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Susie Go

Publications and source records attributed to Susie Go.

Estimations of Aircraft and Airport Domestic Greenhouse Gas Emissions from 2016-2021

Data and analyses are presented on the utilization of aircraft fuel in the U.S. and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions. Commercial passenger and freight flight data and airport fuel consumption usage from 2016-2021 are captured from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics website and the Sherlock Data Warehouse managed at NASA Ames Research Center. The resulting dataset is used to determine the miles flown by major aircraft. The corresponding aircraft fuel burn is estimated based on the International Civilian Aviation Organization fuel burn tables, and carbon dioxide emissions are calculated using a fuel-burn multiplicative factor. One conclusion of this analysis is that long-haul flights (flight distances > 2485 statute miles) create a disproportionately large amount of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S, while short flights (< 311 statute miles) contribute less than five percent of the U.S. aviation-related carbon dioxide emissions. Although these short-haul flights may not have a large impact on overall carbon dioxide emissions, they will be valuable as demonstration missions for the next generation of electric, hybrid, and hydrogen-powered vehicles and their supporting energy infrastructures. This paper discusses recent trends in short-haul missions, their associated aircraft and airport types, and extracts several key requirements for future short-haul vehicles.

Susie Go↗

Greenhouse Gas Emission Estimations for 2016-2020 using the Sherlock Air Traffic Data Warehouse

Data and analyses are presented on the utilization of aircraft in the U.S. and the greenhouse gas emissions that they create. Commercial passenger and cargo aviation flight data, captured in the Sherlock data warehouse at NASA Ames over the five years from 2016 to 2020, is used to estimate the miles flown by major aircraft models. The estimates for aggregate annual number of flights are validated against data published by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The corresponding fuel usage is estimated using the International Civilian Aviation Organization (ICAO) fuel use tables and carbon dioxide emissions are calculated using a fuel-use multiplicative factor. A key conclusion of this analysis is that a small number of long-haul flights (with ranges greater than 2485 statute miles) create a disproportionately large fraction (30%) of annual total U.S. aviation-related carbon dioxide emissions, while a relatively large number of short flights (less than 311 statute miles) contribute a small net amount (less than 5%) of U.S. aviation-related carbon dioxide emissions. These U.S. results are consistent with a similar recent 2020 emissions study conducted by EUROCONTROL.

Emissions↗

An Enhanced Model for Evaluating Failure Propagation in Launch Vehicle Engine Sections

An important component in the assessment of launch vehicle safety is the estimation of the likelihood of large-scale explosions given the existence of failures that manifest as a localized energy release. A failure propagation model is presented for simulating cascading failures of energetic components in proximity where the primary modes of energy transfer are fragments/shrapnel and blast overpressure. The model is an extension of the model developed by Mathias and Motiwala (2015) [1] with enhancements to include the effects of fragment ricochet, fragment drag, fragment ballistic limit equation thresholds, and blast impulse thresholds. A series of sensitivity studies were conducted for a generic launch vehicle engine section and results are presented that illustrate the effects of the model modifications.

Susie Go↗

An Enhanced Model for Evaluating Failure Propagation in Launch Vehicle Engine Sections

An important component in the assessment of launch vehicle safety is the estimation of the likelihood of large-scale explosions given the existence of failures that manifest as a localized energy release. A failure propagation model is presented for simulating cascading failures of energetic components in proximity where the primary modes of energy transfer are fragments/shrapnel and blast overpressure. The model is an extension of the model developed by Mathias and Motiwala (2015) [1] with enhancements to include the effects of fragment ricochet, fragment drag, fragment ballistic limit equation thresholds, and blast impulse thresholds. A series of sensitivity studies were conducted for a generic launch vehicle engine section and results are presented that illustrate the effects of the model modifications.

Susie Go↗

Systems Analysis Office (Code AA) Vehicle and Systems Analysis

• The Systems Analysis Office (Code AA) is one of six research divisions and offices under the Ames Aeronautics Directorate (Code A) • Diverse group of early career and senior aerospace engineers • Office currently composed of 19 civil servants and 5 contractors • Wide range of aerospace disciplines and capabilities for vehicle and systems analysis • Long history of supporting NASA, DoD, and commercial projects in various design and testing phases

Susie Go↗

Advanced Turboprop Transport Aircraft Modeling for the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration Project

The objective of this study is to establish models for state of the art, representative regional non-electrified turboprop configurations in the 19-50 passenger capability range and assess performance impacts from advanced aircraft technologies. Two of these models will serve as reference baseline configurations for comparison to electrified aircraft propulsion (EAP) demonstrator concepts for the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project. The other two non-electrified configurations will primarily assess the impacts of advanced technologies on fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. This paper details an aircraft synthesis and performance analysis approach using the General Aviation Synthesis Program (GASP) which is used to establish baseline performance capabilities, calibrate airplane and engine models using published manufacturer data and conduct technology sensitivity studies. Advanced technologies are selected from the categories of propulsion, aerodynamics, and flight systems. Performance assessments use Monte Carlo method coupled with GASP simulations to obtain performance distributions of the expected fuel burn, propulsive, aerodynamic, and weight benefits on the representative turboprop configurations from the application of advanced technologies. The final paper will present the impact of the advanced technologies on fuel burn and CO₂ emissions.

