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Suggested Citation:"Summary." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Handbook for Analyzing the Costs and Benefits of Alternative Aviation Turbine Engine Fuels at Airports. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14531.
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Suggested Citation:"Summary." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Handbook for Analyzing the Costs and Benefits of Alternative Aviation Turbine Engine Fuels at Airports. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14531.
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Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

S U M M A R Y Aviation has a long and successful record of improving fuel efficiency over time; however, it is still facing significant pressure to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and offset emissions that may result from growing demand for air travel. Industry stakeholders have committed to a wide range of measures for reducing GHG emissions, such as further fuel effi- ciency improvements, advanced air traffic management techniques to shorten routes, more efficient operations, and market-based and regulatory measures to further reduce emissions. Perhaps the most promising approach for reducing aviation GHG emissions is the use of alternative fuels. These fuels can also reduce surface emissions, which could also be a barrier to the growth of aviation. Environmentally beneficial alternatives to current Jet A fuel are in the early stages of com- mercialization, although rapid progress is being made in their development. It is important for stakeholders to understand how these new fuels will fit into the current system, how they will move from fuel production sites to airports, and what is involved on the part of the airports to accommodate the fuels and deliver them to aircraft. This project has assessed what is involved in getting alternative fuels to airports, what air- ports need to know to accommodate them, how the costs of using these fuels compares to current fuel, what the environmental benefits are, and what practical considerations are involved at the airport. In addition to this technical report, which provides the detailed infor- mation and analysis needed to understand alternative fuel use at airports, there are two other products from this project: a computational tool for evaluating the costs and benefits of air- port alternative fuel use and an accompanying handbook that guides the user through the application of the tool. This report describes how alternative fuels may be used to supplement and eventually replace conventional fuels and what is important for airports to consider. It also describes the underlying analysis that is incorporated in the computational tool. The following key accomplishments of the project are described in the report: • An extensive search of the scientific literature on alternative fuel production and use was con- ducted to assess viable alternative fuels, environmental impacts of using alternative fuels in aircraft and ground support equipment, and how these fuels might be deployed at airports. • Detailed interviews and surveys of fueling equipment were conducted at seven airports to assess airports’ readiness for using alternative fuels and to better understand what fueling equipment may be involved in the transition to these new fuels. • Key environmental factors for aircraft and GSE emissions affecting surface air quality were assessed in detail to evaluate potential environmental benefits of alternative fuel use. The life-cycle GHG emissions from alternative fuel production and use were also evaluated and compared among different fuel sources. Handbook for Analyzing the Costs and Benefits of Alternative Aviation Turbine Engine Fuels at Airports 1

2• A full atmospheric chemistry assessment was conducted of changes in particulate matter concentrations from aircraft in the vicinity of Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport to evaluate the impacts of alternative fuel use on ambient pollution concentrations, which is a better proxy for human health effects than a simple emissions inventory. • The Alternative Fuel Investigation Tool (AFIT) was produced to provide a computational tool for airports and others interested in alternative jet fuels to evaluate the costs and benefits of employing these fuels. • A handbook was prepared to guide AFIT users and provide background information on the tool, suggest data inputs, and provide information on evaluating outputs. While alternative fuels are not yet in use at airports, this project has identified some of the essential considerations that airports and other stakeholders will need to evaluate as oppor- tunities arise. It has also provided a user-friendly tool for quantifying the costs and benefits of alternative fuel use at airports. ACRP Report 46 contains the contractor’s research report followed by instructions for using AFIT: the Alternative Fuels Investigation Tool. The AFIT model is provided on the CD-ROM attached to this report.

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TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Report 46: Handbook for Analyzing the Costs and Benefits of Alternative Aviation Turbine Engine Fuels at Airports consists of the Alternative Fuel Investigation Tool (AFIT), a handbook on the use of AFIT, and a report on its development. AFIT is an analytical model designed to help airport operators and fuel suppliers evaluate the costs associated with introducing “drop-in” alternative turbine engine fuel at airports and the benefits as measured by reduced emissions.

AFIT, which is included in CD-ROM format with the print version of the report, takes into account options for using alternative fuel for other airside equipment, including diesel-powered ground support equipment.

The report also addresses characteristics of current fuel usage and distribution, and describes what is required to switch to alternatives.

The CD-ROM is also available for download from TRB’s website as an ISO image. Links to the ISO image and instructions for burning a CD-ROM from an ISO image are provided below.

Help on Burning a .ISO CD-ROM Image

Download the .ISO CD-ROM Image

Warning: This is a large file and may take some time to download using a high-speed connection.

CD-ROM Disclaimer - This software is offered as is, without warranty or promise of support of any kind either expressed or implied. Under no circumstance will the National Academy of Sciences or the Transportation Research Board (collectively “TRB’) be liable for any loss or damage caused by the installation or operations of this product. TRB makes no representation or warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, in fact or in law, including without limitation, the warranty of merchantability or the warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, and shall not in any case be liable for any consequential or special damages.

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