3D-CFD Investigation of Contrails and Volatile Aerosols Produced in the Near-Field of an Aircraft Wake

Abstract:

Civil aviation contributes to degradation of air quality around airport (SO_x, NO_x, speciated hydrocarbons,…) and climate change through its emissions of greenhouse gases (CO₂, water vapor), as well as particulate matters. These particles include soot particles formed in the combustor, volatile aerosols and contrails generated in the aircraft wake.

Although the aircraft emissions represent today only about 3% of all those produced on the surface of the earth by other anthropogenic sources, they are mostly released in the very sensitive region of the upper troposphere/lower stratosphere. These emissions have a radiative effect reinforced by specific physical and chemical processes at high altitudes, such as cloud formation and ozone production. In this context, most of the work to-date assessed that the actual effect of aviation on the climate are affected by very large uncertainties, partly due to lack of knowledge on the mechanisms of new particles formation and growth processes in the exhaust plume of the aircraft.

The engine exhaust gases are mixed in the ambient air under the influence of the interaction between the jet engine and the wing tip vortices. The characteristics of vortices as well as their interaction with the jet depend on the aircraft airframe especially on the wing geometry and the engine position (distance from the wing tip). The aim of this study is to examine the influence of aircraft parameters on contrail formation using a 3D CFD calculation based on a RANS (Reynolds Average Navier-Stokes) approach. Numerical simulations have been performed using CEDRE, the multiphysics ONERA code for energetics. CEDRE is a CFD code using finite volume methods and unstructured meshes. These meshes are especially appropriate when complex geometries are used. A transport model has been used for condensation of water vapor onto ice particles. Growth is evaluated using a modified Fick’s law to mass transfer on particles.

In this study, different aircraft configurations are analysed, a two-engine and a four-engine aircraft. The results show the influence on the engine location on the contrail formation in terms of size and distribution of ice particles in the near-field of the aircraft wake. Comparisons with reported observations in situ show a good agreement.