Aircraft Systems

Presented by:
Carol Cushman & Kyle Black
Engine Types

 Turbine Engine
– Found in transport Category aircraft
– Relatively costly but extremely powerful
 Reciprocating Engine
– Found in general aviation
– Economical, but still very reliable
Cessna Engine

 Horizontally
Opposed
 Direct Drive
 Air Cooled
 4 cylinder
Engine Operation
 What are the four strokes of an engine?
Four Strokes on an
Engine
Intake

 When the piston moves away form the

cylinder head
 Intake valve opens
 Fuel/Air mixture is drawn into the
combustion chamber
Compression

 Piston moves back toward the cylinder

head
 Intake valve closes
 Fuel/Air Mixture is compressed
Power

 Compression nearly complete

 Spark plugs fire
 Compressed mixture is ignited
 Rapidly expanding gases drive the
piston, providing the power that
rotates the crankshaft
Exhaust

 Expels the burned gases through the

exhaust valve, which opens at the end
of the power stroke
Induction System

 Brings outside air into the engine,

mixes it with fuel in the proper
proportion and deliver it to the
cylinders where combustion occurs.
 Throttle
 Mixture
 Intake Port
Throttle

 Controls Engine Speed

 Regulates the amount of fuel/air
mixture that flows into the cylinders
Mixture

 Controls the fuel/air ratio

Intake Port

 Where outside air enters the induction

system
 Normally contains an air filter to keep
out dust and FOD
Carburetor

 Mixes the incoming air with fuel and

delivers it to the combustion chamber
Carburetor
 Air passes through a venturi, increases
velocity and decreases pressure
 Fuel enters from a float chamber where it is
maintained at a nearly constant level by a
float device
 Discharge nozzle is located in an area of low
pressure created by the venturi
 Fuel is forced through the discharge nozzel
by the higher atmospheric pressure in the
float chamber
Overly Rich Mixture
 What does it mean to have a “Rich”
mixture?
– As altitude increases, the mixture will get
progressively richer due to the decrease
in air density.
– Can result in engine roughness: excessive
carbon buildup on the spark plug will
cause them to foul.
– High elevation airports, climb or cruise at
high elevation
Overly Lean Mixture

 What does it mean to have a “Lean”

mixture?
– May result in high engine temperatures
causing excessive wear or even failure
– Enrichen Mixture on descents from high
altitudes
– Watch engine temperature
Carburetor Ice
 Occurs due to the effect of fuel vaporization
and decreasing pressure in the venturi
which causes a sharp temperature drop in
the carburetor
 If water vapor in the air condenses when
the carburetor temperature is at or below
freezing, ice may form on internal surfaces
of the carburetor, including the throttle
valve
 Likely below 21C (70F), humidity above
80%
Carburetor Ice
Carburetor Ice
Carburetor Ice
Indications
 Why can Carburetor Ice be dangerous?
 What are some indications of Carb Ice?
– Drop in engine RPM
– Engine Roughness
– Fuel starvation
 What can we do to get rid of carburetor ice
or even prevent it from happening in the
first place?
– Carburetor Heat
Carburetor Heat
 Carburetor ice is especially dangerous when
operating at low power settings, may go unnoticed
until power is added

 How does carburetor heat work?

– Carburetor heat routes air across a heat source before it
enters the carburetor

 How will carb heat affect engine performance?

– Causes a slight decrease in engine power (heated air is
less dense)
– If ice is present, there will be a decrease followed by a
gradual increase in rpm
Carburetor Heat
Fuel Injection
 What is the benefit of a fuel injected
fuel system?
– No carburetor
– More precision in metering and
distributing fuel/air mixture
– Injects the fuel directly into each cylinder
separately
– Lower fuel consumption, increased
Horsepower, lower operating
temperatures, longer engine life
Fuel Injection
High Altitude Flight

 Supercharger
– Compresses the incoming air to the
engine using a pump driven by the
engine
 Turbocharger
– Pressurizes the air into the engine using a
mechanism driven by exhaust gases
Turbocharger
Ignition System

 What does the ignition system do?

