AFRL Evaluates New Methods of Testing Aircraft Emissions Testing

  • Published
  • By Holly Jordan
  • Aerospace Systems
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  The Air Force Research Laboratory is seeking new ways to characterize aircraft engine Particulate Matter (PM) emissions in an effort to establish better measurement standards and address potential environmental concerns. In response to an open request from the Department of Defense Environmental Security Technology Certification Program, AFRL and in-house contractor University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) teamed with air quality experts from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Aerodyne Research Inc., to demonstrate and validate innovative techniques to sample, measure and characterize PM emissions from aircraft turbine engines.

PM emissions have received significant attention in recent years because of their harmful health and environmental impacts. Increased PM emissions from military aircraft are a concern as these may limit operations and basing of certain types of aircraft as the EPA continues to implement more stringent emissions regulations.

However, there are currently no established standards for measuring aircraft PM emissions. AFRL is stepping in, applying novel measurement methods to help establish PM measurement standards.

To conduct the testing, AFRL researchers sampled the exhaust of an Allison T63 helicopter engine using an extensive suite of state-of-the-art instrumentation. Operating the engine with three different fuels, they collected PM data (including concentration, size, and composition) and gaseous emissions data. All data were successfully gathered, and AFRL researchers are further assessing the techniques in order to provide recommendations to the SAE-E31 committee, which develops the Aerospace Recommended Practices (ARP) for measuring gas turbine emissions. These recommendations may lead to the development of standards for certifying turbine engines for PM emissions.