P13

Up and Running
E371 Turbine Engine System
 Start System and Operation
In order to effect a start on a gas turbine, the following parameters must be
met:
•The compressor must be rotated to provide sufficient airflow
•The fuel system to meter the required amount of fuel
•Ignition must be provided to the fuel air mixture
•The rotating spools must be self sustaining after ignition
Once start is selected, the starter system causes the engine to rotate and the
ignition to be switched on. With the fuel and air, in the combustion chamber,
5. Starter cut out light up should follow shortly. Once the
4. Self Sustaining
Speed engine spool has reached self sustaining
speed, the starter circuit is cancelled and
starter stops operating.
2. Ignition To achieve rotation of the spools, some
provided form of mechanical starter motor/system is
normally used. The following are
1. Start commonly used:
Selected •An Electric Starter and
3. Light up Occurs
•Air Turbo Starter
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Start System and Operation
Electric Starter
Early type of jet engines were
small and in general, employed
an electric starter motor to turn
the engine during the start cycle.
The motor is usually DC power
operated, coupled to the engine
shaft through a reduction gear
and ratchet mechanism or other
automatic disengaging drive.
Electrical power for starting is
usually supplied by an on board
battery, but can also be supplied
by external power through an
external power receptacle.

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Start System and Operation
When the battery switch is turned on,
electricity is supplied to the main power
bus bar through the battery solenoid.

Both the starter and the starter switch

draw current from the main bus bar, but
the starter will not operate until the
starting solenoid is energized by the
starter switch being turned to the “start”
position.

When the starter switch is released from

the “start” position, the solenoid removes
power from the starter motor.

The starter motor is protected from being

driven by the engine through a clutch in
the starter drive that allows the engine to
run faster than the starter motor.
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Start System and Operation
Start Circuit
The electrical circuit for supplying energy to an electric starter will
be different for various installations. A typical circuit is described
below.
The times indicated are approximate.

1.Starter button is pressed and current is supplied. Resistors R1

and R2 reduce current to the motor and consequently, its initial
speed. The time delay switch controls the sequencing and timing.

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Start System and Operation
2. After a delay of 3 seconds, R1 is short circuited, the current to
the motor increases and the motor speeds up.

3. 5 seconds after the start button is pressed, current is supplied to

the fuel supply valve. At the same time the high energy ignition
unit is energized and begins to charge.

4. At 11 seconds, resistor R2 is short circuited and the motor

speeds up to its maximum speed. With the additional airflow
through the gas turbine engine, the required fuel/air mixture is
obtained.

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 Start System and Operation
Air Turbo Starter
Modern day engines use this type of starter. It consists of a turbine,
reduction gears, clutch and drive shaft. Low pressure air is used to drive
the impulse type turbine. The engine start process is similar to the
electric starter.
The output from the turbine shaft is fed via a reduction gear through a
sprag type clutch to the engine gear box. This prevents the engine
driving the starter motor once the engine has ‘lit-up’ and is accelerating
to idle RPM.

Starter Cut
away

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Start System and Operation
Start Valve The air supply to the
To control the starter can come from
airflow from the the following sources:
APU to the air • The APU
turbine starter, a • The other engine
Start Valve is used. • An external ground
Auxiliary Power supply
Another Engine Unit(APU) The start sequence can
supply line
be manual or automatic.

External
Supply

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Start System Maintenance
Routine maintenance is carried out in accordance with the
maintenance schedule using manufacturer’s manuals. Some of the
requirements are mentioned below.
Air Turbo Starter
• Visual inspection
is to be done to
check for oil leaks,
security, damage,
corrosion, fluid
contamination,
signs of burning
and rectifying any
defects found.
• Check the gearbox
oil level and top up
as necessary

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Start System Maintenance
Electric Starter
•Check brushes for
correct seating,
correct length and
that they are a good
sliding fit in their
housing with no
chips or cracks.
•Check brush
location springs for
correct tension.
•Check any cooling
air ducts are clear

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Ignition Systems
In modern day gas turbine engines, the electrical ignition system is
used primarily during engine ground starting and is then turned off.
A secondary function of the ignition system is to provide a relight
capability if flameout occurs during take off, landing, or during bad
weather operation in flight.
Types of Ignition Components
The ignition system
Systems
commonly consists of the
Both high voltage and low
following components:
voltage ignition systems are
•Igniters
in use today and they are
•Ignition Exciters
designed either to use DC
•Ignition Harness(Cables)
or AC for input power

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Ignition Systems
Igniters
Igniters for gas turbine engines differ considerably from
spark plugs. The gap at the igniter plug tip is much wider
and the electrode is designed to withstand a much higher
intensity spark.
Igniters for high and low voltage systems are not
interchangeable and care should be taken to ensure the
manufacturer’s recommended igniter is used.
Ignition Exciters
The ignition exciters function to store a
predetermined constant amount of energy of an
ignition system independent of power supply
variations.
Ignition Harness(Cables/Leads)
A heavy duty, shielded cable that connects the
igniter to the exciter.
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Start System and Operation
Starter Duty Cycle
The "duty cycle" of a turbine engine refers to the starter motor. In the
event that the engine does not light up for whatever reason and
another start sequence must be initiated, there are certain limitations.
This will provide a certain amount of time for the starter motor to cool
down. An example of a typical starter duty cycle is given below.
Continuous operation
The starter motor must be limited in accordance with one of the
following cycles:
1. Normal Cycle
a) Up to 3 minutes continuous operation then run down to zero N2
b) Up to a further 3 minutes continuous operation then run down to
zero N2
c) Up to a further 1 minute continuous operation then run down to zero
N2 and allow to cool for 30 minutes

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Start System and Operation
Continuous operation

2.Extended Start Cycle

Up to 5 minutes continuous operation, followed by 30 minutes wait
for cooling.

