Aircraft Engine Particle Emissions during the 2023 NASA-Boeing ecoDemonstrator Field Measurements

FRANCESCA GALLO, Steven Baughcum, Matthew Brown, William M Griffin, Carolyn Jordan, Michael Shook, Elizabeth Wiggins, Edward Winstead, Luke Ziemba, Richard Moore, NASA Langley

     Abstract Number: 568
     Working Group: Aerosols, Clouds and Climate

Abstract
Aerosol aircraft emissions are responsible for the formation of contrail cirrus clouds which can alter Earth’s radiation and water budgets exerting substantial effects on climate. However, at present, the impact of aviation on climate forcing remaining uncertain. Recently, NASA has collaborated with Boeing ecoDemonstrator program to improve the understanding of air traffic emissions and the impact of different jet fuel compositions on contrail microphysics. As part of the program, in October 2023 the NASA DC-8 aircraft was used to sample engine exhausts emitted by a Boeing ecoDemonstrator Explorer 737-10 burning sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and conventional jet fuel over the north western US. In this study, we present unique observations of aerosols properties relevant for contrail-cirrus cloud formation collected during the 2023 ecoDemonstrator research flights and we will discuss the variations of key microphysical contrail parameters in function of different jet fuel compositions and engine conditions.