Pioneering aircraft system

Citation

(1998), "Pioneering aircraft system", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 70 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.1998.12770eaf.006

Pioneering aircraft system

Pioneering aircraft system

Keywords Aircraft, Smiths Industries

An aircraft electrical system which eliminates several miles of wiring, provides a 50 per cent reduction in weight and volume over previous equipment, and increases systems' reliability by more than 30 per cent, has earned the Queen's Award for Technological Achievement for Smiths Industries Aerospace. In a three-year, £40 million programme, involving around 200 people, the electrical load management system (ELMS) was designed and developed by the company's Civil Systems division at Cheltenham, for the Boeing 777 aeroplane.

To date, over 150 systems have been delivered to the production line in Seattle, and at production levels anticipated, export sales are set to reach £600 million in the next ten to 15 years. Following the success on the B777, similar power management systems are now being developed for a number of civil and military aircraft.

ELMS is an integrated power management system comprising seven large panels. Using high-speed processing and digital data transmission, the system distributes power throughout the aircraft and controls over 50 essential functions ranging from galley ovens to fuel supply pumps.

A feature of ELMS is its ability to shed and restore electrical loads during emergency situations, to ensure essential services are maintained while substantially reducing crew workload. The system also allows loads to be shared automatically between power generators, to make the most efficient use of available capacity. In addition, it provides the flight crew with information on the status of the entire electrical system, via a cockpit display.

The design of ELMS enables the system to be tested prior to installation, a process which can be completed in just two days, compared with two weeks required for installation and test of the previous generation of equipment. Further advantages are achieved in service through the use of built-in diagnostics and "plug-in" component design, which improve aircraft maintenance and despatch reliability.

Prior to ELMS, there was no single system for electrical power distribution, which was achieved by a large number of separate components and circuit cards, controlled individually from the cockpit. As well as the excessive weight, complexity and number of parts, fault isolation and rectification became a major problem for airlines, leading to flight delays and expensive maintenance.

The 1998 Queen's Award is the 20th won by Smiths Industries, covering both technological and export achievements. In addition to its aerospace activities, the company has operating groups in medical systems and specialised industrial products.