Mitigating Aircraft Auxiliary Power Unit Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Emissions During the Aircraft Turnaround Process from the Use of Solar Power at the Airport Gate: The Case of Moi International Airport, Kenya

One of the most pervasive trends in the global airport industry in recent times has been the adoption of green renewable technologies. Many airports around the world have now installed photovoltaic (PV) solar systems as a key environmental measure. One of the critical areas of energy management at an airport is the provision of power and cooling at the gate, which is used during the aircraft turnaround process. Historically, the aircraft auxiliary power unit (APU) was the primary power source during the aircraft turnaround process. In recent times, airports have transitioned to the use of fixed electrical ground power (FEGP) and preconditioned air to mitigate the emissions from use of aircraft auxiliary power unit (APUs). Based on an instrumental case study research approach, this study has examined how Moi International Airport in Kenya has mitigated the airport’s carbon footprint by using a green, renewable energy system. The study’s qualitative data was examined by document analysis. The case study revealed that Moi International Airport has installed a photovoltaic (PV) solar system with a 500kW capacity that is used to primarily provide solar power at the airport’s apron area. The photovoltaic (PV) solar system has delivered Moi International Airport with an important environmental related benefit as it has enabled the airport to reduce it carbon footprint, as the photovoltaic (PV) solar system has reduced the airport’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by an estimated 1,300 tonnes per annum.

Schedule Planning and Maintenance Activities Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) Boeing 737-500 Aircraft With Reliability Method

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk merencanakan jadwal dan aktifitas maintenance yang yangefektif pada sistem auxiliary power unit sehingga tidak terjadi lagi kegagalan ataupun kerusakan yang tidak di rencanakan atau terjadi secara tiba – tiba. Kegagalan pada peralatan auxiliary power unit ada sering terjadi pada beberapa sistem kerja yaitu electrical system, Lubrication System dan Ignition System, di mana hal ini menimbulkan kerugian yang cukup besar bagi perusahaan penerbangan. Metode penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dan kuantitatif, analisis kualitatif menggunakan metode Failure Mode Effect and Critically Analysis (FMECA) dengan menganalisis faktor – faktor penyebab kegagalan dan efek terjadinya kegagalan, dengan hasil penyebab kegagalan pada beberapa sitem kerja auxiliary power unit (APU) adalah sebagai berikut electrical system adalah pada komponen start Relay, Lubrication System adalah pada komponen Oil Filter, Ignition System adalah pada igniter plug. Dari hasil analisis FMECA tersebut di lakukan analisis kuantitatif dengan analisis dilakukan menggunakan metode reliability, parameter kehandalan dihitung dengan probabilitas distribusi Weibull, untuk menentukan batas kritis waktu operasional komponen ataupun part sistem yang merupakan batas kehandalan suatu sistem auxiliary power unit. Batas kritis operasional electrical system adalah sebesar 434 jam terbang, lubrication system adalah 1186 jam terbang, dan Ignition system adalah sebesar 1610 jam terbang, selanjutnya hasil tersebut di gunakan untuk menentukan jadwal maintenance yang efektif di dukung dengan perencanaan aktifitas maintenance yang tepat untuk menghilangkan penyebab – penyebab kegagalan pada peralalatan auxiliary power unit.

Optimization and realization on the coordination control strategy for auxiliary power unit of range-extended electric vehicle

The auxiliary power unit (APU) is a major power source of range-extended electric vehicle (R-EEV). Excellent coordination control strategy of APU has a great significance impact on improving the overall electrical control system performance of R-EEV. A coordination control strategy based on parameters adapt fuzzy-PID is proposed to ensure the dynamic and static response characteristics of the coordination control system. Firstly, the APU high precision simulation control model is built in GT-Power and Matlab-Simulink. Three coordination control strategies based on traditional PID control method are designed, namely, engine speed control model (ESCM), generator torque control model (GTCM), and APU speed-torque control model (AS-TCM). The three coordination control strategies are simulated on working conditions, which include start-up working condition, power raised working condition, and power reduced working condition. Combined with the PID control principle, the control performance and inherent limitations of three traditional PID control strategies (TPCS) are analyzed and compared. Then, according to the above simulation results of analysis and comparation, the parameters adapt fuzzy-PID control strategy (PAF-PCS) is designed and simulated. The results show that three control parameters ( kp, ki, kd) are changed in real time to ensure the flexibility and adaptability of the control system and improve the stability and robustness of control system. Finally, the results of bench test show that power responds quickly and no oscillation and fixed-point power generation works smoothly, which are basically consistent with the simulation results. Therefore, the PAF-PCS proposed in this paper has good feasibility and effectiveness.

