JLE was engaged by PAE at the New Zealand Airforce base in Whenuapai to upgrade an existing aircraft birdbath. This included 2x 75w water pumps, a new MCC and control panel with soft start drives and integrated PLC system.
Read more
These pumps were programmed with delayed start to control their tank filling system and even flow of water for the Hilos. Once the trigger button is pushed at the terminal tower control room, the PLC monitors all safety functions in a timely manner and operates the pumps for the birdbath. These pumps push a massive amount of water to the runway to create an upwards shower for the aircraft when they land to rinse off salt composites on the aircraft. With the IR radio control system from the control tower, it made the operating system far more easy to monitor and control. The whole bath cycle takes 2 minutes for each aircraft to rinse off.
This project was a challenging achievement for JLE.