aircraft performance↗

Historical Domestic Flights from 2016-2020 with Estimations of Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Aircraft Type

Data and analyses are presented on the utilization of aircraft fuel in the U.S. and the greenhouse gas emissions that they create. Aggregated commercial passenger and freight aviation flight data from 2016-2020 is captured from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics website is used to augment flight data from the Sherlock data warehouse at NASA Ames is used to determine the miles flown by major aircraft models. The corresponding fuel burn is estimated using the International Civilian Aviation Organization fuel burn tables and carbon dioxide emissions are calculated using a fuel-burn multiplicative factor. One key conclusion of this analysis is that long haul flights (i.e. >2485 statute miles) create a disproportionately large amount of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S while short flights (i.e. < 311 statute miles) contribute less than five percent of the U.S. aviation-related carbon dioxide emission. Although these short-haul flights may not have a large impact on overall carbon dioxide emissions, they will be a critical entry point for the adoption of future, larger fuel-efficient novel vehicles and the impact to future airport and infrastructure requirements. The final paper will present some estimates of the impact of advanced technologies on fuel burn and CO₂ emissions in various scenarios.

Susie Go↗

Advanced Turboprop Transport Aircraft Modeling for the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration Project

The objective of this study is to establish models for state of the art, representative regional non-electrified turboprop configurations in the 19 to 50 passenger capability range and assess performance impacts from advanced aircraft technologies. Two of these models will serve as reference baseline configurations for comparison to electrified aircraft propulsion (EAP) demonstrator concepts for the Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project. The other two non-electrified configurations will primarily assess the impacts of advanced technologies on fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. This paper details an aircraft synthesis and performance analysis approach using the General Aviation Synthesis Program (GASP) which is used to establish baseline performance capabilities, calibrate airplane and engine models using published manufacturer data and conduct technology sensitivity studies. Advanced technologies are selected from the categories of propulsion, aerodynamics, and flight systems. A GASP-Monte Carlo simulation framework for uncertainty propagation is used to obtain performance distributions of the expected fuel burn, weight reduction and CO₂ emissions reductions from advanced aircraft technologies. Significant fuel burn savings from application of aerodynamics and propulsion technologies was observed.

Dahlia D.V. Pham↗

Estimations of Aircraft and Airport Domestic Greenhouse Gas Emissions from 2016-2021

Data and analyses are presented on the utilization of aircraft fuel in the U.S. and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions. Commercial passenger and freight flight data and airport fuel consumption usage from 2016-2021 are captured from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics website and the Sherlock Data Warehouse managed at NASA Ames Research Center. The resulting dataset is used to determine the miles flown by major aircraft. The corresponding aircraft fuel burn is estimated based on the International Civilian Aviation Organization fuel burn tables, and carbon dioxide emissions are calculated using a fuel-burn multiplicative factor. One conclusion of this analysis is that long-haul flights (flight distances > 2485 statute miles) create a disproportionately large amount of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S, while short flights (< 311 statute miles) contribute less than five percent of the U.S. aviation-related carbon dioxide emissions. Although these short-haul flights may not have a large impact on overall carbon dioxide emissions, they will be valuable as demonstration missions for the next generation of electric, hybrid, and hydrogen-powered vehicles and their supporting energy infrastructures. This paper discusses recent trends in short-haul missions, their associated aircraft and airport types, and extracts several key requirements for future short-haul vehicles.

Susie Go↗

Parametric Modeling and Mission Performance Analysis of a True Parallel Hybrid Turboprop Aircraft for Freighter Operations

Hybrid-electric propulsion systems for short-haul, cargo carrying aircraft have emerged as promising solutions for an environmentally sustainable future for commercial aviation. The novel propulsion architecture presents significant complexity and requires the development of new methodologies to account for the unique coupling and integration between critical design variables. This paper presents a comprehensive study on the modeling, performance assessment, and design space exploration of a C-130H freighter aircraft retrofitted with a parallel hybrid electric powertrain. Details on the development of parametric models for both the baseline and true parallel hybrid (TPH) aircraft and the integrated electrified aircraft propulsion (EAP) system sizing approach are presented along with detailed performance analyses of payload/range capabilities for short-haul cargo missions. For 2030, 2040, and 2050 EAP technology levels, the TPH C-130H configuration with a ~2.12 MW class EAP system has a range capability of 485-1,028 nautical miles and block fuel savings of 27-44%.

efficiency↗