FACTS Flashcards
What are the various airspeeds and their corrections?
— draw diagram —
Formula for dynamic pressure?
1/2 ρ V²
What is soft iron?
iron that becomes saturated easily and loses its magnetism easily
What is hard iron?
iron that is difficult to magnetise that keeps its magnetism
When do acceleration errors occur in relation to the magnetic compass?
When going E or W
What is a three axis data generator?
an artificial horizon gyro and a remote indicating compass all together in box
How many degrees of freedom does a Directional Indicator have?
2
What kind of spin axis does a Directional Indicator have?
Horizontal
What is DI Error?
Real Wander + Earth’s Rotation + Latitude Nut + Transport Wander
What are the signs for the different DI errors?
Formula for Transport wander?
Transport wander (°) = change of longitude x Sine (mean latitude)
Formula for Earth’s rotation
15 x Sin (Latitude) [degrees per hour]
What does a laser gyro measure?
Rotation
In the gyromagnetic compass , where does the signal feeding the precession amplifier come from?
the error detector
What causes gimballing errors?
banking the aircraft
what are the pressure conversion factors?
1lb/in² = 2 in Hg
1 in Hg = 3386.39 Pa
1 Bar = 100 000 Pa
1lb/in² = 0.0689 Ba
What are the elastic pressure sensing elements in increasing order of pressure sensed?
Diaphragms Aneroid capsule Pressure capsule Bellows Bourdon Tubes
What are diaphragms typically used for?
sense the difference between cabin pressure and atmospheric pressue
What are the two types of bellows?
Aneroid and Pressure
What is a bellow made up of ?
Capsules
What might an aneroid bellow be used for?
Measure / sense the intake pressure of a gas turbine in order to control the fuel flow via and FCU or a FADEC
What shape is a Bourdon tube?
Curved like a C
What kinds of pressure are Bourdon tubes used to measure?
High and low, typically high
Example of Bourdon tube pressure measurement?
Engine oil pressure
What is the purpose of a damping choke on the Bourdon tube?
To prevent significant loss of oil in case the the indicator were to leak
What is a manifold absolute pressure gauge (MAP) for?
indicates the absolute pressure in the intake manifold of a piston engine
What is MAP and indication of?
Engine power
What is the upper limit of MAP on a normally aspirated engine?
atmospheric pressure
Where can a MAP greater than atmospheric be created?
In a supercharged engine (which pressurises the fuel/air mix)
Why might a MAP indicate atmospheric while the engine is running?
leak in the pressure gauge line
What is the formula relating torque and RPM
Torque x RPM = power
What does epicycloidal mean?
sun and planet gears
What are the two ways in which Torque can be measured?
1) By measuring the oil pressure at the fixed crown of a reducer gear on an epicycloidal main engine gearbox
2) By measuring change in phase between the torque shaft and the reference shaft
Popular system for measuring moderate temperatures?
nickel wire coil
What are nickel coil wire systems typically used for ?
OAT or cabin temperature
What kind of arrangement is used for sensing moderate temperatures?
Wheatstone bridge in conjunction with a ratiometer
What is an example of a self powered temperature gauge?
bi-metallic strip
What is a common use for a bi-metallic strip?
- Operating temperature sensitive switches
- overheat detection systems
In a piston engine what is used for monitoring engine condition?
Cylinder head temperature (CHT)
What is exhaust head temperature used for in a piston engine?
- mixture control
- performance
What temperature is measured in a gas turbine engine?
gas temperature
Where are TGT and EGT measured?
The outlet of the high pressure turbine
What is the range of temperatures sense in the outlet of the high pressure turbine?
700°C to 1000°C
What is used to measure gas temperature in a gas turbine engine?
a thermocouple
What is the principle of a thermocouple?
Dissimilar metals can create an electrical potential which is proportional to the temperature.
What is the name of the instrument used to detect very small changes in temperature in a thermocouple?
millivoltmeter or galvanometer
Where are the junctions of a thermocouple located?
Cold junction in the cockpit and hot junction in the gas pipe
Does a thermocouple require an external power source?
No
What is used for very high temperatures?
A radiation pyrometer
Formula for thermocouple?
E = K x Th
E= EMF Th = hot junction temperature K = constant
Formula for SAT?
SAT = TAT / ( 1 + K 0.2M²)
Formula for TAT?
TAT = SAT * ( 1 + 0.2M²)
What does float type fuel gauges require?
DC power supply
What is the formula for capacitance?
C = E x A / D
E = the dielectric permittivity A = area of the plates D = distance between the plates
What is the formula for the charge?
Q = C x V
Q = charge in coloumbs C = capacitance in farads V = voltage in volts
What is the relative capacitance of fuel compared to air?
fuel has twice the capacitance of air
What are primitive fuel flow indicators based on?
Venturi
What are the two systems for mass flow indicators?
Stator torque or rotor torque
What is used to measure rotational speed?
tachometer
Maximum practical length of drive on mechanical tachometer?
2m
What does a yellow or red section indicate on a RPM meter?
high prop vibration
Does a tachogenerator require an electrical supply?
NO
What is the advantage of the electric tachogenerator over the mechanical generator?
allows engines to be placed further away from the cockpit
What is a disadvantage of the DC electrical tachometer?
requires a commutator and carbon brushes, leads to wear and electrical sparking which can cause radio interference.
resistance causes voltage loss in transmission, which can cause an indication error
What happens to the out put of a single phase AC tachogenerator?
it gets rectified to DC
Which instrument uses a squirrel cage motor?
a 3 phase electrical tachogenerator
What is the principle of operation in the three-phase electrical tachometer?
Changes of frequency indicate RPM
What does a three-phase electrical tachometer consist of?
a three-phase generator, a synchronous motor and a magnetic tachometer
What is the advantage of the three phase electrical tachometer?
phase is sensed instead of voltage so voltage loss in transmission is not a problem
What is a potential disadvantage of the three-phase electrical tachometer?
wiring (if there is one!)
What is the idea behind the electronic tachometer?
senses RPM without and direct contact with the engine
uses a probe with an electromagnet to detect passage of notched teeth
How might the electronic tachometer be referred to?
Phonic wheel
Inductive probe tachometer
what is the synchroscope use for?
balance the RPM of a multi engine turboprop
What causes damage during vibration?
positive and negative acceleration
What does the vibration indicator indicate
the vibration amplitude at a particular frequency
What happens to the vibration signal before it is transmitted to the vibration indicator?
it is filtered (for unwanted frequencies) and amplified
What are N1 and N2 in a typical modern high-bypass engine?
N1 = low speed or fan RPM N2 = high-speed shaft RPM
How is thrust measured?
by the acceleration of a MASS of air
What is EPR?
EPR = turbine outlet pressure/compressor inlet pressure
What are the sensors used for thrust pressures?
either electro-mechanical based on bellows or electronic transmitters which use transducers
What happens if the compressor inlet sensor is blocked for take-off
EPR gauge would over read and insufficient thrust for take off would be set
What should the take-off EPR be crosschecked against?
N1 (alternative less accurate measurement of thrust)
In a capacity gauging system what is it that causes the effects on volume of fuel of temperature changes to be eliminated?
Because the dialetric constant varies directly with density
What does FADEC use as a primary thrust measurement ?
EPR and maybe N1 as a fallback
What is the measuring element of a manifold pressure gauge (MAP)?
- 2 bellows joined together;
- 1 aneroid
- 1 pressure
What is a dielectric?
an insulating material
What is capacitance measured in?
farads
What can fuel flow be used for?
to monitor the performance of a jet engine - fuel flow integrated over time can be compared with the quantity from the fuel gauging system