Development of aircraft fuel burn modeling techniques with applications to global emissions modeling and assessment of the benefits of reduced vertical separation minimums

摘要

Given the current level of concern over anthropogenic climate change and the role of commercial aviation in this process, the ability to adequately model and quantify fuel burn and emissions on a system wide scale is of high importance. In particular, the ability to adequately assess the ability of operational alternatives within the commercial aviation system to improve system efficiency and reduce environmental impact is essential. Much work has already been done with this end in mind; however, given the high degree of complexity associated with a large system such as this, there is opportunity for improvements in modeling capability. The work presented in this thesis was conducted with this aim, to build additional functionality and fidelity into an established modeling method. The FAA System for assessing Aviation's Global Emissions (SAGE)'is a well established model for the creation of global inventories of aviation fuel use and emissions. There are, however, two aspects of the model which could benefit from improvements in modeling methodology. The first is the way in which the specific fuel consumption (SFC) is calculated. Previous to this study, SFC was calculated through the methods put forward in EUROCONTROL's Base of Aircraft Data (BADA).