Rheinmetall Canada has successfully completed operational testing of its new electric air start unit with Air Canada.
The Rheinmetall eMSU, described as the first fully electric air start unit, successfully started an Airbus A220 equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW1524G engines during the trials.
Designed to provide pneumatic power to aircraft engines, the eMSU features an electrically driven turbine-type air compressor and embedded lithium-ion battery system.
This configuration allows for stand-alone operations without the need for external power sources.
The unit can deliver 250 ppm of air flow at 56 psia, which Rheinmetall says is sufficient to start engines on regional jets, narrow-body aircraft, and even wide-body aircraft.
During testing with Air Canada, the eMSU also performed engine spin up to 27% of the N3 speed on an A330 with Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines.
Additionally, it was used for engine preservation on various aircraft engines including Pratt & Whitney PW1524 & PW1524G, General Electric Aviation CF6-80C2, and CFM International CFM56 models.
Oliver Hoffmann, Head of Public Relations at Rheinmetall AG, said: “The success of this testing phase marks an important stage in the development of the product and represents a significant leap forward in air start operations.”
The company stated that once commercialised, the eMSU is expected to help airlines and ground support equipment providers work towards their sustainability and emissions reduction goals.
Key features of the eMSU include its compact trailer platform and ability to be charged from a regular automotive-type charging station of up to 100 kW.
Rheinmetall also claims the unit offers faster warm-up and superior pneumatic power compared to screw compressor units.
