Engine Wear
When operating on the ground, engines almost continually suck in dust and other debris.
Eighty-five percent (85%) of foreign object debris can be found around the gate and
taxiway areas. WheelTug can dramatically reduce foreign object damage by allowing
aircraft operators to turn off their engines in these areas.
Avoidance of foreign object damage has two major benefits.
- In flight fuel savings due to increased turbine efficiency. Small objects,
such as particles of sand, tend to cause only minor wear. But as turbine blades are
very precisely designed, engineered, and constructed to be as efficient as possible --
very small imperfections on the blade will reduce the overall engine efficiency.
WheelTug can reduce that inefficiency.
Engine washing, which reduces dust on the blades can result in fuel savings of
0.5% to 1.5%. WheelTug may have an even more meaningful long-term impact.
In other words, WheelTug can improve engine efficiency and emissions whenever the engine
is being run, even when WheelTug is off.
- Maintenance and reliability improvements due to eliminating major turbine damage.
When significant objects such as rivets are ingested by engines, they can cause enough damage
to require immediate repair and even replacement.
Through the implementation of
WheelTug, aircraft operators can cut their maintenance costs, improve efficiency, and
reduce unscheduled out of service times.