3.Extended Crank Cycle

Up to 6.5 minutes continuous operation, followed by 30 minutes
wait for cooling.

Starter Maximum Re-Engagement Speed

•Speed at which you can re-engage the starter after a failed start
attempt.
•On the ground <10% N2
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Hot start and Hung Start
On some of the older turbofan engines, there may be some
abnormalities in the EGT or fuel flow that can be observed during
engine start. This sometimes identifies a ‘Hot start’ or a ‘Hung start’
condition.
Hot Start
A potential hot start is indicated by an abnormally rapid EGT rise after
light-off. Hot Starts may be caused by :

a.Inadequate starter air pressure, resulting in N2 too low to provide

sufficient compressor air flow.
b.Faulty starter valve action, preventing proper operation of starter,
with same result as item (a)
c.Foreign object damage (FOD) preventing sufficient engine
acceleration and airflow.

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Hot start and Hung Start
Hung Start
A hung start is identified by light-off followed by abnormally slow
acceleration and rpm stabilization below idle.

Hung Starts may be caused by :

a.Starter air pressure too low to accelerate engine to self-sustaining
speed
b.Premature starter deactivation
c.FOD to compressor
d.Turbine section damage.

In both the Hot and Hung start conditions, immediate engine shutdown
must be carried out and in some cases where the EGT has become
excessive, engine motoring must be conducted to bring the engine
temperature down.
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 Ignition Systems
The figure below shows a typical jet engine ignition system setup. Each
engine has 2 independent systems - system A & B. Each system can
be used at the same time or alternatively. The full system is controlled
by the FADEC, which integrates the starter, fuel and automatic start
sequencing. 115 V AC power supply to one engine Ignition Exciter
Circuit Breaker

Control Relay-Allows Electronic Control Unit, Igniter

one circuit to switch a Engine # 2-Controls
second circuit which can some aspects of engine
be completely separate performance based on
from the first some inputs

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 Ignition System Maintenance
Ignition Systems require some special
handling because of the lethal voltage Igniter
present in the ignition systems. Some Leads
typical procedures are followed by
maintenance personnel as required
by the manufacturer.
• Ensure that the ignition switch is turned
off before performing any maintenance
on the system.
• To remove an igniter, disconnect
the input lead, wait the time
prescribed by the manufacturer
(usually 1-5 minutes), then
disconnect the igniter lead and
ground the center electrode to
the engine. The igniter is now safe to move.
• Ensure proper disposal of unserviceable igniter
plugs as they may contain radioactive materials.
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FOD
Foreign Object (FO) or Foreign Object Debris (FOD) – A
substance, debris or article alien to an aircraft or system, which would
potentially cause damage.
Foreign Object Damage (FOD) - Any damage or malfunction
attributed to a foreign object that can be expressed in physical or
economic terms which may or may not degrade the product’s
required safety and/or performance characteristics.

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FOD
A typical FOD inspection requires that
the area around the aircraft and the
engine be thoroughly inspected for
loose items that could be ingested
in the engine while it is running.
An inspection would also be required
at the ramp in the airport before the
aircraft taxi’s in for the same
reasons. Additionally, the inspection
would prevent damage to aircraft
tires' as well.
A typical inspection routine from
start to end is shown in the illustration.

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Engine Ground Run (Automatic Start)

The auto-start feature on a

A320 aircraft is under full
authority of the FADEC
which controls the start
valves, igniters and fuel
valves. The start types
available are engine full
auto start and manual start.
The auto-start steps are
given below.

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Engine Ground Run (Automatic Start)

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Engine Ground Run (Manual Start)
The FADEC has limited authority over manual start control. Follow
the step by step procedure to perform an engine start

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Engine Ground Run (Manual Start)

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 Engine Ground Run
When performing engine ground run, many procedures and precautions are
required and must be followed. Different aircraft types will differ in the startup
procedures. For this particular case, the A320/V2500 procedure will be
followed.
Precautions
Some typical precautions will be discussed here:
• Make sure that all engine operating areas are
as clean as possible. This is to prevent
damage to the engine in the event of
ingestion of FOD.
• Make sure that landing gear ground locks and
wheel chocks are in position.
• Make sure that the engine inlet and exhaust
covers are removed.
• Ensure there is sufficient fuel available in the
fuel tanks for the engine ground run.
• Ensure that all external connections to the
aircraft are disconnected or removed prior to
the engine run. 25
Objectives
1. To understand the difference between the electric
starter and air turbo starter.
2. To decipher the operation of the start circuit.
3. To understand the purpose of the starter duty cycle.
4. To know the basic components of a engine start
system.
5. To understand the precautions that need to be taken
when performing maintenance on the ignition
systems.
6. To understand the dangers of FOD.
7. To appreciate the basic steps in performing an
engine start up in a A320 simulator.

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END

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