Boeing selects GE Aviation power electronics for 777X commercial aircraft

CINCINNATI, 16 Jan. 2015. Officials at The Boeing Company have selected GE Aviation to provide the Electrical Load Management System (ELMS), Backup Generator, and Backup Converter for the Boeing 777X aircraft.

“The advanced ELMS on the 777X will control 30 percent more power than the current system, while contained in the same size and weight,” explains Brad Mottier, president of Business & General Aviation and Integrated Systems for GE Aviation. “The backup power generation system will provide twice the amount of power generation than the current 777 system. This is our first commercial electrical power generating system, leveraging decades of experience on military applications.”

The new system will use Boeing 777 ELMS design elements to reduce aircraft maintenance time and cost, improving reliability and availability of aircraft power. With the ELMS, backup generator, and backup converter for the 777X, GE will utilize their Electric Power Integration Center in Cheltenham, UK and their Electrical Power Integrated Systems Center in Dayton, Ohio where they will employ state of the art dynamic software modeling, simulation and analysis to predict how the system and its individual components will perform, including full system testing within a copper-bird environment.

“By using these new state-of-the-art labs, GE will reduce development risk and mature these products before aircraft introduction to an extent never done before,” said Vic Bonneau, president of electrical power for GE Aviation.

Building on 20 years of successful operation on the 777, the ELMS will be enhanced to handle the additional power and loads on the 777X. The primary panels will be modified to handle the increased main and APU generator outputs, up 30% from the current system. The secondary panels will be adapted to deliver power to the increased number of power subscribers on the currently defined 777X and with growth capacity for future platform developments and airline options. These advancements will be made while maintaining the volume and footprint of the existing system.

The ELMS for the 777X will have increased flexibility making airline specific configurations more straightforward and in-service modifications easier to implement while improving the maintainability of the system.

In addition to the electrical power, GE Aviation is also providing the common core system and the enhanced airborne flight recorder for the 777X.

Advanced systems for the Boeing 777X will touch three major GE Aviation facilities:

• Electrical load management system: Cheltenham, United Kingdom
• Back-up generator and backup converter systems: Dayton, Ohio
• Enhanced airborne flight recorder: Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Common core system: Grand Rapids, Michigan with content from Cheltenham, United Kingdom

Launched in 2013, the Boeing 777X has 300 orders and commitments from six customers to date.

Engine supplier GE Aviation was the first partner announced on the program. The GE9X engine will be greater than five percent more efficient than anything in its class. Production of the Boeing 777X is scheduled to begin in 2017 and first delivery is targeted for 2020.

GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of jet, turboprop and turboshaft engines, components and integrated systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings.