| Resumo : |
This research proposes alternatives to reduce emission due to airports operations using Viracopos International Airport (VCP) as a case study. The ground equipment, remarkably the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) and Ground Support Equipment (GSE) are responsible for significant pollution inside the airport. Although most emissions are from Landing and Takeoff operations (LTO), technological advances are reaching an efficiency plateau. The ground equipment technology available (coal-derived Fischer-Tropsch fuel, proton exchange membrane fuel cell of hydrogen, or electric powered engines with lithium batteries) was presented and simulated using the Emissions and Dispersion Modeling software System ( EDMS), a software developed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to create different scenarios and its effects on total pollutants. It shows (NOx) nitrogen oxides, (CO) carbon monoxide, (Sox) Sulfur oxide, and particle mass to prevent health problems. A bibliometric analysis of the term GSE was done to verify how the academy production was dealing with the issue. The majority of studies found were about the ground equipment that provides support to the navigation; only a few discussed ways to optimize the operation of these equipments. Regarding the future adoption of these technologies, it was verified that hydrogen competes with the battery solution, but the latter has problems of autonomy and indication of charge level. It was then decided to study the risks of GSEs operation using hydrogen, and for that, it was used a problem structuring methodology. Through interviews, rich figures were generated and root problems defined to make it possible to have a first draft of the system in Soft System Methodology representation. This information was complemented with data collected from the literature in order to construct a risk model with the Functional Resonance Analysis (FRAM) method using the FRAM Model Visualizer software to conclude that this hydrogen fuel cell technology has a potential risk of explosion to people, the environment, and operations, even though less pollution is more beneficial to the environment and human health. Thus, public and private investments must continue to make the product economically viable, but the risks of the operation have to be continuously analyzed since they can make the operation impracticable. |