– Provides spark that ignites the fuel/air
mixture in the cylinders
 List the parts of the ignition system.
– Magnetos
– Spark Plugs
– Interconnecting wires
– Ignition Switch
Magneto

 What is a Magneto?
– Self contained, Engine driven
– Supplies electrical current to the spark plugs
– Uses permanent magnet for electrical current
that is completely separate from the electrical
system
– Begins when you engage starter
– Operates whenever the crankshaft turns
– Normally two for redundancy/ improves
combustion
 If you lose your battery/alternator in flight,
will your engine stop working?
Magneto
Ignition Switch
 Controls the operation of the magneto from
the cockpit
 Can select left, right or both
 Engine can still fire even with the battery
and master switches off, if the magnetos
are left on and the prop is moved because
no outside electrical power is required
Abnormal Combustion

 Name two types of Abnormal

Combustion:

– Detonation
– Pre-ignition
Detonation
 What is Detonation?
– Explosive ignition of the fuel/air mixture within
the cylinders combustion chamber
– Uncontrolled
– Engine overheating, roughness or loss of power
– Excessive temperatures and pressures leading to
failure of piston, cylinder or valves
– Engine overheat or lower than recommended
fuel grade
Pre-Ignition

 What is Pre-Ignition?
– Fuel/Air mixture is ignited in advance of the
normal timed ignition
– Detonation can lead to pre – ignition
– Caused by a residual hot spot in the cylinder
such as a small carbon deposit on a spark plug ,
cracked ceramic spark plug insulator, or any
damage around the combustion chamber
Fuel System

 What are the two different types of

fuel systems found on small airplanes?

1. Fuel-Pump System
2. Gravity Feed
Fuel-Pump System
 Engine Driven
Pump
 Electric Fuel pump
 Provides fuel under
pressure from the
fuel tanks to the
engine
 Low wing airplanes
Fuel-Pump System

 Fuel Pressure Gauge

– Gives and exact reading of the pressure
the fuel pump is providing the engine
– Helpful in detecting fuel pump
malfunctions
Fuel-Pump System

 What is Vapor Lock?

– When the fuel in the lines of a fuel
injected engine vaporizes due to
excessive heat, and prevents the flow of
fuel to the engine
– Common on a hot day in fuel injected
aircraft
Gravity – Feed System

 Fuel flows to the engine by gravity

from the fuel tanks
 High wing aircraft
Primer

 What do we use a primer for?

– Used to pump fuel directly into the intake
system prior to engine start
– Useful in cold weather when fuel in the
carburetor is difficult to vaporize
 How do you prime a carbureted
engine?
 How does this process differ in a fuel
injected engine?
Fuel Tanks

 Where are the fuel tanks in most

aircraft?
– Usually located in the wings
– Vented to allow for changes in pressure
inside the tank, prevents vacuum
Fuel Quantity Gauges

 Located on the instrument panel

 Shows the amount of fuel in each fuel
tank
Fuel Selector Valve

 Allows you to select fuel from various

tanks
 Some may only have Left, Right and
OFF – must monitor
Fuel Strainer
 What is the Fuel Strainer use for?
– Removes moisture and other sediments that
might be in the system
– In cold weather, moisture is hazardous because
it can freeze and block fuel lines
– In warm weather, it can flow into the carburetor
and stop the engine
 Tanks should be filled each evening to
prevent condensation
Re- Fueling

 Red: 80/87 octane

 Green: 100/130
 Blue: 100LL
 Clear: Jet
 In emergency, always use next higher
grade (but never jet)
Oil System

 What are some functions of oil in a

reciprocating engine?
– Lubricates
– Cleans
– Seals
– Cools
– Protects
Dry- Sump System

 Oil is contained in a separate tank

 Circulated through the engine by
pumps
Wet Sump System

 Oil is carried in a sump

 Integral part of the engine
 Found on most small general aviation
aircraft
Wet Sump Oil System
Oil Pressure Gauge
 Provides direct indication of the oil system
operation
 Below normal pressure may mean that the
oil pump is not putting out enough pressure
to circulate oil throughout the engine.
 Above normal may indicate a clogged oil line
 Shut down engine if oil pressure does not
begin to rise within 30 seconds for warm
starts/60 seconds cold starts
Oil Temperature Gauge

 Measures temperature of the oil as it

enters the engine
 Slow changes
Cooling Systems
 Excessively high engine temperatures can
result in a loss of power, high oil
consumption and engine damage.
 Internal cooling is done by oil, but more is
needed to maintain normal temperatures
 Remaining heat dissipated by exhaust and
through outside air flowing around the
engine
Cowl Flaps

