Ground Power Units for Aircraft/400Hz Solid-State Units/Airport PCA Units

AXA Power, Houchin, Hobart, ITW Military, J&B, all owned by ITW and specialists within GSE supplies, have joined forces. Under the name of ITW GSE, they have implemented a global group strategy from engineering to service, distribution and marketing. This already has strengthened the internal relations considerably. We experience the most exceptional team spirit. From the US across Europe and the Middle-East to Singapore, people are proud of working for ITW GSE.  We help, assist and learn from each other which creates a lot of synergy.  The whole organization has benefitted from the new structure, but most importantly, our customers feel the difference. From the initial contact till the product is shipped and even beyond that point, we do care, says Poul Elvstrøm, Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing. We listen to our customers and take pride in a quick response time. I am really proud to lead such a dedicated team. The right people at the right places once again prove to be important. This is among other what differentiates us from other suppliers and help us be a good and reliable partner that never abandon ship.

The Middle East is a very important market to ITW GSE. Last year, especially in Saudi Arabia went the AXA Power way with big 400 Hz solid-state and PCA Point-of-Use projects among others in Maddinah Airport where 69 AXA Power Coils and
21 pcs AXA Power PCAs were installed. Riyadh ordered 44 AXA Power Coils &
24 pcs AXA Power PCA units. The trend continues this year, but also in Europe, specifically in Scandinavia ITW GSE AXA Power has a strong presence.

As for Houchin, East Africa and Oman continue to stay important markets with many devoted customers whereas Hobart (outside Americas) has many customers among various Government institutions in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Future-proof operations with the new AXA 2400 Compact
To help customers cut costs and reduce downtime on ground operations, ITW GSE launched a new  solid-state GPU – the AXA 2400 Compact series in 2013. This new product is designed to handle all kinds of aircraft including the Power Factor 1 aircraft. The AXA2400 is unique in featuring 400% overload capacity at output as standard. This means that the same GPU can be used for aircraft of virtually any size – including the latest-generation aircraft such as the Airbus A380, A350, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the coming B777.

Another important benefit of the AXA 2400 Compact GPU is the patented Plug & Play system. The Plug & Play system automatically compensates for voltage drops along whatever cables and provides the best possible voltage at the aircraft plug – right where it matters. This ensures on-time departures since the aircraft does not reject the voltage supplied by the GPU because the voltage will always be kept at 115±3V. Besides being  extremely easy to use, the  Plug & Play also allows for longer cable distances. Created by ITW GSE AXA Power, the Plug & Play is only available with ITW GSE solid-state GPUs.

The AXA 2400 unit is equipped with a new icon-based color display for easy and intuitive use. The display is developed by ITW GSE’s global R&D department and it will be incorporated in all future ITW GSE products. A 100 event power log with graphic power usage display allows the airport to monitor the actual load profile of every aircraft that uses the gate. This data can also be downloaded to a ramp management system using the built in TCP/IP port or the optional Modbus RTU interface. For airport staff already familiar with one ITW GSE product, the access and operation of another ITW GSE product will thus become much easier.

Installing AXA 2400 Compact solid-state GPUs makes sure that airports can keep meeting new and changing customer demands, well into the future. They can also boast themselves of having  GPUs with a high efficiency (94%). In addition, the GPUs are of modular design which eases maintenance and fault-finding.  And since the units do not contain moving parts subject to wear and tear, the overall maintenance costs are very low. All in all this leads to a low cost of ownership.

Go Green On Ground

Reduce CO2 emissions and save energy
Creating a better environment whenever possible is a natural part of the ITW GSE business. If such initiatives can also cut cost it is even better. Airports  take a step towards a greener environment by letting external 400 Hz solid-state power units and pre-conditioned air units take over the duties of the onboard aircraft Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) while the aircraft is parked at the gate. This configuration named Go Green on Ground by ITW GSE, significantly improves the environment by reducing CO2 emissions by as much as 85%, and it also leads to a reduced noise level to the benefit of passengers and airport personnel. For the airlines, the Go Green concept means reduced cost with respect to fuel and APU maintenance. All together, the savings may amount in € 100,000 per year per gate.

Local legislation tends to ban the use of APUs at more and more airports. If this goes hand in hand with savings, why hesitate ? Implementing the Go Green on Ground concept will always be a win-win situation.

New 90 kVA Engine Drive GPU enters the market in 2014
A new ITW GSE 90 kVA engine drive converter is on the draw board of the global R&D team. The new development finds its way to the market during the second half of the year and it will of course be equipped with the ITW GSE common platform display design. “All in all a product to which we have very high expectations”, Poul Elvstrøm says.

Although many people believe diesel driven GPUs will be superseded by solid-state units,  there is still a healthy demand for diesel units. Often, diesel GPUs can been the first choice for developing airports since the initial financial outlay would be against solid-state units. Missing electrical infrastructure or the contrary i.e. the need of being independent from  electrical input on remote stands may also make customers choose diesel powered equipment. Another reason for choosing diesel units can be that certain airports have problems with a stable electrical supply to power solid-state units. When this occurs, it is not unusual to have a number of diesel GPU’s as back up. This also assists should one of the solid-state units be faulty and not in use.

ITW GSE will also bring an optimized version of the AXA Power solid-state PCA 210 to the market. The unit will of course be of the quick swop modular design that makes it easy to exchange a module on the ramp without having to call in specialized staff. As a consequence of customer demands, the optimized version weighs less than the current PCA210 and it has better performances at certain points. Also this unit is equipped with common display.

AXA Power Coils and PCA in Riyadh Airport

Hobart Ground Power diesel driven units supplying the A350XWB at the Singapore Airshow. This is the first full display of the A350 XWB at an international airshow.