{"id":16328,"date":"2023-06-23T15:44:28","date_gmt":"2023-06-23T15:44:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=16328"},"modified":"2023-06-24T06:46:49","modified_gmt":"2023-06-24T06:46:49","slug":"frce-marks-first-with-adoption-of-battery-powered-ground-power-units","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=16328","title":{"rendered":"FRCE marks first with adoption of battery-powered ground power units"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Fleet Readiness Center East\u2019s (FRCE) UH-1N Huey production line is swapping out diesel-powered ground power units (GPU) for a sustainable alternative with the recent purchase of battery-powered GPUs, becoming the first adapter of this technology within the Naval Aviation community.<\/p>\n

According to Allen Broadway, FRCE\u2019s UH-1N branch head, the battery-powered GPUs minimize energy consumption, increase efficiency and enhance workplace safety.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur main focus was on the safety and environmental aspects,\u201d said Broadway. \u201cUsing the new battery pack, you are reducing noise hazards. Because it\u2019s so portable, you\u2019re reducing the possibilities of strains and injuries, as well as trip hazards. All this leads to a safer workplace for our people. It also allows us to reduce environmental footprint and fuel consumption. You\u2019re not burning diesel. There are no fumes or emissions. You\u2019re cutting costs. It\u2019s a win for us across the board.\u201d<\/p>\n

The UH-1N line operates out of the North Carolina Global TransPark in Kinston. There, the team performs maintenance, repair and overhaul operations for the UH-1N helicopters flown by the Air Force.<\/p>\n

Prior to the arrival of the battery-powered GPUs, the UH-1N line relied on the NC-10C Mobile Electric Power Plant, a trailer-mounted, self-contained power plant, to supply electrical power for servicing, starting and testing the helicopters. The NC-10C, used throughout the Naval Aviation community, uses diesel fuel to generate electricity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you look at the environmental impact, this is our way of going from a gas guzzler to electric,\u201d said Matthew Pitts, the UH-1N deputy branch head and test pilot.<\/p>\n

According to Pitts, the UH-1N line began using two Tesla TI3000 GPU-24 battery packs in the spring of 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are a self-contained unit that can do everything that the NC-10 does, but with a footprint of a large carry-on bag,\u201d said Pitts. \u201cThey produce no noise and no emissions. They work like an external battery pack for your phone and even plug into an ordinary wall socket. There’s no special outlet required.\u201d<\/p>\n

The battery-powered GPUs weigh in at 127 pounds, compared to the NC-10C\u2019s weight of more than 6,500 pounds when carrying the diesel fuel necessary to generate power.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt came in a really big box,\u201d said Gabriel Rodriguez, a plane captain on the UH-1N line. \u201cBut, when we opened it, it was just this little thing inside. It’s much easier on us, as far as ergonomics go, to move this around.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pitts cited that small size as a key factor in the UH-1N line\u2019s decision to adopt the technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne important aspect of this is minimizing our footprint,\u201d said Pitts. \u201cYou’re taking a large entity, the NC-10, and you’re reducing that to the size of a carry-on bag. You\u2019re reducing the costs and time associated with moving, maintaining and using that asset.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sean Maher, an aircraft electrician on the UH-1N line, said the portability and simplicity of the battery-powered GPUs have already made a positive impact on production.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do a lot of operational and functional checks which require battery inverter power,\u201d said Maher. \u201cThe helicopter battery itself can’t sustain the amount of checks we do. So we have to have some sort of additional power source to continue our checks without having to stop what we’re doing.\u00a0 That used to mean calling transportation and getting an NC-10 delivered.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith these, it just takes a minute or two to roll it over to the aircraft and we\u2019re hooked up for power,\u201d he continued. \u201cHooking it up is quick and easy. As far as maintenance, we’ve had no trouble with them and we\u2019ve put them through the wringer. With the NC-10, we\u2019d have to call ground support equipment if it needed to be fixed. We don\u2019t have to worry about any of that with these.\u201d<\/p>\n

The battery-powered GPUs are also making a positive impact outside of the UH-1N line\u2019s operations at Kinston. Broadway said their use drives down costs related to the support and maintenance of the NC-10Cs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese free up our ground support equipment folks from having to do preventative maintenance and things of that nature on the NC-10s,\u201d said Broadway. \u201cIt also reduces the costs related to ordering parts and materials to maintain and repair the NC-10s.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unlike a diesel-powered generator, the battery-powered GPUs emit zero emissions. Broadway said this results in reduced energy consumption.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you crank an NC-10 indoors, you have to open up the hangar doors,\u201d said Broadway. \u201cThat means increased utility costs and wasted energy, especially when it\u2019s cold outside.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rodriguez said the battery-powered GPUs are not only reducing utility usage, they make for a more comfortable working environment.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we ran diesel-powered equipment in the hangar, we had to open the doors for ventilation,\u201d said Rodriguez. \u201cWe don’t have to do that now, which is nice. We don’t have to worry about rain, wind, heat or cold and having to open the doors. It\u2019s definitely increased our comfort levels in the hangar.\u201d<\/p>\n

The battery-powered GPUs also contribute to the comfort level on the shop floor in regards to noise levels. Pitts recounted the first time the team used the battery-powered GPUs; he described being almost startled by the complete lack of noise that accompanied it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first time that we connected it to the aircraft, it was just kind of funny because we were all expecting some kind of a big, climactic moment,\u201d Pitts said. \u201cSilence is what we heard. It was like, that’s it – silence. It was so quiet that it was almost a surreal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pitts said the battery-powered GPU\u2019s silent operation belies the impressive benefits the technology has brought to the depot, benefits he said can be shared throughout the enterprise.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are setting new standards to drive down production costs, reduce our environmental impact and ultimately be a safer line,\u201d Pitts said. \u201cOnce the depot proves that we’re leading the way with this, I can see this getting pushed out into Fleet. Imagine the savings and the reduced environmental footprint that we could have throughout the Navy and Marine Corps.\u201d<\/p>\n

FRCE is North Carolina’s largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, with more than 4,000 civilian, military and contract workers. Its annual revenue exceeds $1 billion. The depot provides service to the fleet while functioning as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy; Naval Air Systems Command; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fleet Readiness Center East\u2019s (FRCE) UH-1N Huey production line is swapping out diesel-powered ground power units (GPU) for a sustainable alternative with the recent purchase of battery-powered GPUs, becoming the first adapter of this technology within the Naval Aviation community. According to Allen Broadway, FRCE\u2019s UH-1N branch head, the battery-powered GPUs minimize energy consumption, increase […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":495,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16328","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16328"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16328\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16330,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16328\/revisions\/16330"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16328"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16328"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16328"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}