

in 2006.

Satellites are exposed to the risk of collision

with other objects and debris on the busiest

orbit paths. The number of objects bigger

than 10cm (inactive satellites still in orbit,

spent rocket third stages, collision debris,

etc.) is estimated at more than 14.000. It is

important to find the right balance between

collision prevention and prediction:

Limiting the amount of debris created aswell as the presence of objects in sensitive

orbits that must be protected: inter-agency

discussions to address the systematic

de-orbiting of rocket upper stages and

satellites at the end of their lifetime are

underway.

Development of monitoring systems

to detect and track the orbital path of

satellites and space debris larger than a

few centimetres (in low orbit).

Geostationary satellites are positioned at an

altitude of approximately 36.000 km above

the Equator. Because they are fixed in relation

to the earths surface, they can take pictures

of the same portion of the globe continuously.


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The aerospace industrys environmental commitments and initiatives:

www.gifas.fr (News - Environment)

CORP software (designed by Gifas and developed with Safran and Thales)

for Health-Safety-Environment monitoring and regulatory compliance:www.acores-corp.fr

Editorial team: Members of the Gifas Research & Development, Environment & Sustainable Development and Space Commissions and of the Corac Steering Committee.

Design: Epcom/May 2011 Photos-EUM

ETSAT-ESA-NASA-ADP-AIrFrance-Copyright-A

llimagesnonreferencedcomefromG

IFASmemberco

mpanies.

Gifas, which stands for Groupement des Industries Franaises Aronautiques et Spatiales,

is a trade association with almost 300 members, from major prime contractors and systemsuppliers to equipment manufacturers and small specialist companies.

Gifas provides stakeholders with solutions to the major environmental challenges we face

(climate change, air quality, noise pollution, the depletion of natural resources, handling of

chemicals and waste, etc.) and promotes the sustainable development of the aerospace

sector.

Through specialist Commissions, Gifas members have access to strategic information

which enables them to anticipate and carry out joint initiatives.

A leading website for the aerospace industry, research and the environment:

www.aerorecherchecorac.com

Launched by the French ministry of Environment & Sustainable Development

within the framework of the Grenelle Environment Forum and chaired by theFrench Transport Minister, Corac (which stands for Conseilpour la Recherche

Aronautique Civile - Civil aviation research council) brings together all French

civil aviation industry stakeholders, including manufacturers, airlines, airports,

air navigation services, Gifas, 3AF, Onera and various government departments

(Research, Defence, Industry, Civil Aviation). Its role is to define and implement

research and technological innovation actions with a view to:

Meeting the environmental objectives set for 2020 at European level

Increasing the sectors competitiveness.

gifas report aerospace and the environment - june 2011

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