GE Power Conversion was awarded an important contract by Safran Aero Boosters for the supply of an electrical Variable Speed Drive System (VSDS) to equip an airplane motor compressor test bench. This bench will be part of the new aerodynamics test center called BeCOVER that Safran is building close to Liege, in Belgium.
The new facility, scheduled to be operational from 2023, will offer unique capabilities in Europe to the Aviation industry, but not limited to, with capacity to test all types of compressors for the next generations of civil and military aircraft engines. It will for example offer a turbofan test capability, a multi-speed gearbox as well as the possibility of co-piloting the tests remotely.
“We are delighted to work once again with our long-term partner General Electric,” says François Lepot, CEO of Safran Aero Boosters. “This collaboration will ensure that the BeCOVER test bench has the outstanding technical capabilities required to test new generation compressors, with the objective of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.”
GE Power Conversion’s electrical system is composed of two MV7315 drives, a 30 MW induction motor and associated auxiliary equipment –a technology that will allow BeCOVER to test a wide range of compressors, both low and high pressure, in many configurations. This important project demonstrates the versatility of GE’s MV7000 drives systems, offering a high level of performance, with efficient and flexible control, to a wide range of applications including in the research and test industry. The contract also includes the electrical studies and the installation & commissioning.
“With the growth trend we currently see in the aerospace industry, engines manufacturers need to develop their test facilities and improve their efficiency and flexibility”, comments Philippe Piron, President & CEO of GE Power Conversion. “Our company specializes in the development and manufacture of electrical variable speed solutions since decades, based on highly efficient motors and drives, making us today a partner of choice for such high-power applications.”
