Abatement of an aircraft exhaust plume using aerodynamic baffles.
The exhaust jet from a departing commercial aircraft will eventually rise buoyantly away from the ground; given the high thrust/power (i.e., momentum/buoyancy) ratio of modern aero-engines, however, this is a slow process, perhaps requiring ∼ 1 min or more. Supported by theoretical and wind tunnel modeling, we have experimented with an array of aerodynamic baffles on the surface behind a set of turbofan engines of 124 kN thrust. Lidar and point sampler measurements show that, as long as the intervention takes place within the zone where the Coanda effect holds the jet to the surface (i.e., within about 70 m in this case), then quite modest surface-mounted baffles can rapidly lift the jet away from the ground. This is of potential benefit in abating both surface concentrations and jet blast downstream. There is also some modest acoustic benefit. By distributing the aerodynamic lift and drag across an array of baffles, each need only be a fraction of the height of a single blast fence.
Centre for Aviation, Transport and the Environment, School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University , Chester Street, Manchester, M1 5GD, U.K.
Michael
M
Bennett
Simon M
SM
Christie
Angus
A
Graham
Kevin P
KP
Garry
Stefan
S
Velikov
D Ian
DI
Poll
Malcolm G
MG
Smith
M Iqbal
MI
Mead
Olalekan A M
OA
Popoola
Gregor B
GB
Stewart
Roderic L
RL
Jones
D000392:Air Movements; D000393:Air Pollutants; D000401:Aircraft; D059028:Airports / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001335:Vehicle Emissions
D000393:Air Pollutants; D001335:Vehicle Emissions