BOEING 747 LOWER LOBE GALLEY SYSTEM INTEGRATION

 

C. V. LINDOW

 

The Boeing Company

[183] System integration for practical purposes is the assembling of many components, with proper forms of interaction and interdependences, into a whole system to perform some function. The system that I shall discuss is the Boeing 747 lower lobe galley and its function to store prepared meals and beverages and to enable trained personnel to present them to the passengers in an elegant and timely manner. I am, therefore, discussing only that part of the food and beverage provisioning and serving system that begins at the entrance to the airplane.

First, let us consider the reason that we are interested in a lower lobe galley on any airplane. The net effect of lower lobe galleys on airlines is illustrated by listing the advantages and disadvantages as follows.

Advantages to airline:

(1) Increased main-deck seating capacity

(2) Utilization of cargo/baggage loading equipment to service galleys

(3) Minimized main deck congestion during passenger loading

(4) Minimized ramp congestion during ground servicing

(5) Equipment interchangeability with other airplane types

Disadvantages to airline:

(1) Reduced lower lobe cargo capacity

(2) Increased airplane empty weight

(3) Increased airplane cost

A principal advantage to the airlines is an increase in the main-deck seating capacity of any airplane of a given length, and this is a function of the original main-deck galley and seating arrangement. In the case of the 747 the capacity can vary from 4 additional passengers to over 30.

Since a lower lobe galley is on the same level as the cargo and baggage area, the cargo/ baggage loading equipment can be utilized to service the galleys. This eliminates the high-lift commissary service truck, an expensive piece of equipment. If we do not need to service galleys through the main-deck doors, passenger loading and cabin cleaning can be continued without interference from the galley loading. If we have fewer vehicles on the ramp through use of the cargo vehicles for galley servicing, we have less congestion in an extremely congested place. Some airlines have an additional incentive - that of equipment interchange with other airplane types.

There are some disadvantages to the airlines. First, the overall cargo capacity is reduced because of the space that is taken up by the lower lobe galleys. In the case of the 747, [184] this amounts to about 2000 cu ft of cargo capability. The airplane empty weight is increased because of structural provisions, elevators, and other factors. And, of course, the airplane costs more. It is clear then that a lower lobe galley is not optimum for all airlines and is therefore an option on the 747.

The principal system requirements are as follows. In the food category we need to store and serve two complete meals with a beverage service on long flights. For the 747, this requires the storage of 800 meals. It is necessary to be able to serve a beverage and an adequate meal on flights as long as those between Chicago and New York; such long flights require 400 complete meals. Particularly on long flights we need to provide a reasonable choice of entrees, say 20 percent, and to reduce the spoilage and waste of unused frozen entrees. Incidentally, the prime mode of operation of the 747 lower lobe galley is based on the use of frozen entrees. A second mode is to use chilled foods rather than the frozen entrees, and a third mode, which we do not expect to be used very often, is to load warm entrees onto the airplane and keep them warm.

In the seating area there is a requirement to increase the number of passenger seats to the maximum consistent with the cabin arrangement and at the same time to maintain and enhance the already considerable passenger appeal of the basic 747.

In the ground servicing area it is desirable to reduce the congestion from maintenance, commissary, and cabin-cleaning personnel and eliminate the obstruction of passenger movement adjacent to the galley and in the cross-aisle areas. Eliminating the galley replenishing activity on the main deck of the airplane enables earlier passenger loading and tends also to reduce the through-stop or turnaround times of the airplane. It eliminates high-lift commissary service trucks, those with beds extended to about 17 ft. We would rather use the lower 10-ft cargo-baggage loading system for loading the galleys and so reduce wear and tear on the interior and exterior of the airplane.

In the technical area we must maintain a satisfactory level of noise, ventilation, lighting, and temperature in the lower lobe galleys for the benefit of the attendants who work there during the flight. Safety, reliability and maintainability must be kept at their present levels, and weight must be kept to a minimum. The airplane structural and system changes must be minimized to reduce costs and flow times. In addition, it is necessary to meet U. S. Public Health Service Regulations.

In the management area we have a requirement to create a common 747 lower lobe galley for two of our airline customers and a requirement to utilize some equipment interchangeability on the Boeing 747 and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 airplanes of those particular airlines. We, of course, have a Boeing requirement to design for a broad 747 market appeal.

