Chapter 3 - APU, Ext Power & RAT

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403
UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR
Page 1
Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology
Aircraft Electrical Systems
Chapter 3
Sources of Aircraft Power
- APU, EXTERNAL POWER
& RAT

Page 2
Auxiliary Power Unit Systems

Some operators require provisions on their
aircraft for an auxiliary or external power source
to be plugged into the aircraft for starting or
ground servicing.
Normally used for severely cold climatic
conditions or operations which have repetitive
short duration flights to preserve the battery.
It is arranged that a suitable external power
plug is located conveniently on the aircraft and
the power is connected to a system point which
is usually connected to the battery master relay
output terminal .

Page 3
System Operation
External power of the correct voltage and
polarity is applied to the external power plug.
Power to operate the starter and any of the load
circuits is available through the aircraft wiring
from this point even if the battery relay is not
closed.
In the relay controlled system, if incorrect
polarity is connected to the positive pin of the
external power plug diode, D1 will block the
negative polarity and the external power relay
will not be energized. This protects the system
against the incorrect polarity being connected to
the aircraft electrical system

Simple auxiliary power system schematic
Page 4

Schematic of a relay controlled auxiliary power system
Page 5

Page 6
DC Aircraft
Aircraft with DC power supply is not normally
equipped with a separate APU.
Normally, aircraft engines are started using
the battery.
Sometimes, one engine is left running during
short transit to function as an APU.
If the aircraft is powered by turboprop
engines, propeller brake is applied to the
engine being used as APU.

Page 7
AC Aircraft
Auxiliary Power Unit
An alternative electrical and pneumatic power source for
aircraft systems on the ground or in flight.
The auxiliary power unit (APU) can be used in flight as a
backup power source. In some cases, operation is limited
to ground use only.
Consists of a small gas turbine engine with engine
controls, mountings and enclosures necessary for safe
and continuous operation.
Depending upon the aircraft, the APU drives one or two
generators that are generally identical to the engine
driven generators

Page 8

APU Components
- Left Side
(B777)

Page 9

APU Components - Right

Side (B777)

APU Location
Installed in the tail cone of most airplanes,
isolated from flight critical structure and control
surfaces by a firewall shroud, as shown in
following figure.
Page 10

Typical installation an APU in aircraft.
Page 11

Page 12
Operation
Supply three-phase 400 Hz AC power to the airplane by
the APU driven generators.
Auxiliary generator control units (AGCU) monitor the
power for proper voltage and frequency.
When satisfied, AGCU signal the Bus Control Unit (BCU)
to turn on APU generator AVAIL lights on the electrical
system control panel in the flight deck.
Closing these switches will allow the aircraft to be
powered by the APU generators
The APU generators are usually capable of supplying all
or most of the electrical load needed by the airplane
The electrical load has priority over the pneumatic load.

Page 13
Operation (cont)
A 24-volt battery is provided for APU starting
Battery switch must be ON to operate the APU
Battery charger is disconnected during APU
starter engagement
Power for normal APU battery charging is
provided by the aircraft's electrical system.
Fuel is normally supplied to the APU from one of
the airplane's main tanks.
Switches on the APU control panel in the cockpit
operate the APU
Sometimes the APU can be controlled from a
ground accessible control panel.

Page 14
APU oil system is a self-contained system

consisting of independent supply, pumps, regulator,
cooler, filters, and indicator.
Fire detection and extinguishing systems are
installed to provide fire protection for the APU.

Typical large
aircraft APU
switch panel
and installation
Page 15

Page 16
Some aircraft have

APU timers fitted on
the aft overhead
panel, since APU
running time cannot
be measured by
aircraft logbook time.

Page 17
The drain mast on the

APU Cowling
The APU shroud (center),
fuel supply line (left),
bleed air duct (right) and
cooling air vent (outlined
in red).
The APU cowling showing

the lines to the discharge
discs and the cooling air
overboard exhaust. The small
access panel above the
cowling is the line of sight oil
filler, this is sometime located
ventrally in front of the
cowling for easy access from
the ground.

