Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/Z503824/1
Contrail assessment of future aircraft and propulsion architectures
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Dr ES Richardson, University of Southampton, Aeronautics and Astronautics
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr T T Grenga, University of Southampton, Sch of Engineering
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr CJ Smith, University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr A Rap, University of Leeds, School of Earth and Environment
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor A Elham, University of Southampton, Sch of Engineering
- Grant held at:
- University of Southampton, Aeronautics and Astronautics
- Science Area:
- None
- Overall Classification:
- Unknown
- ENRIs:
- None
- Science Topics:
- None
- Abstract:
- The contrail climate impact of future low-CO2 aircraft will be assessed, incorporating rigorous analysis of turbulence/microphysics interactions into climate-optimised aircraft design. Aircraft contrails and contrail cirrus may account for more than half of the climate forcing from aircraft operations to date. Radically different airframe and propulsion concepts have been developed as a means to reduce CO2 emission, but the impact of these developments on contrail formation has not been part of the design process. Contrail formation in the aircraft wake is affected by the wing planform and the type and positioning of the propulsors, but established contrail formation models have been developed only with reference to conventional tube-wing aircraft architectures. This limits their applicability - alternative aircraft technologies affect the distribution of ice particles that form, requiring re-evaluation of the climate forcing that results from choosing different technology pathways. Building on the project team's expertise in modelling complex interactions of mixing, microphysics and atmospheric processes, methods will be developed to assess how different aircraft and propulsion architecture choices affect the climate impact of future aircraft. Climate-optimised development of advanced aircraft concepts will be demonstrated. Effects of advanced aircraft architectures on contrail development will be studied computationally and incorporated into a new contrail simulation approach that accounts for detailed contrail microphysics in high-throughput design calculations. Methods for assessing the climate forcing due to alternative technologies and operating strategies will be incorporated into freely available software that takes account of the detailed development of contrail cirrus. Through participation of forward-looking airframe and propulsion system manufacturers, this project will directly inform the path we take to minimise the overall climate impact of future aviation.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/Z503824/1
- Grant Stage:
- Awaiting Event/Action
- Scheme:
- Research Grants
- Grant Status:
- Active
- Programme:
- Jet Zero
This grant award has a total value of £829,983
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| DI - Other Costs | Indirect - Indirect Costs | DA - Investigators | DA - Estate Costs | DI - Staff | DA - Other Directly Allocated | DI - T&S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £4,355 | £399,871 | £59,311 | £86,219 | £269,571 | £9,824 | £830 |
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