Now, if we assess the meaning of system integration in the framework of the foregoing requirements (fig. 1), we have a Boeing 747 lower lobe galley, McDonnell Douglas has a DC-10 lower lobe galley, and in each case there are Airline A requirements and Airline B requirements. Boeing is striving for a common 747 and McDonnell Douglas is striving for a common DC-10. We ail recognize that in both cases there will be requirements unique to each airline. The task at this stage is to reconcile all these requirements to yield, as far as possible, a common lower lobe galley....

....concept. At the same time there will continue to be certain situations unique to the 747 or DC-10 and, within these, features peculiar to each airline. Out of this work come definitive requirement specifications for purchased equipment or drawings for equipment which is built inhouse. Additionally, most of our aircraft subsystems are affected to some extent. Integrating all these factors results in a complete airplane, including a completely functional lower lobe galley system.

Now that we have outlined the tasks of system integration, let us look at some of the resulting configurations and solutions. Figure 2 shows a typical interior arrangement of the 747. Forward of the wing is a forward lower lobe galley complex. In the ease of the 747, there is also an aft lower lobe galley complex aft of the wing. Each complex is composed of a lower lobe galley and a 2-unit service center on the main deck.

Figure 3 is a view through the airplane cross section. On the right-hand side of the airplane are 3 refrigerated modules about 60 in. long, each of which contains 4 tray carts and has stowage areas above which can accommodate refrigerated food or dry stowage. On the left side of the airplane is a freezer module, which is controlled to 0° F for frozen food or 40° F for chilled food and can contain 480 entrees and ice cubes. Remember that there are 2 identical galleys on the 747, and the airplane can carry 960 entrees. The next module is the liquor-cart module, which contains 4 liquor carts set up for two complete liquor services. The third module, which is partly [186] obscured behind the elevator, contains the entree and waste carts and on it a dry-stowage module. Above the shelf 4 ovens are fixed to the airplane; each is designed to reconstitute 60 entrees in 35 min.

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The small box above the entree module is the electric control center for the galley. The elevator on the left can be used either for moving stewardesses or carts. The elevator on the right is open and is used for carts only. These emerge in the service center on the main deck.

Figure 4 shows the two elevator doors, coffeemakers, and dry stowage above the counter, with a mechanical refrigerator and dry stowage below. An intercom system is provided so that main-deck and lower lobe attendants can talk without going through the airplane telephone system. On the other side of the cross aisle is the aft unit of the forward service center (fig. 5). On the two ends of the units are closets accessible from the longitudinal aisles of the airplane, with magazine racks above, There are three additional coffeemakers, thus providing six in each service center. A waste cart is positioned in the right-hand outboard position under an opening in the counter through which waste may be thrown into the top part of the waste cart. The bottom part of the waste cart has separate drawers to enable the separation of soiled reusable articles from disposable items. The aft unit contains spaces wherein two additional carts can be stored, and these are serviced with electric connectors for keeping entree-cart contents heated, if required.

All the vendor-supplied equipment that I have mentioned is being procured under Boeing specifications as shown in table I. You will note that all the equipment except that indicated will fit and function on both the 747 and DC-10.

One of the primary means of deciding whether system integration has been accomplished is to carry out a system test. Figure 6 shows the logic for the lower lobe galley and module handling system tests. Vendors provide prototypes and preproduction articles and perform qualification testing on the articles they provide. Some of these articles are run through the Boeing-Everett laboratories to accomplish component and subsystem verification tests. Those that pass the tests go to our lower lobe galley functional test vehicle for verification of performance in a whole system. From there then we have two paths - those items which are involved In our lower lobe galley module/ cargo/baggage handling subsystem go into that particular part of our organization to be tested in appropriate test vehicles. The others go into our first aircraft of this type for ground testing and for flight testing. To explain this more fully, our lower lobe galley functional test vehicle (fig. 7) is the equivalent of part of the forward section of our airplane; it is set on the floor so that we can....

...work conveniently with it throughout the program. After completion of this testing we will be satisfied that the system will in fact function in accordance with the standards which we have established. The airlines then will provide hostesses and procedures appropriate to their meal services.

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