Email us

FGAS Modification update to Apache ECS Carts

REQUIREMENTS

To modify the Apache Environmental Control System (ECS) Carts in order to make them compliant with current FGAS legislation.

What was delivered?

A 12-month modification programme is currently underway with carts being sent back to the LDL Aerospace workshop in batches of 3 for upgrade (15 Carts total).

It was identified that during a vacuum dehydration maintenance procedure refrigerant was being released to atmosphere from the exhaust port of the vacuum pump.

LDL designed an option to have a key switch mounted to the cart fascia enabling operators to manually override the low-pressure fault condition once required to switch on the vacuum pump. In turn this now allows maintainers to change and dehydrate the internal drier core without the necessity of sending refrigerant into the pipework system only to be pumped out to atmosphere.

What were the benefits?

Most importantly the ECS carts are now compliant with current FGAS legislation and no longer vent refrigerant to atmosphere.

The drier core dehydration process has been made more efficient and simpler for maintainers to conduct saving them valuable time when on the front line.

Now that the requirement to send R134a refrigerant into the pipework system is no longer required to be able to switch on the vacuum pump, the customer is also saving refrigerant.

MORE CASE STUDIES

Greenstem high temperature heat pump

RTU/DVRU – Low pressure, high boiling point refrigerant recovery & transfer

The Lightfoot International Limited (LI) Refrigerant Transfer Unit (RTU) is a CE marked Refrigerant Transfer Unit which has been specifically designed to recover, transfer, or charge low pressure, high boiling point refrigerants such as R245fa and R1233zd (E), in a liquid or vapour state from any RACHP system.

The RTU can be used to charge/transfer refrigerant between clean systems or in support of a full system recovery operation when coupled directly into a DVRU (the RTU MUST be connected in line with the DVRU to carry out a full system recovery). This coupling of the RTU and DVRU will enable the complete Deep Vacuum Recovery of the RACHP system, and other types of specified refrigerants. The unit can be operated by one refrigeration engineer.

Read More »
Abigail Bennet

Inside the Cold Room: Abigail Bennett

The first staff member to be interviewed in our Cold Room series: Abigail Bennet. Abigail joined Lightfoot in January 2025 as a Sales Administrator moving across from the telecoms industry. She has really enjoyed gaining experience within the sales environment and getting to know the team.

Read More »

Submit your CV