NGL's Generic OBOGS becomes a Millennium Product

Citation

(1999), "NGL's Generic OBOGS becomes a Millennium Product", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 71 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.1999.12771bad.002

NGL's Generic OBOGS becomes a Millennium Product

NGL's Generic OBOGS becomes a Millennium Product

Keywords Aerospace, NGL, Oxygen

Normalair-Garrett's Generic On-Board Oxygen Generation System (Generic OBOGS) (Plate 2) has been granted Millennium Product status by the British Design Council after Prime Minister Tony Blair challenged businesses to show that Britain is the creative powerhouse of the world.

Generic OBOGS automatically extracts oxygen from the air for breathing by aircrew or air ambulance patients. It is developed and produced in Yeovil, Somerset, UK by Normalair-Garrett Ltd (NGL), an aerospace equipment company acquired last year by AlliedSignal Inc. from GKN Westland.

Plate 2 Normalair-Garrett's Generic On-Board Oxygen Generation System (OBOGS)

"This OBOGS product was developed originally for military aircraft because of its logistic advantages ­ no recharging or filling is required. We realised that these benefits could be made more widely available if we simplified the design and reduced costs", said NGL's managing director, Peter Burrows.

NGL pioneered the development of On-Board Oxygen Generation Systems (OBOGS) for military aircraft, winning contracts for such prestigious programmes as the Eurofighter, and the USAF's B-B 1B, B-2 Stealth Bomber and F-22 Raptor Fighter (Plate 3).

The system removes nitrogen from air taken off from the engine compressor and supplies oxygen at the correct concentration to the aircrew. NGL's innovative OBOGS technology reduces weight, removes flight planning constraints, and eliminates the logistic support necessary for conventional oxygen bottles.

Plate 3 The NGL engineering team responsible for the development of the Generic OBOGS with the oxygen monitor, oxygen concentrator and breathing regulator. Back row (l to r) Alan Davidson, Steve Pearce, Kevin Bartlett, Craig Murley, Neil Prout, Mark Allen, John Helps. Front row (l to r) Charlie Taylor (holding the oxygen monitor), Dave Pearcey (holding the oxygen concentrator) and Derek Puplett (holding the breathing regulator)

Recognising that these benefits could be made more widely available if the design could be simplified and costs reduced, NGL embarked on an intensive development programme, before launching Generic OBOGS in 1996. Orders have already been received for Australia's Hawk trainers, the SAAB Gripen and British Aerospace's new Nimrod. And in a good example of defence technology transfer, Rega Swiss Air Ambulance has ordered the system to provide therapeutic oxygen for patients on long haul international missions.

Further details available from Normalair-Garrett Ltd, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 2YA, UK.