Our Mission
We are a group of highly driven aeronautical engineers, chemists, and atmospheric and environmental scientists, forming an interdisciplinary team who are interested in aircraft engine emissions and their influence on both local and global air quality. Our aim is to improve our understanding of the interplay between aircraft emissions, the environment, and human health. Furthermore, we are working to find new directions towards more sustainable aviation technologies via laboratory-based analytical studies, process engineering optimisation, and material improvement. In addition, we seek novel approaches to raise public and expert understanding of meteorology, environmental and health protection.
We pursue three main goals:
First, throughout the shift from the use of conventional to sustainable aviation fuels, we want to gather critical new scientific information regarding the environmental and health impacts of aircraft engine emissions. We are aware that gas turbine engines will power passenger aeroplanes for the next few decades. Therefore, with our unique aircraft emission measurement systems, we analyse the dependence of emission characteristics on various factors such as ambient conditions, fuel composition, engine technology, and engine age. Despite many years of research, aircraft emissions and their impact on air quality, climate, and health are still poorly understood. Thus, through measurement and modelling studies, we aim to quantify and understand aviation’s effect on the chemical composition of the atmosphere in detail. We also perform ambient air quality assessments through measurements and models. Here, we identify and quantify different sources of particulate emissions and the population’s exposure. This work is supplemented by analytical laboratory studies that analyse the interrelation between combustion conditions, particulate matter composition, and interactions with airborne chemical species in the surrounding environment.
Second, we address the micro-meteorological dimension of the atmosphere, mainly focusing on improving the knowledge base of urban heat island mitigation, and other small-scale meteorological features. In the field of aviation meteorology, our vision is to improve the awareness of aviation staff and students towards weather-related factors by focusing on easy-to-understand teaching methods and simulation and visualization of meteorological processes.
Finally, we act as consultants whenever knowledge generation about environmental protection or climate change mitigation and adaptation is required. This includes, among others, modelling studies or redactional support.
We are motivated by our passion and curiosity for environmental and atmospheric science and the exigency to foster environmental protection within all branches of mobility.