Aircraft Cruise Nitrogen Oxides (NO_x) Emissions Prediction and Environmental Pollution Factor

Abstract

Nitrogen oxides (NOx) emitted at low altitude increase ozone formation, thus potentially affecting local air quality. On the other hand supersonic aircraft NOx emitted in the lower stratosphere deplete the ozone layer, which represents a serious health concern according to Richard Miake Lyea and Ulrich Schumannb). The necessity to evaluate aircraft NOx production at cruise is urgent, since ICAO standard on NOx limitations has not yet taken into account cruise NOx emissions. The purpose of this work is to solve the problem of aircraft cruise NOx emissions regulation. The evaluation of nitrogen oxides production according to operational time in mode is realized with the ICAO data bank from different types of aircraft engines. Cruise NOx production is compared to LTO NOx production. A predictive correlation linking cruise NOx production to flight distance is developed and evaluated with good accuracy. Although cruise NOx production prediction is very important, alone it may not be enough to settle a limitation regulation on cruise NOx emissions, then the maximum flight range and the maximum take off weight, as those important factors influencing the NOx emissions are taken into account to develop a specific NOx production parameter which can enable the commercial aircraft classification according to their pollution factor, by so doing, ICAO NOx emissions regulation can be completed using the approach we propose to set up a limit value on aircraft cruise NOx emissions.