Port Authority of NY and NJ, Newark Liberty International Airport, Switch House Nos. 1 & 3
Burns Engineering, Inc. was selected to provide engineering services for airfield electrical systems at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). The switch house system provides electrical power to airfield navigation systems in a redundant configuration for mission critical operation. The existing switch house system powers three runways and associated taxiways at EWR, however a reliable, redundant and safe system is needed to accommodate the future capacity and expansion of the Airport.
The 50 year old Switch House No. 1 is prone to flooding, and contains original equipment that is near the end of its useful life. A new switch house configuration was devised, and a third switch house, Switch House No. 3, was added in close proximity to the existing two.
The new configuration enables the airfield to be segregated into three power distribution zones to better serve the three existing runways. Each switch house is supplied by an isolated utility substation, and each switch house has an integral emergency generator, providing backup capacity in the event of an outage. Burns was able to design a process for phasing cutovers to the new configuration while minimizing the impact on airport operations. The addition of Switch House No. 3 provides EWR an electrical system arrangement that is also much easier to maintain and troubleshoot.
The new design modernizes the building layout and electrical equipment configuration. The electrical equipment includes switchgear-style regulators which are a more compact and space-saving alternative, easier to install, and more versatile than the standard, stand-alone regulators. The electrical system is also interconnected to provide better reliability to FAA airfield equipment.
Reliable power for airfield lighting systems and FAA equipment is crucial at major air carrier airports. Burns’ knowledge of airfield circuiting and airport operations provided EWR with increased system reliability and electrical capacity for new airfield navigation systems and future growth.
Posted on May 6, 08:27 AM