Grant: Alliance Grants
University of Toronto
$464,000.00
Reducing aviation's impact on climate change - understanding effects of fuel and engine characteristics on formation of contrails
FY 2022-23
Summary
Contributions to climate forcing (due to contrails and carbon dioxide) will be the main drivers that will shape the future of the aviation. Currently, there seems to be no viable prime mover that will replace the gas turbine as the preferred engine for the medium to long range commercial aircraft. It is most likely that for the foreseeable future these engines will be fueled by liquid hydrocarbons obtained from sustainable sources, i.e., sustainable aviation fuels. Contrail formation is a result of the soot aerosol in the engine exhaust acting as the nuclei to form ice particles. The current understanding is that the soot aerosols, any aqueous aerosols formed in the exhaust, and the ambient aerosols entrained into the plume act as nuclei to form ice crystals when water vapour in the plume becomes supersaturated because of the plume mixing with ambient cold air and cooling rapidly. The details of these processes involved in contrail formation are not known well, and there exist several knowledge gaps. The uncertainty associated with modelling its radiative forcing is very high due to a lack understanding nucleation of ice particles. Understanding these processes at a level that physical descriptions leading to realistic models is essential to simulate the aircraft induced contrail properties to predict their behaviour. The proposed project aims to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in contrail formation by addressing the knowledge gaps by means of a combined experimental and modelling effort supported by theoretical development of ice nucleation and growth. The deliverables of this research program will be a better physical description and improved models of contrail formation that can be used in contrail radiation forcing simulations decreasing the uncertainties in climate modelling. Results will help the Canadian gas turbine engine manufacturers to predict the impacts of engine exhaust and contrails on the environment and facilitate the decision-making and strategies for the potential of future aviation technologies such as hybrid electric, hydrogen, and sustainable aviation fuels aircraft.
Program
Alliance Grants
Recipient
Location
Ontario, Canada
Recipient Type
Academia
Type
Grant
Source
NSERC's Awards Data
As published
Application id
570573-2021
Name nom
Gulder, Omer OL
Department département
Aerospace Studies, Institute for
Organization id
31
Institution établissement
University of Toronto
Province en
Ontario
Province fr
Ontario
Country en
CANADA
Country fr
CANADA
Fiscal year exercice financier
2022
Competition year année de concours
2021
Award amount
464000
Program id
ALLRP
Program name en
Alliance Grants
Program name fr
Subventions Alliance
Group en
RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS
Group fr
PARTENARIATS DE RECHERCHE
Committee code
96
Committee name en
RPP Internal Decision Cttee
Committee name fr
Cté de décision interne - PPR
Area of application code
703
Area of application group en
Transportation systems and services
Area of application group fr
Services et systèmes de transport
Area of application en
Aerospace
Area of application fr
Aérospatial
Research subject code
2108
Research subject group en
Mechanical engineering
Research subject group fr
Génie mécanique
Research subject en
Aerospace, aeronautical and automotive engineering
Research subject fr
Génie aérospatial, aéronautique et automobile
Installment
inst:2;3
Partie
2
Nb partie
3
Application title
Reducing aviation's impact on climate change - understanding effects of fuel and engine characteristics on formation of contrails
Application summary
Contributions to climate forcing (due to contrails and carbon dioxide) will be the main drivers that will shape the future of the aviation. Currently, there seems to be no viable prime mover that will replace the gas turbine as the preferred engine for the medium to long range commercial aircraft. It is most likely that for the foreseeable future these engines will be fueled by liquid hydrocarbons obtained from sustainable sources, i.e., sustainable aviation fuels. Contrail formation is a result of the soot aerosol in the engine exhaust acting as the nuclei to form ice particles. The current understanding is that the soot aerosols, any aqueous aerosols formed in the exhaust, and the ambient aerosols entrained into the plume act as nuclei to form ice crystals when water vapour in the plume becomes supersaturated because of the plume mixing with ambient cold air and cooling rapidly. The details of these processes involved in contrail formation are not known well, and there exist several knowledge gaps. The uncertainty associated with modelling its radiative forcing is very high due to a lack understanding nucleation of ice particles. Understanding these processes at a level that physical descriptions leading to realistic models is essential to simulate the aircraft induced contrail properties to predict their behaviour. The proposed project aims to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in contrail formation by addressing the knowledge gaps by means of a combined experimental and modelling effort supported by theoretical development of ice nucleation and growth. The deliverables of this research program will be a better physical description and improved models of contrail formation that can be used in contrail radiation forcing simulations decreasing the uncertainties in climate modelling. Results will help the Canadian gas turbine engine manufacturers to predict the impacts of engine exhaust and contrails on the environment and facilitate the decision-making and strategies for the potential of future aviation technologies such as hybrid electric, hydrogen, and sustainable aviation fuels aircraft.
