Optical Contrail Control System for Jet Engine Exhaust
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for measuring jet engine exhaust emissions during flight operations are limited by point measurements and the impracticality of Filtered Rayleigh Scattering (FRS) due to weak signal noise, which hinders effective control of contrail formation.
Innovation Solution
An optically-based contrail control system that employs a FRS measuring scheme to determine flow characteristics and quantify engine exhaust emissions by analyzing scattered energy and molecular components in the exhaust flow, allowing for real-time adjustments to reduce emissions and contrail formation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If point measurement methods are used for exhaust emissions, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from point measurements to planar area measurements by introducing a measurement system that captures emissions across a two-dimensional plane at the engine exhaust outlet. This dimensional expansion enables comprehensive coverage of the exhaust plume without requiring multiple point measurement locations, thereby improving measurement precision while maintaining practical system complexity.
2Measurement precision
If Filtered Rayleigh Scattering (FRS) is used for particulate detection, then measurement capability is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to weak signal noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary optical filtering and signal processing stage between the FRS measurement and the detector. This intermediary system includes wavelength-selective filters and signal enhancement components that isolate the weak scattered light signal from background noise, thereby maintaining the particulate detection capability of FRS while significantly improving signal reliability for contrail formation assessment.
3Loss of information
If comprehensive exhaust emissions measurement is implemented, then loss of information is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a multi-functional measurement system that simultaneously performs multiple measurement tasks using a single integrated platform. The system concurrently measures temperature distribution, particulate concentration, gas composition, and flow characteristics across the exhaust plume, thereby capturing comprehensive emissions information without requiring separate specialized devices for each parameter, thus reducing overall system complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The optically-based contrail control system provides more precise and comprehensive measurements of exhaust emissions and contrail formation, enabling effective real-time control to reduce pollution and climate impact.
Implementation Method 1
determining, by an optically-based contrail control system, an amount of scattered energy caused by the energy interacting with particulates contained in the second mass flow
Implementation Method 2
determining, by an optically-based contrail control system, flow characteristics of the second mass flow based at least in part on molecular components contained in the second mass flow
Data Source
AI summary
An aircraft includes a gas turbine engine and an optically-based contrail control system. The gas turbine engine is configured to ingest a first mass flow and to exhaust a second mass flow. The optically-based contrail control system is configured to determine an amount of scattered energy contained in the second mass flow and to determine flow characteristics of the second mass flow based at least in part on molecular components contained in the second mass flow. The optically-based contrail control system determines a level of emissions exhausted from the gas turbine engine based at least in part on a combination of the amount of scattered energy and the flow characteristics.