Company insight
Smarter power from one source
ITW GSE’s new Intelligent Power Management system enables airports to better utilise their power infrastructure, meaning they can squeeze considerably more power from their existing installations. David Feuga, ITW’s sales director for the Middle East, explains what that means for airports around the world.
veryone wants power – electrically speaking. Some get it more easily than others. Almost every single seat in a modern airport terminal can charge whatever phone, tablet, laptop or games console its occupant might be using, so it’s rare for a passenger to board a flight without a full battery. On the apron, meanwhile, ground handlers with electrical equipment can use as much as 50% of their power simply driving back from distant charging stations.
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Between those two extremes, and striving to balance them, are airports themselves. However, with more flights, passengers and electrical equipment than ever, many are pushing up against their power capacity limits. To grow and operate sustainably, they have to maximise every opportunity to become more efficient. After many years spent designing, commissioning and installing ground support equipment, ITW GSE believes the best place to start doing so is at the gate.
Electrical ground support installations including pre-conditioned air (PCA) systems and 400Hz ground power units are designed to cover ‘worst case’ power needs. Moreover, each piece of equipment is connected to its own distribution panel, meaning the installed power can’t be monitored or shared. As a result, the power capacity at a stand may well be 30–50% higher than the actual power consumption. Freeing up that hidden free power potential for productive use can help solve stand- specific and airport-wide capacity issues without the need for more infrastructure, as well as accelerating the transition to greener and more sustainable ground operations.
One system, multiple solutions That’s the promise of ITW’s Intelligent Power Management (IPM) system. Using the
Future Airport /
www.futureairport.com ITW’s 3400 pre-conditioned air system in action.
company’s 3400 PCA to monitor and share power between all the connected equipment at a stand, it enables airports to make better use of their infrastructure by matching power capacity to actual power use at each stand. Should the GPUs, the most critical connections during flight preparations, require maximum power for a short time, the PCA smoothly adjusts its own consumption to stay below the pre-set limit of the total system – causing only a short, barely perceptible change in cabin temperature. It’s an impressive value-for-money proposition – as well as a far better option for the environment. “Airports can upgrade their facilities at minimal cost, because they can make maximum use of the actual infrastructure without additional capex,” explains David Feuga, ITW’s sales manager for the Middle East.
Indeed, as the IPM system allows all of the equipment at a gate to be powered from a single feeder panel, it can actually reduce the cost and complexity of installation and operation. “Airports can also have more of a strategy on power allocation per gate,” continues Feuga, “and look into offering their stakeholders, like ground handling,
opportunities to charge closer to the point of use. There’s a strong push from all stakeholders looking for more carbon neutrality. Because we know what is the real aircraft demand, we, within the IPM, can allocate the excess to the other utilities and solve those pain points.”
Power for everyone
The advantages are even clearer with ITW’s new combined GPU and PCA, the 3500, which builds on the modular design that makes ITW’s equipment so easy to install. “Instead of having two boxes that communicate and share power based on the aircraft demand, now it’s a single unit that controls the full environment, which makes it easier to install – with a low infrastructure cost and less cabling,” explains Feuga. The 3500 can also connect to other airport systems, using information from the docking system, for example. In this way, the PCA can deliver an optimal airflow to the connected aircraft and not just an average airflow determined by the aircraft category. As a consequence, the airflow and cooling performance can be increased by as much as 50%.
“ITW GSE want to be the cleanest, most reliable and most cost-effective supplier in the market based on real aircraft demand. With our IPM solution, we focus on a total gate solution rather than on individual products,” explains Feuga. “The gate solution offers numerous advantages for our customers. From easier installation, optimised efficiency, precise airflow and the option to recharge other equipment at the gate as well. At the end, our customers benefit from a lower cost of ownership and get a sustainable solution. That’s our value proposition.” ●
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