Design of Prototype Aircraft Noise Monitoring System Using Microcontroller

This paper was presented a design of aircraft noise monitoring system using microcontroller. This system is for monitoring noise levels to make it easier to analyze and measure noise that can be accessed remotely. The measurement results are accessed through a browser with IP address access (Internet Protocol) from the local server esp32 and also OLED 0.96 inc. Taking the noise value for 10 seconds with data samples every 1 second with aircraft noise sources consisting of APU (Auxiliary Power Unit), dual pack on and engine motoring. With each noise value of 61.5 dB, 75.6 dB and 82.5 dB.

CFD Simulation Study on the Performance of a Modified Ram Air Turbine (RAT) for Power Generation in Aircrafts

The present paper aims to study the possibility of dispensing an auxiliary power unit (APU) in an aircraft powered by fossil fuels to reduce air pollution. It particularly seeks to evaluate the amount of power generated by the ram air turbine (RAT) using the novel counter-rotating technique while characterizing its optimum axial distance. The ram air turbine (RAT), which is already equipped in aircrafts, was enhanced to generate the amount of energy produced by the APU. The approach was implemented by a CRRAT system. Six airfoil profiles were tested based on 2D models and the best airfoil was chosen for implantation on the RAT and CRRAT systems. The performance of the conventional single-rotor RAT and CRRAT were analyzed using FLUENT software based on 3D models. The adopted numerical scheme was the Navier–Stokes equation with k–ω SST turbulence modeling. The dynamic mesh and user-defined function (UDF) were used to revolve the rotor turbine via wind. The results indicated that the FX63-137 airfoil profile showed a higher performance in terms of the lift-to-drag ratio compared to the other airfoils. The optimum axial distance between the two rotors was 0.087 m of the rotor diameter and the efficiency of the new CRRAT increased to almost 45% compared to the single-rotor RAT.

A Compact, Self-Sustaining Fuel Cell Auxiliary Power Unit Operated on Diesel Fuel

A complete fuel cell-based auxiliary power unit in the 7.5 kWe power class utilizing diesel fuel was developed in accordance with the power density and start-up targets defined by the U.S. Department of Energy. The system includes a highly-integrated fuel processor with multifunctional reactors to facilitate autothermal reforming, the water-gas shift reaction, and catalytic combustion. It was designed with the help of process analyses, on the basis of which two commercial, high-temperature PEFC stacks and balance of plant components were selected. The complete system was packaged, which resulted in a volume of 187.5 l. After achieving a stable and reproducible stack performance based on a modified break-in procedure, a maximum power of 3.3 kWe was demonstrated in a single stack. Despite the strong deviation from design points resulting from a malfunctioning stack, all system functions could be validated. By scaling-up the performance of the functioning stack to the level of two stacks, a power density of 35 We l−1 could be estimated, which is close to the 40 We l−1 target. Furthermore, the start-up time could be reduced to less than 22 min, which exceeds the 30 min target. These results may bring diesel-based fuel cell auxiliary power units a step closer to use in real applications, which is supported by the demonstrated indicators.

A Systematic Review of Technologies, Control Methods, and Optimization for Extended-Range Electric Vehicles

For smart cities using clean energy, optimal energy management has made the development of electric vehicles more popular. However, the fear of range anxiety—that a vehicle has insufficient range to reach its destination—is slowing down the adoption of EVs. The integration of an auxiliary power unit (APU) can extend the range of a vehicle, making them more attractive to consumers. The increased interest in optimizing electric vehicles is generating research around range extenders. These days, many systems and configurations of extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) have been proposed to recover energy. However, it is necessary to summarize all those efforts made by researchers and industry to find the optimal solution regarding range extenders. This paper analyzes the most relevant technologies that recover energy, the current topologies and configurations of EREVs, and the state-of-the-art in control methods used to manage energy. The analysis presented mainly focuses on finding maximum fuel economy, reducing emissions, minimizing the system’s costs, and providing optimal driving performance. Our summary and evaluation of range extenders for electric vehicles seeks to guide researchers and automakers to generate new topologies and configurations for EVs with optimized range, improved functionality, and low emissions.