STG Offers WEPPS to Save Money, Maintenance and Crew Time

STG Aerospace introduced the next generation emergency lighting system that, the company says, will revolutionize emergency lighting operations by reducing the maintenance burden by over 100 man-hours per aircraft per year and result in savings of up to $1 billion for the aviation industry by eliminating the...

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STG Aerospace introduced the next generation emergency lighting system that, the company says, will revolutionize emergency lighting operations by reducing the maintenance burden by over 100 man-hours per aircraft per year and result in savings of up to $1 billion for the aviation industry by eliminating the emergency lighting system’s entire maintenance schedule.
STG polled 140 operators and found one in four operators rate emergency lighting systems as a significant cause of dispatch delay with batteries and bulbs seen as the elements of emergency lighting systems most likely to fail, despite the fact that battery failure carries the greatest impact. Nine out of 10 operators anticipate a life expectancy of less than six years on their emergency lighting batteries and two thirds of respondents rate maintenance of ELS batteries a significant or very significant issue. Finally, ease of maintenance and system status monitoring are seen by operators as key purchasing criteria for emergency lighting systems and two thirds of operators would prefer a detailed status monitoring system. The system’s first order came from Silverjet, an all-business-class airline in the England which is putting it on its Boeing 767-200s.
The Wireless Emergency Primary Power System (WEPPS) is a new application of proven technologies for managing and powering emergency lighting systems, with a built-in wireless monitoring and diagnostic capability. It gives airlines a ‘fit for life’ solution for battery modules, that need no charging and no scheduled maintenance and provides a means of performing daily checks on the whole emergency lighting system in under 10 seconds
WEPPS replaces conventional NiCad battery/charger packs, reducing costs by providing a series of non-rechargeable battery modules. The system promises to save 50 percent on the cost of a comparable Ni-Cd battery in addition to 20 percent in weight savings, depending on the aircraft.
The system eliminates the need to maintain the batteries on a regular basis and extends the lifespan years beyond that of conventional batteries. It also removes the need for a daily visual inspection of the cabin emergency lights. The daily MEL checks for the emergency lights are typically verified by turning on the system, walking around and checking it manually. WEPPS incorporates sophisticated wireless status monitoring that allows interrogation of the battery modules, control circuitry and the lighting systems attached to each battery, and transmits this data wirelessly. This allows cabin crew to test the entire emergency lighting system in less than 10 seconds, saving time and removing the risk of human error.
WEPPS uses STG’s SecureControl™ wireless protocols to sense and communicate the operational status of all parts of the emergency lighting system – bulbs and LED’s, wires, control circuitry, batteries – and report the status against MEL requirements, using a single point diagnostic display unit near the cockpit . It uses ‘spread spectrum’ technology requiring very low power and worldwide license-free frequencies. WEPPS’ wireless transceivers are not required to operate in flight, thus completely removing even the slightest risk of interference during flight.
The system uses TSO approved Lithium Sulphur Dioxide (LiSO2) primary (non rechargeable) batteries, manufactured exclusively for STG Aerospace by SAFT, a leading supplier of aircraft batteries.
LiSO2 batteries have huge capacity and negligible self discharge in any storage conditions. The WEPPS system only uses battery power if the system is armed and aircraft power is lost in an emergency. The batteries are never significantly discharged and last ‘for life’ in normal service. There would have to be at least 10emergency ‘events’ before battery replacement were required, said the company.
STG offers a swap-in/swap-out solution with no change to existing wiring and lighting configurations. The battery modules are offered in a number of different form factors that will match the mounting points current in different aircraft. They need no scheduled maintenance. Furthermore, unlike conventional ELS batteries, WEPPS batteries do not need to be replaced every three to five years, saving inventory costs and shelf life.
WEPPS is in the final stages of FAA certification for a wide range of commercial aircraft. It is STG Aerospace’s second major product line and follows eleven years’ with its photoluminescent floorpath marking systems. In just over a decade STG’s SafTGlo technology has replaced electrical floorpath lighting on over 4000 aircraft.