EMALS Program Completes Key Testing Component

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UNITED STATES - 14 SEPTEMBER 2009

SAN DIEGO, Calif. --- General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems division (GA-EMS) completed the second phase of high cycle testing (HCT II) July 27 on the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) power generation and power conditioning equipment.

The tests collected reliability and performance data as part of reducing risk and establishing confidence the system meets all specified requirements. The work was performed at GA’s Tupelo, Miss. manufacturing and test facility.

More than 10,000 cycles were performed at shipboard-representative power and energy levels and duty cycles. A final thermal test will be completed in the next month. This test confirms full operability of the motor generator during the maximum thermal range.

In addition, environmental qualification tests will be conducted concurrently with the next phase of HCT, which will add an additional 30,000 cycles to this hardware.

“This phase of the test program provides significant risk reduction that the high energy inverters and rectifiers will do their intended job for EMALS. The PCS inverters have demonstrated active clamping beyond any known energy levels previously qualified,” said Division Vice President R. Scott Forney, III.

EMALS is the catapult launch system that will go on CVN-78 class aircraft carriers, replacing the steam catapults used on current generations of aircraft carriers.

Source: General Atomics

Artist depiction CVN-78 Gerald R. Ford-class Super Aircraft Carriers (U.S. Navy)

 

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EMALS Completes Highly Accelerated Life Testing, Begins System Functional Demonstration Launch Motor Commissioning
UNITED STATES - 28 SEPTEMBER 2009

NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, MD --- The Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) is one step closer to launch with the completion of the first phase of Highly Accelerated Life Testing and the second phase of System Functional Demonstration (SFD) commissioning.

“This testing allows our engineers to gather data and prepare the Navy for the next evolution of EMALS tests” George Sulich, EMALS Integrated Program Team lead said.

“While HALT gives an indication of how the system’s launch motor will perform under at-sea conditions,” Sulich said, “SFD commissioning prepares us for upcoming test launches of dead-loads and aircraft.”

The HALT gauges the EMALS launch motor’s ability to operate in simulated at-sea environmental conditions on board the carrier. HALT also supplies the system’s engineers with the data necessary to verify EMALS’ peak performance, even in extreme conditions.

The SFD testing replicates full-scale launching capabilities of EMALS. Commissioning is performed to ensure all components of SFD are prepared for actual dead-load and aircraft launches. Dead-loads are large-wheeled, steel-framed vehicles used in lieu of aircraft to test catapults. The dead-load is weighted to simulate the launch weight of an actual aircraft for each test event.

The second phase of SFD commissioning integrated and tested all power components of the system with the launch controller. The upcoming third phase will integrate the remainder of the system, and test the ability to convert electrical power to mechanical force by static and low-speed motion of the armature, the component that interfaces with dead loads and aircraft.

The testing culminates with the launch of dead-load weights and non-operational test aircraft at Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst, N.J. Commissioning with dead loads is scheduled to begin this fall.

EMALS design provides greater flexibility in launching capabilities of both current and future generations of the carrier air-wing.

“EMALS is the launching system for a whole new generation of Sailors and air wings,” said Capt. Randy Mahr, Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment Program Office (PMA-251) program manager here. “We’ve been using the venerable steam catapults for more than 50 years, and the upgrade to EMALS expands our envelope for efficiency, safety and performance.”

Production of EMALS equipment has begun, and the technology is on schedule for delivery to CVN 78.

 

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EMALS Track Opens for Launch Tests
UNITED STATES - 12 NOVEMBER 2009

SAN DIEGO, Calif. --- General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems division (GA-EMS), along with the U.S. Navy Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), celebrated the opening of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) test track at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Nov. 12, 2009.

Those in attendance included Congressman Chris Smith, Fourth Congressional District of New Jersey; RADM David L. “Deke” Philman, Director, Air Warfare Division (OPNAV N88) on the staff of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Integration of Capabilities and Resources (OPNAV N8); RDML Michael McMahon, Program Executive Officer for Aircraft Carriers; RDML (sel) Randolph L. Mahr, Aircraft Launch & Recovery Equipment (ALRE) Program Manager; CAPT Brian Antonio, Future Aircraft Carriers Program Office Program Manager, Michael R. Reed, Senior Vice President, Advanced Technologies Group, General Atomics; R. Scott Forney III, Division Vice President, Electromagnetic Systems Division, General Atomics (GA-EMS), and Sue Wojtowicz, ALRE Program Director of GA-EMS.

GA industry team members were in attendance, including Foster-Miller, Inc., Kato Engineering, L-3 Pulse Power Division, General Atomics Electronic Systems Inc., Electro Standards Laboratories, STV, Electro Mechanical Specialists, New England Wire, and Draka Cableteq.

In a unique display of the launch system, the armature, which would normally accelerate aircraft, sped down the track to cut the ceremonial ribbon.

EMALS is the catapult launch system that will go on CVN-78 class aircraft carriers, replacing the steam catapults used on the current generation of aircraft carriers. Commissioning of the test track has already begun and will continue over the next few months. The launch demonstration program is scheduled to begin in February, 2010 with deadload launches and will culminate with aircraft launches by the end of 2010.

“This is another significant milestone in the EMALS program, reinforcing our commitment to deliver a catapult system to CVN-78 on schedule,” said GA-EMS Division Vice President R. Scott Forney, III.


Source: General Atomics