Overview
The Smart Operation on Ground (SOG) concept appeared at the end of the 60’s, but technology was not efficient enough to allow the introduction of the concept. It was not any more the case, and this project aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of an electrical solution.
SOG PEERS included basic functions like forward and backward motion; moreover, it includes electrical braking, cruise control and energy braking recovery and storage. Stored energy was managed to be used for example to supply emergency braking or emergency Landing Gear Extension Retraction System.
ADENEO had been working in different fields for motor control and has developed asynchronous and synchronous controllers' hardware and software with the associated certification level in DO178 and D254 (currently for A350 XWB A/C). ADENEO was used to design embedded power converters. Starting 20 years ago with the railway industry, ADENEO brought its power electronic knowledge to aircraft industry to design converters for aircraft electrical networks.
ADENEO has got significant experience in energy braking recovery, especially in light railway industry. By developing and testing embedded and stationary solutions, ADENEO has built strong experience, and now manages mature solutions that can be brought to aeronautic field. In railway industry, ADENEO has been selected to present NEOGREEN, its braking energy recovery product at the international Braking Energy Recovery workshop in Bielefeld of Ticket To Kyoto association in 2011. An embedded demonstrator has been tested in commercial service in Paris for 2 years, and a first NEOGREEN has been installed beginning of 2011 in Lyon tramway network.
Based on this, and according to short time development schedule, ADENEO will be able to provide a TRL4 demonstrator, based on internal COTS specially upgraded to fit to SOG PEERS project environment.
Funding
Results
Executive Summary:
The Smart Operation on Ground (SOG) concept appeared at the end of the 60’s, but technology was not efficient enough to allow the introduction of the concept. In 2012, it was not anymore the case, and this project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of an electrical solution. In this continuity, a french supplier of aircraft systems and equipment decided to collaborate with AIR FRANCE in the development of the new system EGTS (Electric Green Taxiing System), an electrical device for taxiing the aircraft to roll over the tracks without using fuels. Based on initial analyses, Air France evaluated a gain equivalent to a few percent of the fuel cost per flight cycle on the basis of its current operations for its fleet of over 120 aircraft short and medium haul.
This system used an electric generator of the APU (Auxiliary Power Unit) to power the motors of the drive wheels, enabling the aircraft to move on the tracks without using the main engine. For this, each of these wheels is equipped with an electromechanical actuator and thanks to the power electronics and the control electronics of the wheels, the driver has complete control over the speed, direction and braking of aircraft on the ground.
SOG-PEERS (Smart Operation on Ground Power Electronics with Energy Recycling System) is a part of EGTS and is intended to electrically motorise the landing gear for short/medium haul plane (type Airbus A320 and Boeing737).
This electrical system must both recover and store the braking energy and secondly, to restore this energy during taxiing phases (before take-off and after landing, ie the phase when the aircraft is taxiing). This system will no longer use the aircraft engine thrust during the taxiing phases.
SOG-PEERS project involves several partners :
- The Topic Manager for system & integration activities on SOG project
- An English University for SOG electrical motor (wheel actuator) development
- A German laboratory for the modelisation and the development of system control laws.
- ADENEO which brings its expertise in conversion and energy storage environment constrained, and in management and monitoring / control of electrical actuators for the PEERS demonstrator.
SOG PEERS includes basic functions like forward and backward motion; moreover, it includes electrical braking, cruise control and energy braking recovery and storage. Stored energy will be managed to be used for example to supply emergency braking or emergency Landing Gear Extension Retraction System.
ADENEO had been working in different fields for motor control and developed asynchronous and synchronous controllers hardware and software with the associated certification level in DO178 and DO254 currently for A350 XWB A/C. ADENEO used to design embedded power converters. Starting 20 years ago with the railway industry, ADENEO brought its power electronic knowledge to aircraft industry to design converters for aircraft electrical networks. ADENEO has got significant experience in energy braking recovery, especially in light railway industry. By developing and testing embedded and stationary solutions, ADENEO has built strong experience, and now manages mature solutions that can be brought to aeronautic field. In railway industry, ADENEO has been selected to present NEOGREEN, its braking energy recovery product at the international Braking Energy Recovery workshop in Bielefeld of Ticket To Kyoto association in 2011. An embedded demonstrator has been tested in commercial service in Paris during 2 years, and a first NEOGREEN has been installed beginning of 2011 in Lyon tramway network. Based on this, ADENEO proposed in 2012 to develop a TRL4 demonstrator, based on internal COTS specially upgraded, to study the technical feasibility of the principle of energy recovery system on the EGTS (Electric Green Taxiing System) and a new super-capacitor technology.
More generally, the general objectives of SOG-PEERS which is part of a project electric taxiing are:
- Reduction in kerosene consumption of the aircraft;
- Noise reduction on the airport
- Increase the life of carbon brakes of the airplane (electric braking, so less stresses on these organs during the phases of "taxiing").