787 First electrical start of Trent 1000 Engines

[Viv]

Heres are some links to Flight globals coverage of the new 787s first electrical start of its Rolls Royce Trent 1000 Engines, note that it is the first time engines this big have been started using electrical power rather than bleed air from an auxiliary engine, this simplifies the complexity of the aircraft systems and saves a huge amount of weight from the airframe.

The electric motors used to start the engines are also used in flight as the electrical generators for power (motor/generators), as you can imagine they were already there and used so this saves a lot of weight as no other additional equipment is needed.

The article "seems" to point towards two starter/generators per engine at 250Kva each or 500Kva per engine, thats not an easy power level to generate in solid state electronics but not insurmountable, but I do want to see that confirmed.

Part one
http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/fligh ... trent.html
Part two
http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/fligh ... rent2.html
Pictures and vid link
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/20 ... start.html
Video
http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/fligh ... --eng.html

Before any one asks why they cant just turn on the fuel and the spark to the combustor's and spool up the turbine for an autonomous start like some one once suggested on the forum? well it doesn't work like that in the real world

Viv