Pall unit to supply copter engine protection

Pall Corp.'s aerospace division has a new contract to supply engine protection systems for the S-61 line of Sikorsky civilian and military helicopters, the Port Washington-based company said Sunday.

Pall Aerospace also said it has produced and is selling an upgraded engine protection system for all models of the Eurocopter AS350 Squirrel aircraft.

Both protection systems are variations of Pall's Centrisep Engine Advanced Protection System (EAPS), which shields helicopter engines from damage caused by particles of sand, dust, salt spray, rain, snow and ice. The dollar value of the contracts was not disclosed.

The device uses centrifugal force to stop particles from reaching the engine air intake, Pall Aerospace said in a news release.

"The EAPS technology extends the life of a helicopter engine against erosion, while enhancing engine safety, reliability, availability and performance," the release said.

The Sikorsky contract is part of a modernization program to extend the service life of the more than 600 S-61s currently in service, Pall said.

The Squirrel AS350 engine upgrade was developed in partnership with the helicopter's engine maker, Turbomeca.

"The upgrade has significantly higher dust separation efficiency than the original design," Pall said. "Desert trials have proven that it provides advanced engine protection for one of the world's leading civil helicopters."

The upgrade can be used with the entire range of AS350s, including the EC130 and AS355, and more than 250 sets of this latest system have already been shipped to 26 helicopter operators, including 11 in North America, Pall Aerospace said.

The AS350 Centrisep EAPS is a "fit and forget" environmentally sustainable solution, Pall said. "Unlike other systems, there is no need for regular maintenance and cleaning, and the unit is certified for inadvertent entry into icing conditions without the need for complicated bypass doors."