WILJAM FLIGHT TRAINING

Chapter 8.4
RPM Indicators & Propeller Synchroniser Systems
Introduction
The measurement of engine speed is an extremely important parameter, which together with
manifold pressure, torque and exhaust gas temperature, allows the performance of an engine to
be accurately controlled.
The speed of a reciprocating engine is measured at the crankshaft, whilst with turboprop and
turbojet engines the rotational speed of the compressor shaft is measured, which gives a useful
indication of the amount of thrust being produced. These instruments are normally referred to
as Tachometers, and operate either mechanically or electrically.
In the case of aeroplanes fitted with multi-propeller installations the RPMs are carefully
matched to reduce flight crew workload by automatically reducing the noise and vibration during
the cruise.
Tachometers
The main types of tachometer are: Magnetic Drag Tachometer. This type of tachometer is like a car speedometer and
is used on a light aeroplane. It uses a series of small permanent magnets, which are
rotated via a flexible shaft at half the engine speed, from a spur gear on the engine.

DIAL
INPUT SHAFT

POINTER

DRAG DISC
HAIRSPRINGS
SERIES OF SMALL
MAGNETS

A highly conductive metal cup or disc (copper or aluminium alloy) is mounted on a shaft,
which is free to rotate in very low friction bearings, within the rotating magnetic field.
The shaft also carries a pointer, which is positioned by a calibrated hairspring so that it
registers zero when the magnets are at rest.
As the magnets rotate the resultant magnetic field will induce eddy currents in the disc,
which then interact with the magnetic field, and drag it along with it, hence the name
Drag Cup. The eddy currents are such that the amount of drag increases
proportionally with speed, whilst hairsprings apply torque to the system. The torque
produced is proportional to the rotation of the drag cup shaft, and the pointer
correspondingly rotates over a linearly spaced dial, as shown on the next page. The

8-4-1

WILJAM FLIGHT TRAINING

cautionary operating range is clearly marked with a yellow arc, whilst a green arc
indicates the normal operating range.

Tacho-Generator and Indicator System.

This system uses a remotely driven
tachometer. The detector (or pick-up) is an AC type generator, which consists of a
permanent magnet rotor that rotates within a slotted stator. The AC generator is bolted
directly to a mounting pad at the appropriate accessories drive gear outlet from an
engine, and the rotor is driven by a splined shaft coupling. In order to limit the
mechanical loads on generator, ratio gears are used in the engine drive system to
reduce the operating speed of the rotor.
The signal from the detector unit is passed through a synchro system to the indicator
unit. A typical indicator consists of two interconnected elements, a driving element
and a speed-indicating element.

Three wires connect the AC generator to the indicator unit, and as the permanent
magnet rotor is rotated within the stator, a three-phase AC supply, whose frequency
and voltage is proportional to the engine speed, is generated. The output from the
generator is then fed to directly to stator of an AC three-phase Squirrel Cage

8-4-2

WILJAM FLIGHT TRAINING

Induction motor, which in turn drives a cylindrical permanent magnet on a shaft. As
the magnet rotates it induces eddy currents into a drag cup, whose rotation is controlled
by a calibrated hairspring, which is attached to one end of the shaft. At the front end of
the shaft, a gear train is coupled to two concentrically mounted pointers; a large one
indicating hundreds of RPM, and a small one indicating thousands of RPM, as shown
below. The indicator may also be designed to read percentage of RPM.

Tachometer Probe and Indicator System.

This system has the advantage of
providing a number of separate electrical outputs in addition to those required for speed
indication, eg. automatic engine control and flight data recording. It also has the
advantage that there are no moving parts, and thus will not be subject to high rotational
loads.

The stainless steel, hermetically sealed probe comprises of a permanent magnet, a

pole piece, and a number of Cupro-Nickel or Nickel-Chromium coils that are wound
around a ferromagnetic core, as shown below. Separate windings (from five to seven
depending on the type and application of a probe) provide outputs to the indicator and
other processing units requiring engine speed data.

8-4-3

WILJAM FLIGHT TRAINING

1.
2.
3.
4.

