Boeing has selected Hamilton Sundstrand to supply a nitrogen generating system (NGS) for the 7E7, making it the first commercial airliner to be designed from scratch with a fuel-tank inerting system.
Unlike the systems in development for current Boeing models, the NGS will inert all the fuel tanks in the 7E7, and not just the centre wing tank. Hamilton Sundstrand is prime contractor and will supply the environmental control system (ECS) -side of the NGS, which takes air from the aircraft's electrically-driven ECS, compresses it and cools it and supplies it to the air separation modules. These, in turn, will be supplied by Carelton Life Support Systems which will provide three membrane-based separation modules per aircraft. The nitrogen-enriched air then goes to a fuel tank nitrogen distribution and venting system, supplied by FR-HiTemp, which is already providing the 7E7's fuel pump and valve subsystem.
Earlier this year, Hamilton Sundstrand was chosen to supply the 7E7's environmental control system, electric power generating and start system, remote power distribution system, and the primary power distribution system and auxiliary power unit. The company also developed the Boeing C-17 inerting system and has won the contract to upgrade it from a stored-nitrogen molecular-sieve system to a continuous-flow membrane system. The 7E7 NGS is the company's first commercial system and is being viewed as a significant win as Boeing has previously selected a Honeywell/Parker NGS for retrofit and forward fit to legacy Seattle-built airliners.
Source: Flight International
