PARIS, June 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — PARIS AIR SHOW — RTX (NYSE: RTX) has conducted a successful lab test of its Enhanced Power and Cooling System (EPACS), developed by its Collins Aerospace business. EPACS is designed to support F-35 Block 4 modernization and future upgrades. The company anticipates EPACS will achieve Technology Readiness Level 6 in 2023 and be ready to begin an Engineering & Manufacturing Development program as early as 2024.
Through its more efficient thermodynamic cycle, EPACS provides significantly more cooling capacity to the platform and requires less energy from the engine, thus helping to unlock improved engine performance and durability. The system will deliver more than twice the current cooling capability to support additional growth beyond Block 4 and is expected to provide enough cooling capacity for the life of the aircraft. In addition, EPACS fits within the existing envelope and is intended to be compatible with all three F-35 variants.
Engineered to supply cooling, main engine start and emergency power functionality for the F-35, EPACS includes an air cycle system, electric power generator and controller from Collins along with an auxiliary power unit from Pratt & Whitney.
“By leveraging proven technologies already in service on commercial and military aircraft, EPACS is a mature system that will help maximize F-35 performance for decades to come,” said Ira Grimmett, vice president, Environmental & Airframe Control Systems for Collins Aerospace. “Using our state-of-the-art test lab in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, we have begun demonstrating the system’s capacity to deliver more than twice the current cooling capability, validating EPACS as the best solution for Block 4 and beyond. We are excited for the opportunity to work with Lockheed Martin and the Joint Program Office to bring this solution forward.”
About Collins Aerospace
Collins Aerospace is a business of RTX, the largest aerospace and defense company in the world. Our global team of 73,000 employees dreams, designs and delivers smarter, more connected solutions for passenger safety and comfort, mission success, space exploration, and operational efficiency and sustainability. We make the most powerful concepts in aerospace a reality.
About RTX
RTX is the world’s largest aerospace and defense company. Our global team of 180,000 employees pushes the limits of known science and redefines how we connect and protect our world. We are advancing aviation, building smarter defense systems and creating innovations to take us deeper into space. Effective July 1, the company will complete its realignment into three customer-focused business units — Collins Aerospace, Raytheon and Pratt & Whitney. The company, with 2022 sales of $67 billion, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.
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SOURCE Raytheon Technologies
