Powering the kings of the sky - get to know the aircraft GPU!
Pretty much everything in our world needs power, from machines to humans (but please don’t drink energy drinks, those are bad, m’kay?). And aircraft is no exception. So how do you power up something so large and demanding? The answer is short: a GPU!
So what exactly is a “GPU”?
A “Ground Power Unit”, or in short, “GPU”, is an electrical device which powers an aircraft while on the ground. Most aircraft use a fixed (in the ground, or even to jetways, we wrote about this in a previous post!) or a portable ground power unit. The latter type allows greater flexibility for the airport operations team to tow the unit wherever required and serve different aircraft parking on different stands as needed. And exactly this type of GPU will be yours to operate in AirportSim.
Electrifying facts about GPUs
Normally, electrical power is supplied to an aircraft's systems by generators installed in the engines during flight, or on the ground via the “Auxiliary Power Unit”, (APU) carried by most. All this hardware consumes jet fuel and the aircraft must be manned during its operation. Therefore the GPU is very useful when airplanes are parked for a long time, usually overnight or between rotations to save fuel on APU use.
A GPU, much unlike your average household power supply, is unique in that it provides a very specific “ripple free” or “clean” voltage, this ensures sensitive avionics and control systems within the aircraft are protected during powered maintenance and engine starting operations. To be more precise: planes do not require the standard 110/220 volt and 50/60Hz power supply used worldwide. Instead they require power at 115 Volt and 400Hz electrical frequency while smaller aircrafts like business and private jets generally require a much smaller 28 Volt DC power supply.
GPUs can be powered by engines (petrol or diesel), by batteries and can even work as a solid state converter that does not generate electricity of its own. It takes the airport’s utility power supply as an input and converts frequency and volts to those needed by the aircraft.
Buzzing with complexity!
Our flying inventions that transport us through the skies are complex machines that require no less complex ground handling. The GPU you've had a chance to learn about today is just one of the many pieces of equipment you'll be able to operate in AirportSim! We can’t wait to share what else will await you on the airport's apron.
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