For airports wishing to reduce their carbon footprint and to improve the working environment of their staff, the solution is the all-new battery-powered 7400 GPU from ITW GSE. The new unit is ideal for gates without a power supply, remote parking areas and hangars.
As a leading supplier of GPUs, pre-conditioned air units, cables and hoses to the aviation industry, ITW GSE is committed to developing and supplying the cleanest, most reliable and most cost-efficient ground support equipment available. This drive has resulted in the ITW GSE 7400, a groundbreaking battery-powered GPU. Based on an ITW GSE 2400 solid-state converter powered by Nissan Leaf battery packs—both proven technologies—the benefits of the ITW GSE 7400 are obvious.
90% Lower Emissions and Costs
A typical diesel-driven GPU will produce 63,000 kilograms of CO2 and 300 kilograms of NOx over the course of a year when running 5.5 hours a day. Running at the same levels, the ITW GSE 7400 will produce only 6,500 kilograms of CO2 and just 13.7 kilograms of NOx—a net reduction in emissions of 90%. For a large airport running multiple GPUs, this can mean significant environmental savings.
The ITW GSE 7400 is also significantly less expensive to run than a diesel GPU, offering savings on operating expenses of around USD 120,000 over ten years and a lower total cost of ownership after six years.
The Ultimate in Flexibility
The ITW GSE 7400 GPU is in a class of its own. It is autonomous and can easily be transported to wherever it is needed. Also, the flexibility of the 7400 GPU comes without compromise. The unit provides the same outstanding, well-proven qualities of other ITW GSE solid-state GPUs, including precise and clean output voltage at the aircraft plug, and individual phase regulation of each output phase. It can be recharged from any nearby 50/60Hz socket, and if one battery pack fails, others take over—to ensure you never run out of power. In addition, the modular design means the unit can be equipped with the number of battery packs needed to suit actual power requirements. Typically, it can do 5-6 turn-arounds in case of a
Like all ITW GSE products, the ITW GSE 7400 comes with a common icon-based user interface that is as simple to use as a smart phone or a tablet. This means airport staff already familiar with one ITW GSE product can easily operate another, and so reduces human error during operation and makes product training simpler. The software can be updated, and additional capabilities added, via a USB. Other ITW GSE advantages include quick service and repair, and spare part communality, which lowers stock requirements.
Improving the Working Environment
According to Søren Dahl, R&D Manager at ITW GSE, there is one final reason why many airports are already expressing interest in investing in the ITW GSE 7400’s cleantech technology: It is much better for operators.
“Many operators are exposed to high levels of NOx particles from fossil-fueled GPU units during their work—a substance known to be harmful to humans. As a zero-emissions and zero-noise technology, the 7400 helps create a far safer working environment for airport staff,” he says.
For ITW GSE, the ITW GSE 7400 is just one more example of an innovative product designed to meet the needs of the aviation industry. In fact, ITW GSE has brought more innovative products to the market than any other supplier of ground support equipment and accessories.
The ITW GSE 7400 was trialed at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands in 2017 with great success, and goes into production mid 2018.
