ITW GSE 3500 PCA
A modular, bridge-mounted pre-conditioned air unit with automated aircraft type detection — available in 150 and 210-ton configurations for regional jets through wide-body aircraft.
The ITW GSE 3500 PCA is a fixed, electric pre-conditioned air unit designed for installation under a passenger boarding bridge or on the apron adjacent to the gate. It delivers chilled (or heated) conditioned air directly to the aircraft cabin via a duct connection, allowing the aircraft APU to remain off throughout the ground stop. Switching from APU-sourced cabin air to external PCA reduces carbon emissions by approximately 80–85% per turn and avoids the fuel, maintenance, and noise costs associated with continuous APU operation.
The 3500 is offered in two capacity classes: the PCA 150 (two cooling modules, 150 tons / 330 kg/min airflow) and the PCA 210 (three or four cooling modules, 210 tons / 460 kg/min airflow), covering regional jets through the largest commercial wide-body aircraft. Discharge air temperature reaches down to 0 °C / 32 °F, controlled steplessly via variable frequency drive (VFD) on compressors and blowers — the unit supplies exactly the cooling required rather than running at fixed output, cutting energy consumption and mechanical stress. Power factor at full load exceeds 0.97, reducing cable sizing costs and line losses.
The 3500's defining feature is Automated Aircraft Type Detection (AATD): by integrating with the Visual Docking Guidance System or Airport Building Management System, the PCA identifies the arriving aircraft type specifically (not just the category) and pre-sets the correct airflow and temperature parameters before the jetbridge docks. This improves PCA cooling performance by over 50% compared to manually-set or category-level systems. Cooling modules are field-swappable in under 20 minutes with no refrigeration certification required, keeping aircraft turns on schedule during unplanned maintenance. The unit is EcoGate-enabled and can participate in Intelligent Power Management, dynamically borrowing or lending power capacity between GPU and PCA loads at the gate.
Technical specifications.
| Cooling capacity — PCA 150 | 150 tons |
| Cooling capacity — PCA 210 | 210 tons |
| Airflow — PCA 150 | 330 kg/min |
| Airflow — PCA 210 | 460 kg/min |
| Noise level | <85 dB(A) at 4.6 m |
| Module swap time | <20 min |
| Refrigerant | R410A |
| Standards | ETL (60 Hz), EN 61000-6-2/6-4, EN 62040-1-1, EN 61558-2-6 |
| Discharge temperature | Down to 0 / 32 °C / °F |
| Operating temperature range | -30 to +50 °C |
| Power factor (full load) | >0.97 |
| Line current distortion | <10% |
| PCA 150 weight | 3,200 kg |
| PCA 210 weight (3-module) | 4,000–4,500 kg |
Use cases.
- ›APU-off cabin conditioning at commercial airport boarding gates for narrow-body and wide-body aircraft
- ›New-build terminal gate infrastructure programmes targeting APU emissions reduction
- ›Retrofit of diesel or older electric PCA systems to variable-frequency drive units
- ›High-ambient airports where precise airflow control is critical for passenger comfort on arrival
- ›EcoGate integrated gate setups combining shared GPU and PCA power management
- ›Airports targeting IATA AHM910 or sustainability commitments requiring APU ground-stop programmes