Transcript WheelTug plc

New Technology for Moving
Airplanes on the Ground
SAE A-5 Toronto
Towbarless Towing Panel
May 2, 07
Gary Ataman
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SAE Presentation
2 May 2007
WheelTug plc
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Who?
• WheelTug Plc is a member of the
Borealis family of companies.
– Borealis Exploration Limited, the parent
company, was incorporated in 1968.
• Chorus Motors was incorporated in 1999.
• WheelTug plc was incorporated in 2005
– Borealis has had current management
since 1978.
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Proposition
There is a problem
with efficiency of ground
operations at airports
The solution to this problem
contains neat engineering, a
superb business case, and a
whole lot of fun!
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WheelTug Benefits
Safety
• The use of main engines in gate areas poses a safety hazard
because of their:
–
–
–
–
Power
Required safety zone
Noise
Difficulties in control
• Tugs present challenges because:
– They are another ground vehicle
– They create communications issues
• WheelTug is silent, reacts immediately and can be cooperatively
controlled by the ground and flight crews
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Concept
Tugs and Turbines
WheelTug®
Aircraft rely on tugs and
turbines to move on the
ground
Integrated electric motors in
the aircraft nose wheels offer
full mobility without the use
of turbines or tugs
This is a cumbersome,
expensive and unsafe
method of moving aircraft on
the ground
Allows safer, cost-effective,
more efficient operations
Enables the redesign of
airport airside operation
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Technical Issues - Tires
WheelTug’s effect on tire wear: pros and cons
More tire wear
Less tire wear
No scrubbing during turns thrust is in-line with the nose
gear
Probable increase in inertial
mass for landing
More “normal” friction during
taxi
No scrubbing from singleengine taxi counter-forces
(also less stresses on the
rest of the nosegear)
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Technical Win - Brakes
Many aircraft use the brakes throughout taxi, as a
counter to the engines. WheelTug means
• Far less brake use during normal taxi,
because no engine to counter
• Much more cool-down time after landing
event, allowing for faster turnaround.
Sometimes aircraft cannot turn around fast
enough because brakes are ridden during taxi,
keeping them too hot for takeoff.
Less brake use is less brake wear and cost
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Technical Win - Tug Damage
Between tug damage, tow bar damage, the cost of
shear pin replacements (time and money and
resources), there is also extensive landing gear
damage from use and misuse of tugs, including
impact shock forces in normal tug operation, either
during hookup or initial pushback procedure
These are stresses that WheelTug eliminates
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Changes to Aircraft
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Environmental Advantages
Tugs and Turbines
WheelTug
Today’s aircraft waste
considerable fuel by
using turbines to taxi,
creating emissions
including greenhouse
gases
Less fuel used and less
fuel burned. Fewer
emissions and
greenhouse gases and
significantly less noise
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Specific Green Benefits
WheelTug environmental benefits if applied to in-service 757s
As compared to emissions occurring today from 757 fleet.
Pollutant
Reduction (Tons/Year)
CO2
590,000
HC
772
CO
7,891
NOx
1,503
SO2
184
(aircraft only - removal of diesel exhaust from tugs not included)
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The Idea is OLD
• The idea of a powered nosewheel is almost
as old as the idea of an airplane. Like prerotation, it is an idea that everyone “discovers”
anew.
• Issued patents show many such ideas. But
until a motor solution came along, they were
just ideas
• The proprietary Chorus® Motor is the solution
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Chorus® Technology I
Traditional 3 Phase
Chorus Motor
Benefits:
•Use of entirely standard components
•Greater sampling rate yields less harmonic distortion
•Electronic control of additional poles allows automatic
reconfiguration of the motor for different torque/speed
profiles
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Chorus® Technology II
Chorus Technology
• Harnesses harmonics, rather than minimizing
them
• Enables:
– 10X more torque than other induction motors
– Up to a 70% reduction in size and weight of
electronics
– Improved reliability
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3 Phase - fundamental in the middle, 5th harmonic on right
QuickTime™ and a
Animation decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Chorus - fundamental in the middle, 5th harmonic on right
QuickTime™ and a
Animation decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
More explanation at http://chorusmotors.gi/technology/animations.shtml
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Chorus Technology
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Proof-of-Concept Demo
Chorus, Boeing and Air Canada
• Goal: demonstrate that two watermelon-sized
Chorus Motors could in fact move a 300,000
pound airplane
• Outside-wheel design
– “bolt-on” design
– no use of APU
• Design, assemble, integrate, and test
– 4 month deadline, start to finish.
Achieved on schedule and on budget
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Proof-of-Concept Demo
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Potential Production Design
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DC versus AC
DC Brushless
WheelTug
DC permanent magnet
designs may be able to
achieve required torque
level. Dangers of using a DC
motor include
WheelTug is an
electromagnet solution,
using classic, reliable and
rugged 3 phase components
There is no motor/generator
unless WT is externally
magnetized
Any time a DC motor spins,
power is being produced
Failure Modes - a dead
WheelTug is a free-wheeling
nosewheel, which can be
moved via tug or turbine
Failure Modes - uncontrolled
generator, demagnetization,
arc welding, runaway
Aircraft should remain in
service
Aircraft out of service
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Savings/WheelTug/Year
Pushback + Predictability + Fuel + Maintenance – Cost of Added Weight
(no consideration for environmental and other airport operational benefits)
$2,500,000
$2,000,000
$1,500,000
$1,000,000
$500,000
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777-200
737-700
A319
737-800
747-400
MD80
A320
737-300
767-200
757-200
$0
Business Model
• Power-by-thehour leasing of
the legacy fleet
• Staging of
aircraft models
by:
– Financial Value
– Market Demand
– Technical
Feasibility
Cash Flow
600
400
200
0
1
2
3
Year
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4
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Engineering Development
WheelTug aims to follow the model set by
Aviation Partners in their development of the
winglets for 737s.
• Rely extensively on senior, recently retired
engineers from airframe and component
suppliers
• Retain the option to partner with companies
with select expertise in systems ranging from
landing gear to cockpit interfaces
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Certification Development
WheelTug has added its senior certification
advisor, and is assembling a complete
certification team of DERs and DARs
Certification is the critical path, and development
will follow the Plan developed after close
consultation with the FAA
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• In March, Delta became WheelTug’s Launch
Customer for the 737NG
• Delta is also our exclusive North American
737NG Development Partner
• Certain rights to installation and maintenance
of Airline 737NG WheelTugs
• Rights to 600,000 WheelTug shares at
average price of $36/share
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Competitive Advantages I
• WheelTug retains 100% of its Intellectual
Property, with no rights assigned to any
outside party. No government R&D money
anywhere
• Over 18 US Chorus patents issued so far
(with worldwide coverage on key patents).
See web site
• First of many WheelTug-specific patents
issued last week
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Competitive Advantages II
• WheelTug plc has the exclusive rights
to the Chorus Meshcon technology for
moving aircraft on the ground
• WheelTug has
multiple layers
of competitive
defenses
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Business Summary
• WheelTug is an exciting
investment opportunity
– Proven customer
interest, driven by
the bottom line
– Fundamental value
– Superb competitive
edge
– Strong value
proposition
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