Empirical model assessment of commercial aircraft emissions according to flight phases

Abstract

The quantities of common emissions are investigated for a specific type of commercial aircraft. Actual flight data and International Civil Aviation Organization emission data are used. All flight phases are considered, including landing and takeoff phases. The investigation is carried out for the domestic flights only and considers relevant parameters, such as engine type, flight phase, and ground or air operation of the flight. The findings suggest that the quantities of emissions of unburned hydrocarbon (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) during the descent phase can exceed those for the taxi phases and the idle operation of the engines, depending on the approach procedure. The main source of nitrogen oxide (NOx) is usually the climb phase, while the mean total flight emissions are calculated as 6 to 8 kg of HC, 60 to 75 kg of CO, and 28 to 31 kg of NOx. The effect of the duration of taxi phase on the production of HC and CO emissions is also discussed