| Chapter 1 Aircraft Electrical SystemChapter 1 Aircraft Electrical system
 • Electrical component
 • Storage Battery
 • DC & AC Generator
 • Control and Protection in DC Electrical
 System
 • Electrical Machine and control
 • Lighting
 When, Why Electric Energy was
 used in an aircraft?
 Electrical energy is being widely used
 • Clean form of energy – absence of smoke,
 ashes, dust, etc.
 • Easily convertible to light, heat,
 mechanical, chemical energy etc.
 • Easily and economically transportable by
 means of running cables.
 • Electrical systems have been anonboard fixture since the Wright
 Flyer. In those days the role of
 electricity was limited to the magneto
 which provides sufficient voltage to
 spark the fuel/air mixture.
  Magnetos still supplied the spark to the
 engines, but 14- or 28-volt direct-current
 generator supplied current to operate the
 navigation and landing lights, the radios.
 Generators kept the batteries charged to
 operate the electric motor used to start the
 engines.
 • The years between the two world wars isthe golden age of aviation, improved in
 importance and complexity.
 • As the twentieth century ended, electrical
 systems have become just about equal in
 importance with the engines.
 • For many years, light planes exclusively
 used the 14-volt electrical system. Starting
 approximately in the early 1980s, the 28-
 volt system began to take over light
 aircraft.
 • The primary purpose of igniting the
 fuel/air mixture is still the domain of the
 magneto. However, the demand for
 electrical energy in the airplane has
 increased tremendously.
 • Jet airliners have extremely complex
 electrical systems and use alternating
 current as the primary source of electricity.
 • Batteries are used for emergency and
 backup operations and for some special
 applications.
 DEFINITIONS OF
 AIRCRAFT ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
 Electrical System
 An electrical system consists of an
 electrical power source, its power
 distribution system and the electrical load
 connected to that system.
 A typical aircraft electrical system
 consists of a primary (main) power source,
 emergency power source, secondary
 power conversion equipment, system
 control and protection devices,
 interconnection network, and power
 distribution system.
 Electrical Source
 The electrical equipment which produces,
 converts or transforms electrical power.
 Electrical Source
 Some common AC sources are identified
 as follows:
 • AC alternators
 • inverters
 • transformers
 • frequency changers.
 Electrical Source
 Some common DC sources are
 • DC generators
 • converters
 • batteries.
 Primary (Main) Power Source
 Primary Power Source
 A primary source is equipment that
 generates electrical power from energy
 other than electrical, and is independent
 of any other electrical source.
 Secondary Source
 • A secondary source
 is equipment that
 transforms and/or
 converts primary
 source power to
 supply electrical
 power to either AC
 or DC powered
 equipment .
 Secondary source.
 • A secondary source is equipment that
 transforms and/or converts primary
 source power to supply electrical power
 to either AC or DC powered equipment.
 • A secondary source is entirely dependent
 upon the primary source and is
 considered part of the load of the primary
 source.
 Emergency Power Source
 Emergency power
 In the event of a primary power source
 failure, emergency power is usually
 provided from independent auxiliary
 power unit (APU)-driven generator(s),
 ram air or hydraulically-driven
 generator(s), or batteries.
 Ground power
 ground power source
  A ground power source can be connected
 to the bus bar distribution system thus
 allowing all electrical systems to be
 powered independently of aircraft battery
 or generating systems. The source can be
 either a motorised generating unit or a
 battery unit.
 Nominal rating
 This rating is usually a continuous duty
 rating for specified operating conditions.
 Condition of Power Sources
 • Normal electrical power operation
 • Abnormal electrical power operation
 • Emergency electrical power operation
 Normal electrical power operation
  Normal operating conditions assumes that
 all of the available electrical power system
 is functioning correctly within Master
 Minimum Equipment List (MMEL)
 limitations (e.g. AC and/or DC Generators,
 Transformer Rectifier Units, Inverters,
 Main Batteries, APU etc.).
 Abnormal electrical power operation
  Abnormal operation occurs when a
 malfunction or failure in the electric
 system has taken place and the protective
 devices of the system are operating to
 remove the malfunction or the failure from
 the remainder of the system before the
 limits of abnormal operation are exceeded.
 Emergency electrical power operation
  Emergency operation is a condition that
 occurs following a loss of all normal
 electrical generating power sources or
 other malfunction that results in operation
 on standby power (batteries and or other
 emergency generating source such as an
 APU or Ram Air Turbine (RAT) only.
 Classification of electrical load
 • Vital (critical, emergency)
 • Essential
 • Non-essential
 Typical Aircraft Electrical System• Primary (main) power source
 • Emergency power source
 • Secondary power conversion equipment
 • System control and protection devices
 • Interconnection network
 • Power distribution system
 As a engineer, we should know thefollowing information
 • electrical system operation, which
 describes primary and secondary power
 sources, bus configuration with circuit
 breakers and connected loads for each
 bus. A copy of the bus wiring diagram or
 electrical schematic should also be
 considered for inclusion in the report.
 As a engineer, we should know the
 following information
 • alternators and other power source
 description and related data (including
 such items as battery discharge curves,
 Transformer Rectifier Unit (TRU), Inverter,
 APU, RAT, etc.)
 List of Electrical Data
 END OF CHAPTER 1
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