Aircraft Super Integrated Power Unit

An SIPU is a single aircraft power unit capable of providing (1) electrical, pneumatic, and hydraulic power for ground maintenance and standby operations, (2) normal main engine start power, (3) emergency in-flight electrical and hydraulic power, and (4) in-flight emergency main engine restart power. Power can be obtained from: jet fuel combustion with air for the ground operations and normal engine starts; a gas generator system using on-board stored propellants for the emergency power and emergency engine restart functions; and the aircraft main engine compressor air as a second source for the emergency electrical and hydraulic power function.

An SIPU concept demonstration program is currently near completion at Rockwell International's Rocketdyne Division, sponsored by the Aeropropulsion Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The program is for design, fabrication, assembly, and test of a demonstrator SIPU capable of performing all four functions.