Aviation Environmental Models
This website provides links to legacy aviation environmental models and includes information on development efforts to advance the suite of modeling tools.
Legacy Tools
- Area Equivalent Method (AEM)
- Emissions and Dispersion Modeling System (EDMS)
- Heliport Noise Model (HNM)
- Integrated Noise Model (INM)
- Noise Integrated Routing System (NIRS) & NIRS Screening Tool (NST)
- System for Assessing Aviations Global Emissions (SAGE)
- Model for Assessing Global Exposure to the Noise of Transport Aircraft (MAGENTA)
New Tools
The goal of this development effort is to build a value-added tool that provides a transparent integrated means of computing aviation environmental impacts that identifies interrelationships:
- between noise and emissions;
- among emissions at the aircraft, local, regional, and global levels;
- costs and benefits.
Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) integrates existing noise and emissions models so interdependencies between aviation-related noise and emissions impacts can be assessed.
Environmental Design Space (EDS) is a mathematical model that estimates source noise, exhaust emissions, performance and economic parameters for future aircraft designs under different technological, operational, policy, and market conditions.
Aviation environmental Portfolio Management Tool (APMT) adds an economic analysis capability to AEDT and EDS.
- To better understand the new tools and our legacy tools, please review our Environmental Tool Suite Frequently Asked Questions.
Aviation Environmental Tool Development
A leading recommendation in the 2004 Report (PDF) to the U.S. Congress on Aviation and the Environment was that “the nation should develop more effective metrics and tools to assess and communicate aviation’s environmental effects.”
A major part of responding to that mandate is to develop a comprehensive suite of software tools that will allow for a thorough assessment of the environmental affects of aviation. The suite shall include the ability to assess interdependencies between aviation-related noise, emissions, and cost values. This is an intensive development effort that involves participation from the US government (FAA and NASA), industry, academia, Transport Canada, and coordination with foreign counterparts through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Committee on Aviation Environment Protection (CAEP).
The focus of this development effort is to incorporate the best scientific understanding to advance legacy tool capabilities to better understand the relationship between noise and emissions and different types of emissions. The resulting suite of tools will have use at local, regional, national and international levels — enabling experimentation and feedback at all of these levels; for example, to assess the environmental benefits of air traffic management system modernization alternatives.
The building block of this new suite of software tools is the Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT), which integrates existing noise and emissions models and helps assess interdependencies. Another element of the suite, targeted to the government research community, is an aircraft and engine analysis tool, entitled Environmental Design Space (EDS). To complete the suite of tools an economic analysis capability is under development; also initially targeted for government use, it is the Aviation environmental Portfolio Management Tool (APMT).
While advancing tool capabilities, the FAA recognizes the critical role aviation environmental assessment tools have in the regulatory decision making. Advances in tool development will not migrate to the public until after completing rigorous validation testing and a user vetting.
Check back as additional information will be posted on this site as the development effort progresses.
History of Papers and Briefings on the Aviation Environmental Design Tool Development Program
