# Presentation: 194299

## The Cost of Implementing Ground

- Based Fuel Tank Inerting in the
- Commercial Fleet

## Outline

- Background / Definition
- Ground Rules / Methods
- Quantify Nitrogen Volume Requirements
- Non-Recurring Costs
- Recurring Costs
- Industry Extrapolation
- Conclusions and Recommendation

## Background

- Propose to Improve Level of Fuel Tank Safety in the Fleet
- Fuel Tank Inerting is Proven Effective and Existing  Nitrogen Generation Technology is Mature
- ARAC Stated GBI was Most Cost Effective Method to Reduce Exposure to Flammable Fuel Tank Scenarios (Approximately 4 Billion Dollars)
- Get Industry Involvement to More Accurately Determine Cost of Gas(MEDAL) and Airport Modification. (ATL, Delta and ACY, SJTA)

## Definition of GBI

- GBI Uses Ground Based Equipment to Inert AC Fuel Tanks Prior to Flight with Some Combination of Ullage Washing and Fuel Scrubbing
- Ullage Washing is Displacing Most of the Air in the Fuel Tank Ullage with Nitrogen or NEA
- Fuel Scrubbing is a Process by Which most of the Oxygen Dissolved in Fuel is Replaced with Nitrogen

## Ground Rules

- Cost to Implement in 3 Years and Inert for 10 Years
- Consider only Transport Category Airplanes Carrying Greater than 19 Passengers
- System Must be Able to Inert Aircraft in Normal Turn-Around Time
- Determine all Recurring and Nonrecurring Costs to Airports and Operators but Do Not Consider the Cost of Aircraft Modifications
- Calculate the Cost of Inerting All Relevant Depatures and HCWT Departures Only, Do Not Consider the Cost of Fuel Scrubbing HCWT Only

## Methods

- Examine Departure and Refueling Data for Sample Airports to Determine the Volume of Nitrogen Required
- Size System(s) and Determine Ullage Washing and Fuel Scrubbing Architecture for Study Airports
- Determine Recurring Nitrogen Volume Cost, Annual Labor and Maintenance Cost
- Determine Nonrecurring Cost of Engineering/Architecture, System Installation, Ancillary Equipment and Facility Modification for the Study Airports
- Use Nonrecurring Costs, and Recurring Costs Based on Departure Averages to Determine Total Industry Cost (2000 Dollars)

## Approximate Nitrogen Requirements

- Determine Average Amount of Fuel Serviced for Study Airport Departures on a Busy Day/Hour for 3 Categories of Aircraft (Wide-Body, Single Aisle, and Commuter)
- Determine Average Amount of Ullage Remaining for Study Airports Departures on a Busy Day/ Hour for Same 3 Categories of Aircraft
- Determine Nitrogen Required Based on Fuel Serviced and Ullage Remaining Averages
- Apply Averages and Traffic Forecasts to Predicted ATL and ACY Departures for 2012 Busy Day/Hour Extrapolation to Determine the Amount of Nitrogen Required for Study Airports

## Basic Architecture

- Ullage Washing
- Use Nitrogen Requirements to Specify a Nitrogen Generator for Each Concourse
- Nitrogen Generator would Charge an Accumulator
- Accumulator Plumbed Throughout Concourse Using PVC pipe.  Flexible Pipe Carries Nitrogen to Each Gate Loading Area Through Festoons Where Nitrogen is Dispersed to Aircraft Parked at Each Gate via a Hose Reel with a Metering Unit

## Basic Architecture

- Fuel Scrubbing
- Large Airport would Have Nitrogen Generator and Fuel Scrubber at Fuel Farm
- Fuel would be Scrubbed Before it was Pumped into the Airports Main Hydrant System
- Small Airports would use Portable Fuel Scrubber Units (with Nitrogen Generators) in Tow with Existing Fuel Trucks
- Fuel Would be Pumped from Truck to Scrubber, then from Scrubber to Aircraft

## Non-Recurring Costs

- Each Architecture Spawned a List of Materials and Work Which was then Bid by Airport Contractors/Engineers
- Considered the Cost of Architecture and Engineering, Plumbing/Electrical/Mechanical Installation and Nitrogen Generation System Installation

## Airport Non-Recurring Costs

- Large Airport (ATL)
- Engineering / Architecture	-	$250,000
- Facility Modification		-	$5,796,679
- Commuter Concourse Mods	-	$2,065,432
- Fuel Farm Modification	-	$165,575
- System Installation		-	$1,025,000

## Small Airport Non-Recurring Costs

- Small Airport (ACY)
- Engineering / Architecture	-	$25,000
- Facility Modification		-	$90,859
- Fuel Truck Modification	-	$155,000
- System Installation		-	$76,683

## Recurring Costs

- Each Nitrogen Generation System Sized has a Cost / Unit Volume Associated with the Lease
- Used Estimated Operation Costs Based on Operator/Vendor Input
- Also Consider the Cost of System Maintenance

## Large Airport Recurring Costs

- Washing Nitrogen  -  $.10 / 100 ft3
- Scrubbing Nitrogen  -  $.24 / 100 ft3
- Washing Labor  -  $2.23 / Departure

## Small Airport Recurring Costs

- Washing Nitrogen  -  $.47 / 100 ft3
- Scrubbing Nitrogen  -  $.22 / 100 ft3
- Washing Labor  -  $20.00 / Departure

## HCWT Recurring Costs

## Industry Extrapolation

- Non-Recurring Costs Simply Multiplied by the Number of Respective Airports that Meet Study Requirements
- Recurring Costs Developed with the per Departure Values Developed from ATL and ACY Multiplied by Forecasted Industry Departure Data Modified to Meet Study

## Industry Extrapolation Assumptions

- ATA Publishes 418 Primary US Airports
- Assume 400 Operate Aircraft > 19 Seats
- FAA APO Forecast Data in Terms of “Commercial Air” and “Commuter and Air Taxi” Movements
- Divide Movements by 2 to Get Departures
- Assume 20% AT and Comm are < 19 Seats
- DOT T3 Schedule Data for 1998 Review for Relevant Departure Percentages

## Estimated Departure Data

## Calculated Relevant Percentages

## Industry Recurring Nitrogen Costs

- Used Calculated Percentages to Split Departures into Wide-Body, Single Aisle, and Commuter for Big Airports and Small Airports
- Multiplied these Numbers by the Appropriate Average Nitrogen Volume per Departure Calculated at ATL and ACY for Both Total Departures and HCWT Departures Only
- Nitrogen Volumes were then Multiplied by the Appropriate Volume Cost from ATL and ACY

## Industry Recurring Nitrogen Cost Totals

## Labor Costs

## Industry Nonrecurring Costs

- Assume 50 Airports Large, 350 Small
- Multiply ATL Nonrecurring Costs by 50 and ACY Nonrecurring Costs by 350

## Industry Cost Summary

## Conclusions and Recommendations

- GBI Offers a Significant Cost Advantage over Traditional Fuel Tank Inerting Because of the Minimal Impact on Operational Costs
- 1.6 Billion for Complete GBI, All Departures (Approximately 40% of ARAC Estimated Cost)
- 800 Million for HCWT Ullage Washing Only
- More Information is needed on Fuel Scrubbing and Small Airport Operations to Reduce the Uncertainty of the Cost Numbers