Body
Potting
Coil
Gear

5. Soft Iron Core

6. Spool (insulation)
7. Permanent magnet

This type of probe is mounted on the engine at a station in the high-pressure compressor
section so that it extends into this section. In some turbofan engines, a probe may also be
mounted at the fan section for measuring fan speed. The fan speed indicating system is, in
effect, a fan blade counting device. The sensor heads are mounted flush in the fan shroud
panel, and contain permanent magnets.

8-4-4

WILJAM FLIGHT TRAINING

The passage of each fan blade disrupts the magnetic field set up by the sensor magnets, and
causes an electrical signal pulse. The frequency of the pulses is equal to the number of blades
times the RPM, thus giving a signal frequency, which is proportional to the fan speed. The
signal is then amplified, conditioned and transmitted to the cockpit indicator in order to provide a
N1 readout in % RPM.
To ensure that the probe is correctly orientated, a locating plug is provided in the mounting
flange, as shown on the next page. The permanent magnet produces a magnetic field around
the sensing coils, and as the fan blades pass the pole pieces, the intensity of flux through each
pole varies inversely with the width of the air gap between the poles and the blades. As the
blades move, the air gap varies, and an EMF is induced in the sensing coils, the amplitude of
which varies with the rate of flux density change
The output signals (from the probe) then pass through a signal-processing module, and then
through a servo amplifier to a torque motor. This in turn rotates a pointer and indicates the
change in probe signals, in terms of speed. The servo potentiometer is supplied with a
reference voltage that controls the summation of signals to the servo amplifier and ensures that
signal balancing occurs at the various constant speed conditions. In the event of a power supply
or signal failure, the pointer of the indicator is designed to return to an `off-scale' position under
the action of a pre-loaded helical spring.

In this type of indicator, the indication of a power failure differs in that a flag is also energised to
obscure the counter display.
Propeller Auxiliary Systems
Propeller auxiliary systems include systems, which increase the efficiency of the propeller
operation, and provide automatic operation of the Constant Speed Unit (CSU) or Propeller
Control Unit (PCU), and feathering mechanisms. This increases safety, and reduces the
workload of the flight crew. The following systems may be found on either light twin engine
aeroplanes, or large turbo-propeller aeroplanes.

8-4-5

WILJAM FLIGHT TRAINING

Synchronisation System
The synchronisation system is used to set all of the engine CSU's/PCU's at exactly the same
RPM, thus eliminating excessive noise and vibration. It also avoids the need for the flight crew
to continually adjust the engine controls. A Tacho-generator or a Frequency Generator is
fitted to each engine, and these generate a signal proportional to engine speed. One of the
engines acts as the Master engine, whilst the other engine(s) act as the Slave engine(s).
The slave engines always maintain the same RPM as the master. On four-engine aeroplanes
any engine can be selected to act as the master, but on a light twin-engine aeroplane it is
always the left engine. The diagram below shows a typical two-engine synchronisation system.

A synchroniser control box is used to compare the RPM signal of the slave engine(s) to the
RPM signal of the master engine. The engine, which generates the higher voltage or frequency
will determine the direction in which the actuator will rotate, and will adjust the CSU/PCU spring
setting, which in turn will adjust the RPM. Generally the RPM of the slave engines must be
within approximately 100 RPM of the master engine for synchronisation to occur. This system is
used during all phases of flight, except for take-off and landing, when failure of the master
engine would result in all the engines attempting to follow the master engine.
Synchrophasing System
Synchrophasing is a refinement of Synchronisation, and allows the pilot to set the blades of the
slave engines a number of degrees in rotation behind the blades of the master engine.

This system is used to further reduce noise and vibration. The Synchrophasing angle can be
varied by the pilot to adjust for different flight conditions to achieve a minimum noise level.

8-4-6

WILJAM FLIGHT TRAINING

Operation of a Synchrophasing System
A pulse generator is fitted to the same blade root of each propeller, eg. No. 1 blade, and the
signals generated are used to ensure that all of the No. 1 blades are in the same relative
position at the same instant.

The pulse generator serves the same function as the tacho-generator does in the
synchronisation system. By comparison, when the signals from the slave pulse generators
occur in relation to the master engine pulse, the mechanism synchronises the phase
relationship of the slaves to the master engine. A propeller phase control in the cockpit then
allows the flight crew to select the phase angle, as shown below, which will give the minimum
amount of vibration.

8-4-7

WILJAM FLIGHT TRAINING

Intentionally Left Blank

8-4-8