Electric Drives for Electric Green Taxiing Systems: Examining and Evaluating the Electric Drive System

This article addresses the implementation of electric taxiing without the use of main engines by exploiting the electric propulsion of the landing gears. In a joint initiative, Honeywell Aerospace and Safran have achieved substantial progress in developing an electric green taxiing system (eTaxi). Significant analysis, design, fabrication, and testing have already been completed and culminated in a demonstration at the Paris Air Show (PAS) in 2013. The eTaxi system has been installed on an A320 airplane that uses the auxiliary power unit (APU) to generate electric power to provide propulsion to two wheels of the main landing gear. The primary advantages of such a system are reduction of fuel consumption and audio noise; reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂), carbon, and nitrous emissions; reduced foreign-object-damage (FOD) exposure to the engine; and the fast-turn time savings achieved by the elimination of the ground tractor for pushback operation.