 Create a large path for air to escape

from the engine compartment
 Flaps that open on the bottom of the
engine cowling
 Increases cooling air flow
Cowl Flaps
Cylinder Head
Temperature Gauge
 Usually in airplanes with Cowl Flaps
 Direct temperature reading from one
of the cylinders
 Reducing Engine Temperatures
– Enrichen mixture
– Reduce rate of climb
– Increase airspeed
– Decrease power setting
Exhaust System
 Vent burned gases
 Provide heat for cabin
 Directs exhaust out below the engine
compartment through a muffler and tailpipe
 As the hot exhaust gases heat the muffler,
metal shrouds around the muffler capture
the heat and duct it to the cabin.
Propellers

 Provides thrust to propel the airplane

through the air.
 Each blade is an airfoil that acts like a
rotating wing
 Amount of thrust produced is a
function of shape, rotation speed and
position relative to the relative wind
Propellers

 Each small section of blade is set at a

different angle to the plane of rotation
 Gradual decrease in blade angle gives
twisted appearance
 Allows the propeller to provide more
uniform thrust throughout most of the
length of the blade
Propellers
Climb Propeller

 Low blade angle

 Best performance for takeoff and
climb
Cruise Propeller

 High blade angle

 High speed cruise
 High altitude flight
Fixed – Pitch Propeller

 Blade angle is selected on the basis of

what is best for the primary function
of the airplane
 Cannot be changed by the pilot
Constant Speed Propeller

 Pilot can adjust the blade angle for the

most efficient operation
Electrical System
Electrical System
Definitions
 Amp: flow rate
 Volt: measure of electromagnetic
force. Volts are pressure that push
amps to give power
 Volts X Amps = Watts
Alternators v. Generators
 Alternators
Generators
– Produces
Do not produce
sufficient
enough
amount
electrical
of electrical
currentcurrent
at lowat
engine
slower
RPM to
by operate
producingentire
AC current
electrical
that
system.
is converted to DC
– Electrical
More constant
needsatoften
different
rely on
ranges
battery,
of engine
which speeds
is quickly
– depleted
Lighter weight
– Less costly to maintain
– Less prone to overloading
Alternator

 Engine Driven
 Supplies engine when running with
electrical supply
 Usually 14-28 volt
Alternating Current (AC)

 Type of current produced by an

alternator
 Current that changes direction
Direct Current (DC)

 Current that flows in one direction

 Aircraft run off of direct current
 AC must be converted to DC
 Battery is DC current
Battery

 Main purpose is to provide a means of

starting the engine
 Limited operation of electrical
components (Clock, hourmeters)
 Source of standby or emergency
electrical power in case of alternator
malfunction
Ammeter
 Used to monitor the electrical current in
amperes within the system
 Positive value means battery is being
charged
 Negative value means you are drawing off
of the battery
 Two types
– One reflects current flowing to or from the
battery
– Other type displays the load placed on the
alternator and is often called a loadmeter
Ammeter

 Two Types:
– One reflects current flowing to or from
the battery
– One displays the load placed on the
alternator and is often called a load meter
Master Switch

 Controls the entire electrical system

– Except battery and magnetos
 Battery and Alternator Switches
– Similar to Master
– You can turn of the Alternator in the
event of failure, at which point all current
will be drawn the battery. At that point,
you will need to load shed
Circuit Breakers/Fuses
 Protect various components from
overloads
 Resetting a breaker will usually re-
activate the circuit
 In the event of an alternator failure,
you may have to reduce the load on
the battery by pulling certain non –
essential circuit breakers.
Circuit Breakers
Bus Bars

Tie Bus

Non – Essential
Avionics (40) (40)l Main Bus (60)

AP Com. 1
Rec. lts Heater Strobe Pitot
Voltage Regulator

 Controls the rate of charge to the

battery by stabilizing
generator/alternator electrical output.
 Alternator voltage is normally slightly
higher than battery (otherwise, the
battery would be charging the
alternator)
Overvoltage Relay

 Located in alternator
 Takes the alternator offline if the
output exceeds a predetermined value
Questions

 Any questions?