Page 18
AlliedSignal GTCP85 Series APU

The first successful APU to be installed in an
aircraft.
Installed on the MD-80, Boeing 727 and the
737
With the introduction of the Boeing 737-400
aircraft, Allied-Signal incorporated another
growth version of the GTCP85-129 Series

Honeywell GTCP 85
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Page 20
The GTCP85-129 APU engine

A single shaft gas turbine engine utilizing two centrifugal compressors
and one centrifugal turbine
A self-contained unit consisting of an air inlet door with a door open
switch on the right side of the aft fuselage
air inlet supplies air for the engine and for accessory cooling
Fuel control unit is supplied from a main tank through the fuel shutoff
valve and enters the combustion chamber through the fuel solenoid
valve and fuel nozzle.
Oil system consists of an oil pressure and oil return scavenge pump,
two oil pressure switches, high oil temperature switch and an oil
cooler
The starter, which uses 24VDC from the aircraft battery, APU battery,
or an external DC supply, is used to turn the engine during the start
cycle. A centrifugal switch controls the starting sequence for many of
the systems used on the APU.
Exhaust gas temperature probe for the EGT indicator and the control
thermostat are mounted in the exhaust section.

Page 21
Operation of the GTCP 85 APU

Starting procedure
Place battery switch to ON position - allows battery bus power
to the control circuits and master switch
Place the master switch momentarily to START and releasing it
to the ON position initiate start sequence.
Fuel shutoff valve opens fully then the air inlet door open.
Then the battery (or external DC if used) is connected to the
starter and the APU begins to rotate.
At approximately 10% RPM, the oil pressure increases to 4
psig, low oil pressure switch No. 1 (LOP 1) closes, sequencing
power to the ignition exciter unit and the fuel solenoid valve .
Oil pressure reaches 55 psig (at approximately 37% RPM), low
oil pressure switch No. 2 (LOP 2) open, extinguishing the amber
LOW OIL PRESSURE light on the forward overhead panel.
At 50% RPM, the speed switch operates and the power to
starter is disconnected.
At 95% RPM, the speed switch operates and the APU is ready
to supply electrical and pneumatic power.

Page 22

Page 23

The load control valve, shown in previous

figure , serves to limit bleed air flow to the
aircraft pneumatic systems.
The thermostat limits the load control valve
as necessary to limit EGT.
Page 24

Page 25

Ram Air Turbine (RAT)

Following figure show a RAT from B777-200.
Unit is automatically deployed when there is a lost
of hydraulic power from all three systems.
It can also be deployed manually from the cockpit.
Operation:
Ram air drive a turbine via a propeller. Constant speed
maintained by governor control and pitch change
mechanism controlling the pitch of the blade.
Turbine drive a hydraulic pump to supply emergency
hydraulic power. It also drive a generator (7.5 kVA) to
supply emergency DC power.
Page 26

B777-200
Page 27

Page 28
Next figure shows that the RAT output is

supplied to two TRUs.
The power is converted to DC which then
powers the Captains and F/Os instrument
buses.
Captains instrument bus powers the battery
bus and battery bus 2.
Battery bus powers the hot battery bus and
an inverter that supply AC stby bus (115V
400Hz)

B777-200
Page 29

Page 30
Following figure shows A320 electrical

system.
RAT is automatically deployed if two gen fail.
Hydraulic power from the RAT drive an
emergency generator which then supply AC
bus and DC bus via TRU 3.

A320 System
Page 31

Page 32
Earlier RAT is a pure mechanical governor as

shown in the next figure.
ADG provide constant frequency output to the
emergency AC bus.
The same power is used to drive the Aux
Hydraulic pump.

Page 33

Earlier RAT

Page 34
External Power
Used for servicing and maintenance of
aircrafts systems on ground.
Connection is made at a convenient point that
can be reached by maintenance personnel.

Page 35
DC External Power
Next Figure A shows DC Ext Pwr socket. There
are two positive pin (one short and one long) and
one long negative pin.
Figure B shows a simple DC power system
When the power selector switch selected to
EXT, positive supply from the short pin
energized the relay and GPU supply connected
to the main bus.
If the socket is withdrawn with live circuit, external
power relay is de-energised before the main pin
are disengaged from the socket. This will prevent
arching.

