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    3. Hydraulic Systems

    Parker Aerospace Engine-Driven Pump Selected by Boeing to Power the B-52H Stratofortress Hydraulic System for Decades

    Sept. 21, 2022
    Related To: Parker Hannifin Corp
    Business Wire
    Parker Aerospace’s AP15V World Pump has been selected for the B-52 Stratofortress hydraulic system, helping the aircraft meet fuel efficiency and reliability goals for the Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP).
    Parker Aerospace’s AP15V World Pump has been selected for the B-52 Stratofortress hydraulic system, helping the aircraft meet fuel efficiency and reliability goals for the Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP).

    Parker Aerospace, a business segment of Parker Hannifin Corporation, the global leader in motion and control technologies, announced that Boeing selected Parker to supply its AP15V engine-driven pump (EDP) for the hydraulic system of the B-52H Stratofortress. The long-range heavy bomber is undergoing a significant revitalization, including its Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP) initiated by the U.S. Air Force. The Parker AP15V EDP, also known as the World Pump, will help power the aircraft’s hydraulic system through the 2050s.

    “This manufacturing contract award extends Parker Aerospace’s 67-year history of supplying proven and reliable hydraulic solutions since the B-52 first entered service in 1955,” said President Roger Sherrard of Parker Aerospace. “We are honored and excited to support the modernization of the B-52H fleet that serves such a critical role in our country’s National Security Strategy,” Sherrard added.

    To keep the combat-capable bomber in service for the coming decades, the Air Force set ambitious goals for its CERP aimed at reducing operating fuel costs while boosting reliability. In September of 2021, the Air Force selected Rolls-Royce North America as its contractor for the re-engine program. Parker Aerospace looks forward to supporting Rolls-Royce and Boeing in achieving these objectives and maximizing aircraft readiness.

    The Parker World Pump: Proven and tested performance

    Parker’s World Pump is a legacy EDP that has accumulated millions of highly reliable flight hours across numerous commercial and military applications. In side-by-side testing with competitor products, Parker quantified how its World Pump delivers an overall lower life-cycle cost (LCC) to the customer:

    • The World Pump is 10 percent lighter, delivering the highest horsepower-to-weight ratio. Weight directly affects fuel burn. Relative to the direct impact of Parker’s pump, weight represents approximately 18 percent of its total LCC.
    • The World Pump produces 15 percent less heat rejection. Pump heat rejection and overall horsepower pump inefficiency directly affect fuel burn. Energy loss represents the most significant contribution to LCC, accounting for 43 percent of the overall product LCC.
    • The World Pump is field-proven and reliable. Across a broad commercial and military application base, Parker’s demonstrated field reliability exceeded the required B-52H requirement by 200%. In this military application, superior reliability translates into a higher mission capability rate and lower maintenance costs, representing approximately 12 percent of the product LCC. In the commercial environment, this translates into fewer associated delays and cancellations, representing 18 percent of the overall product LCC.

    “Parker’s World Pump is reshaping the future of aircraft hydraulic systems, delivering unprecedented levels of weight reduction and reduced heat rejection at a time when energy efficiency and emissions curtailment have never been more crucial,” Sherrard noted. “Our deep hydraulic systems integration experience, extensive manufacturing and testing capabilities, and lifetime support for Parker military customers will help ensure a successful entry into service for the upgraded and more fuel-efficient B-52H fleet.”