Enabling Sustainable Engine Design: LCA and Eco Design Strategies

The impacts of an aircraft engine throughout its life cycle can be evaluated using established Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies. LCAs can highlight the opportunities to reduce impacts within the engine life cycle phases including Extraction, Manufacture, Transport, Assembly, Use, Maintenance and End of Life. Screening level LCAs of aviation engines show us that an aircraft engine's life cycle impacts are dominated by fuel production/use and resulting combustion gases emitted through the use of the engine over its service life, but these impacts truly begin when the first shovel hits the ground to extract raw materials for that first component and continue all the way through to the end of life disposition for the thousands of parts in each engine. The focus of this paper is on the non-fuel burn related impacts which are often overshadowed by the focus on fuel use and its effects.