A Preliminary Assessment of Airport Noise and Emission Impacts Induced by Small Aircraft Transportation System Operations

[Abstract] This paper evaluates potential noise and emission impacts associated with an advanced Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS). Specifically, the analysis presented in this paper quantifies possible noise and emission contributions of advanced single-engine and multi-engine piston-powered aircraft and very light jetpowered aircraft. The noise impact analysis is carried out using the standard Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Integrated Noise Model (INM). The emission influence is modeled using the FAA Emission and Dispersion Modeling System (EDMS). The noise signature and emission parameters of a new generation Very Light Jet (VLJ) are modeled in our analysis. Major emission pollutant level is estimated at 3,415 airports. Noise contours studies are conducted at five airport noise impact spanning both metropolitan and rural General Aviation (GA) airports. Sensitivity analysis is conducted to evaluate influence of the fleet composition and advanced approach procedures in the present and future years. Nomenclature I. Introduction HE Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) is a concept proposed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to employ advanced small aircraft (propeller and jet-powered) to satisfy point-to-point, on-demand air transportation services using existing underutilized airports. The SATS program represents a joint effort by government, industry and academia to improve the intercity mobility of various communities in the country. Part of the SATS program goals is to develop aircraft technologies and four operational technical capabilities to make this a reality. From the beginning of the program, SATS proponents identified noise impacts as critical to the acceptance to the concept. To understand potential noise impacts at airports, the Virginia Tech Air Transportation Systems Lab developed a Transportation System Analysis Model (TSAM) to assess impacts of SATS in the National Airspace System (1). TSAM uses county-level socio-economic data to forecast the number of intercity trips in the United States. The model uses proven transportation engineering methods to predict the number of travelers selecting among various modes of transportation (i.e., auto, airline, and other technologies like Very Light Jets and piston-powered aircraft operating as air-taxis). The demand for on-demand air transportation services has been evaluated at 3,415 SATS technology enabled airports. The demand function at each airport is characterized in terms of daily person-trips and daily flight arrivals and departures. This paper presents the evaluation of noise and emission impacts performed typical SATS enabled airports using the TSAM model. The noise impacts of SATS operations are assessed at five representative airports using the standard Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Integrated Noise Model (INM) version 6.1c. The emission influences are modeled at 3,415 SATS compatible airports using the standard FAA Emission and Dispersion Modeling System (EDMS). Three representative SATS aircraft are modeled in our study: 1) a new generation Very Light Jet (VLJ) aircraft, 2) an advanced technology Single-Engine (SE), piston-powered aircraft, and 3) an advanced technology MultiEngine (ME), piston-powered aircraft. The VLJ aircraft is modeled as a new vehicle with advanced low-thrust, medium by-pass ratio turbofan engines in INM. VLJ aircraft have relatively slow approach and takeoff speeds (belonging to approach speed group A) and the Sound Exposure Level (SEL) curves have been adjusted to account for lower thrust produced by VLJ engines. The emission matrices of the VLJ including Carbon Monoxide (CO), Total Hydrocarbon (THC), Non-Methane Hydrocarbons (NMHC), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Sulfur Oxides (Sox)