Safran Aero Boosters has selected GE Power Conversion to supply and install a drives system for a new test facility in Belgium.
GE Power Conversion is to supply the electrical variable speed drive system for the airplane motor compressor test bench in a new test facility that Safran is building near Liege, Belgium.
BeCOVER (Test Cell for Compressors Enhancing the Environment and Research) was announced last June and is scheduled to open next year. It is being built for the testing of compressors that will be used in the next generation of civil and military aircraft engines.
The 3,000 square meter (32,000 square feet) BeCOVER center is the only test facility of its type in Europe to feature a closed loop, enabling turbomachinery to be tested at altitude conditions. It will also offer a multi-speed gearbox and the possibility of co-piloting the tests remotely. The facilities and equipment will be available to industry as well as universities and research centers.
François Lepot, CEO of Safran Aero Boosters said, “We are delighted to work once again with our long-term partner General Electric. 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 30MW induction motor and associated auxiliary equipment, a technology that will enable BeCOVER to test a wide range of compressors, both low and high pressure, in many configurations.
GE’s MV7000 drives systems offer a high level of performance with flexible control. The contract also includes the electrical studies and the installation and commissioning.
Philippe Piron, president and CEO of GE Power Conversion said, “With the growth trend we currently see in the aerospace industry, engine manufacturers need to develop their test facilities and improve their efficiency and flexibility.
“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.”
