The Use of Flight Data Records to Analyse the Impact of Single-Engine Taxiing (SET) on Aircraft Fuel Consumption and NOₓ Emissions

Single-engine taxiing (SET) has been identified as a feature of aircraft taxi-in activity at London Heathrow airport (LHR) and is primarily employed to reduce fuel consumption and the emission of pollutants harmful to human health such as nitrogen oxides (NOₓ). Previous research sought to calculate the extent to which SET can impact these factors, however, the validity of results has been limited by a lack of data, which has placed reliance on assumptions for aircraft 4D trajectories and thrust setting profiles. This research uses a large sample of Airbus A319 flight data records to define and categorise SET and twin-engine taxiing (TET) using average thrust settings. These categories are analysed to compare the characteristics of the variables that have an impact on NOₓ emissions, namely fuel flow rate and time-in-mode (TIM). Fuel flow rate is reduced by 27% when using SET relative to TET, and corresponds to a 29% reduction in NOₓ emission rate. However, on average, taxi-in TIM is increased by 30% for SET relative to TET. The net impact of SET is a reduction of 10% on fuel consumption, and a reduction of 8% on total NOₓ emissions, relative to TET activity. Increased TIM limits the impacts of SET; therefore efforts should be made to reduce taxi duration in parallel with the adoption of SET. Confidence is substantially increased in these findings, relative to previous work. An improved understanding of the characteristics of SET is provided and will facilitate the adoption of this mitigation measure for appropriate operations.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Alternate title: Use of Flight Data Records to Analyze the Impact of Single-Engine Taxiing on Aircraft Fuel Consumption and NOX Emissions.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Koudis, George
  • Chun, Kar Lee
  • Majumdar, Arnab
  • Hu, Simon
  • North, Robin
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2016-1-10 to 2016-1-14
• Date: 2016

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 14p
• Monograph Title: TRB 95th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aircraft; Aircraft exhaust gases; Data analysis; Fuel consumption; Nitrogen oxides; Taxiing
• Identifier Terms: Heathrow Airport
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Energy; Environment; I15: Environment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01589747
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 16-3416
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 3 2016 12:07PM