Electrical Sytstem Flashcards
Give me a brief description of your electrical system. Piper Archer
28 Volt DC electrical system with 24 Volt lead-acid battery, supplied by a 70amp engine-driven alternator
How does the alternator/generator works, and what happens if it fails?
The engine spins the alternator belt which creates the current and charges the battery. If the alternator were to fail the electrical system would draw from the battery till it’s energy was depleted. Then electrical system would fail
What is the role of the battery in the electrical system?
Power for engine start and back up if alternator fails
Why do we have electrical busses? Typically, what are the 6 main busses?
- When the power leaves the alternator/battery, it goes through the tie bus and then into the other busses. The purpose of the tie bus is to isolate the essential busses and reduce the damage
- 6 main busses: “ENABLE”
Essential, Non-essential, Avionics, Battery, Lighting, Emergency
What’s the difference between the ammeter and load meter?
Ammeter - indicates current flow to/from the battery
Load meter - indicates electrical load on alternator/generator
What happens if you experience an electrical failure during flight, and what backup systems are available? Piper Archer how much time do you have left?
- 30 min on battery
- G5 back up is 4.5 hrs
- You can load shed: pull the non-essential bus, turn down the brightness, turn off fan
How do circuit breakers or fuses protect the electrical system? If a circuit breaker pops can you push it back in?
- Prevents from overcurrent and will pop if it exceeds safe levels
- You can push it in once, but if it pops again it’s a write up
What are the signs of an impending electrical failure, and how do you respond to them?
Indications:
Causes:
Ammeter showing discharge, low volt light illuminates
broken alternator belt, failed voltage regulator
Load shed, declare an emergency if in IMC
