All-weather power supply

Citation

(1998), "All-weather power supply", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 70 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.1998.12770ead.007

All-weather power supply

All-weather power supply

Keywords Aircraft, Power supply, Powervamp

A compact, portable, all-weather power supply unit designed for testing and operating aircraft sub-systems, and doubling as a charger for ground power units, has been developed by a British-based company, Powervamp Ltd, of Bristol. It is said to offer a virtually unprecedented combination of high power, small size and versatility.

The PS 40/1200 unit delivers 28 volts of stabilised, "clean" DC electric power, making it ideal for operating sensitive electrical and electronic systems on the ground. Yet it is compact and easily hand-portable; it measures just 280mm × 145mm × 230mm high, weighs only 6.5kg, and runs from a standard 110-volt or 230-volt mains electrical supply (Plate 3).

The system is therefore believed to be ideal for powering a wide range of aircraft systems such as avionics, entering waypoint and programming weapon-loading systems, operating radios, inverters, thermal imaging devices and moving maps. It is designed to operate such systems on a prolonged basis ­ i.e. during equipment installations, diagnostics and crew/observer training ­ and it is also light and compact enough to be carried on board an aircraft and deployed at remote locations using local mains power.

Plate 3 Powervamp's hand-portable, all-weather PS 40/1200 power supply unit is designed for testing and operating aircraft subsystems

The breakthrough in the PS 40/1200 is that it is completely sealed to IP 66 or UL equivalent for outdoor operation in all weathers ­ a problem believed never fully solved with alternative systems. It is fully protected from water, dust and other harsh climatic conditions, yet requires neither mechanical cooling nor ventilation holes. It relies instead on an ingenious circuit design and a casing incorporating full-depth heat-sink cooling fins that collectively provide highly effective heat dissipation.

The PS 40/1200, unveiled by Powervamp in mock-up form at last year's Helitech exhibition and now in full production, has been developed to fill a major gap in the aviation market. Although aircraft operators have long recognised the danger of draining aircraft batteries when running on-board systems on the ground, the usual alternatives have been bulky, hard-to-manoeuvre battery carts, mobile generators or systems requiring a three-phase mains supply. The PS 40/1200 offers an entirely new and far simpler approach, requiring only a normal 110-volt/230-volt domestic mains supply.

As an aid to avionics engineers and air crew, the unit incorporates a large analogue ammeter that can be read from a distance. This helps maintenance staff working on aircraft electrical systems, and can also be highly revealing in terms of air crew awareness during training. It will for instance show the various high-current loads imposed by apparently innocuous on-board systems such as instrument lighting or gyros, which will quickly drain the on-board batteries if used without the generator on-line.

Alongside its role as a power supply unit, the 40/1200 can also be switched at any time to charger mode. It will then charge aviation lead-acid batteries and high-performance ground power units (GPUs) such as the established Powervamp range. It, therefore, eliminates the need for operators using such batteries or special GPUs to buy a separate charger.

In charger mode the unit comes with pre-set maximum outputs of 10, 20, 30 and 40 amps. These allow it to be set to charge single or twin GPUs or conventional battery carts.

When in power supply mode, the PS 40/1200 can be connected directly to the external NATO aircraft power socket, or can, ingeniously, be used in parallel with Powervamp GPUs, which can then provide continuous high current for particularly demanding operations such as compressor washes or system tests. These might include multiple turbine starts and maintenance run-ups. In these cases the unit can be set to top up GPU output continually through on-line recharging, maintaining the output of the GPUs.

The secret of the Powervamp PS 40/1200 is said to be its use of electronic switch-mode technology, with special heat dissipation design techniques which make it possible to achieve a high continuous current from a very compact, sealed unit.

In the same way, Powervamp Ltd has pioneered the use of advanced technology for its range of high-performance GPUs. These use sealed, dry cells that will not spill or corrode if the battery is knocked over or inverted. Powervamp GPUs are certified safe for air transport, and meet the safety requirements of the International Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA).

For stand-alone operations, even more versatility can be achieved by air operators and military users if the PS 40/1200 is used as part of an integrated Powervamp system. The PS 40/1200 power supply, GPUs and a compact petrol-powered generator module can be linked together on a purpose-designed folding trolley to be used together, individually or in various combinations. The result is a fully self-contained and independent ground power service system.

For further details: Tel: +44 (0) 1934 843558; E-mail: info@powervamp.co.uk