Boeing has contracted Diehl Aviation to develop and supply emergency power supply equipment for all versions of the B787 Dreamliner aircraft, with the company’s Diehl Aerospace subsidiary having already started the development work on emergency lighting power systems (ELPS), with series deliveries expected early in next decade. Diehl is not new to this sector of the market, having supplied ELPS products to several aircraft manufacturers. Diehl is also an existing supplier of other Dreamliner systems including cabin lighting, and cabin ceilings and doorway lining parts for the B787-10.
The B787 ELPS is comprised of two parts. The emergency light control unit (ELCU) replicates complete battery control and charge and acts as an interface between the aircraft and the emergency lighting. The second part is the emergency battery unit (EBU), for which Diehl developed a smart lithium-ion battery concept.
