Microturbo is exhibiting an auxiliary power unit (APU) and an engine starter here at NBAA 2014 and also is developing two new APUs. Last summer, the Safran group company assumed full responsibility for two programs in which it was a minority partner: the APUs for the Dassault Falcon 5X and the Bombardier Global 7000/8000. Microturbo now wants to play a greater role in business jet APUs, including meeting the needs of future system architectures.
On display here at NBAA2014 (Booth 3259) is the e-APU 60, which started operating on the AgustaWestland AW189 helicopter last July. “Feedback from the field is very good,” Microturbo CEO Pierre-Yves Morvan told AIN. A dozen are in service with four helicopter operators.
The e-APU has been designed for so-called “more electric” architectures, where electric power tends to replace hydraulics and pneumatics. The e-APU 60 (delivering 60 kilowatts) is certified in category 1, which means it can be used in flight. “This can be for engine re-start or supplying electric power to some systems if a generator has failed,” Morvan explained.
Also showcased here is the ATS 337 engine starter, which equips the Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional jet but is also suitable for large business jets, according to Morvan. An air-turbine starter, it delivers up to 90 kilowatts and weighs 31 pounds. Its manufacturer claims that the e-APU 60 features competitive operating costs and high reliability.
In July, Microturbo and Pratt & Whitney AeroPower announced that Microturbo would take on 100 percent of the APS2800 and APS500[D] APU programs for Bombardier and Dassault, respectively. The program purchase agreement covers design, production and support. The collaboration was initiated in 2011, when Microturbo had a 30-percent share in each program. “Pratt & Whitney did not necessarily want to carry the nonrecurring costs it was seeing ahead,” Morvan commented.
The APS500[D] is a derivative of an APU designed for the Embraer ERJ 135/145. “It will be certified with a much higher level of reliability and safety,” Morvan said. Moreover, noise has been lowered, both for passenger comfort when they board the aircraft and for airport environment protection. “The APS500 will be used mainly on the ground, while the APS2800 can be used in flight and will be involved in the Global 7000/8000’s ETOPS certification program,” he continued.
The latter APU was developed from the Embraer E170’s APU and “is practically a new APU,” Morvan said. It is said to have a very high power-to-weight ratio and can be started at 45,000 feet and work at up to 51,000 feet–high altitudes consistent with business jet operations–despite the thinner air. It has been designed to supply bleed air (pneumatic power), as well as greater electric power than the previous generation of APUs. Deliveries to both Bombardier and Dassault have begun.
Next March Microturbo will inaugurate a new design, production and repair facility in San Diego, Calif. The French firm will have 60 employees there by year-end, as the transition continues from Aeropower’s San Diego site.
“We want to invest in the long term and be a skillful APU provider for future business jet programs,” Morvan stated. Current APUs are not used in normal flight, even though some have that capability, and this may change. “Aircraft manufacturers are striving to optimize the onboard energy chain and this could lead to new strategies, where APUs could play a more important part,” he concluded.