Page 36
B. Simplified Gdn
Pwr Cct.
A. Dc ground power
connector

Sources of DC External Power

Battery Cart
Lead acid or Ni-Cad batteries are arranged in parallel or seriesparallel in order to provide 24 volts output voltage.
The type of battery and the number of batteries in parallel will
determine the maximum current that can be withdrawn from the
battery cart.
DC Ground Power Unit

It is basically a petrol or diesel engine driving a generator.
The output is 28 V DC. The maximum current that can be
withdrawn depends on the capability of the generator.
A current limiter circuit is normally installed to protect the
generator.
Page 37

TRONAIR Battery Cart

Standard Features
Delivers 1,000 amps
starting power
24 VDC output
Soft start protects
avionics from voltage
spikes
Contains (6) heavy duty,
maintenance free lead
acid batteries, with 950
cold cranking amps each
at 0 F (-18 C)
Source:
http://www.tronair.com/products/productlin
e.asp?ID=48
Page 38

TRONAIR DC Ground Power

Unit
Standard Features
Engine operates with diesel
or Jet A Fuel
Provides 28.5 VDC supply in
a rugged, compact
maneuverable unit
Alternator excitation test
button
24 volt control and starting
circuitry for easy starting
2,000 amp peak, 800 amp
output
High efficiency single bearing
alternator
Adjustable peak output
current limiting control
Large digital display voltmeter
and ammeter
Page 39

AC External Power
Figure on the right
shows a standard AC
connector pin
arrangement
There are four long AC
pins phase A, B, C and
N.
Two shorter pins are
interlock pins used to
control the relay
connecting the external
power to the aircraft.
Page 40

B737 EXTERNAL POWER COMPONENT LOCATION
Page 41

Page 42
General
External power components are in the EE compartment and on the right side
of the forward fuselage.
External power controls are in the flight compartment and at the forward
attendant panel.
EE Compartment
The bus power control unit (BPCU) in on the E4 rack.
The external power contactor (EPC) is in the power distribution panel 2 (PDP
2).
Flight Compartment
The P5-4 AC systems, generator, and APU module is on the P5 overhead
panel. This module gives you manual control and indication of external
power.
Forward Attendant Panel

The ground service switch is on the forward attendant panel.
Forward Fuselage
The external power panel and receptacle is on the right side of the fuselage,
near the nose of the airplane.
The external power source connects to the airplane external power
receptacle

B737 EXT PWR RECEPTACLE
Page 43

Page 44
The External Power receptacle has these components:

EXTERNAL POWER CONN indicator
Amber EXTERNAL POWER CONN indicator comes on when the ground
power plug is connected and the ground source is operating
External power NOT IN USE indicator

White NOT IN USE indicator comes on when these conditions are true:
External power is available
The EPC is open
Both ground service transfer relays are de-energized.
FLIGHT INTERPHONE jack

Used to talk to flight deck.
SERVICE INTERPHONE jack

Used to talk to other maintenance personnel around the aircraft.
PILOT CALL switch

Used for ground personnel want to call the cockpit sound a bell.
NOSE WHEEL WELL light control switch.

Used to turn on the light in the nose wheel well.

Page 45

Page 46
The BPCU closes the EPC when all of these occur:

Ground power switch on P5 is in the ON position
External power quality has correct voltage and frequency
The interlock pins (EF) have continuity
No protective functions occur
There is no power between the bus tie breaker (BTBs).
The EPC opens if any one of these occur:

Quality of external power is bad
Ground power switch is put to OFF position
A protective function occurs
You remove the external power plug
The interlock pins do not have continuity
Another power source selection trips (opens) the EPC.

Page 47
The BPCU protects the external power channel and

isolates the channel if a failure occurs. The BPCU
monitors these parameters of external power:
Current
Overcurrent
Unbalanced phase current
Phase sequence.
Voltage
Overvoltage (high voltage)
Undervoltage (low voltage)
External power plug fault. BPCU monitors the voltage and polarity
at pins E and F of the external power panel. It opens the EPC or
prevents the EPC from closing if there is a fault condition
Frequency.
under frequency (low frequency) condition
over frequency (high frequency) condition

Page 48
Indication
Blue GRD POWER AVAILABLE light comes on to show;
There is continuity through pins E and F at the external power
connection
Connected external power quality is in limits.
Amber CONN light comes on to show that external power

is connected. It is not an indication that power quality is
good.
White NOT IN USE light comes on to show that the
ground service buses and transfer buses do not receive
power from the external power source. The light comes
on when these conditions are true:
No Continuity through pins E and F (external power plug
connected)
Ground service relays are de-energized, and
EPC is open.

Sources of AC External Power

Ground Power Unit
It is basically a petrol or diesel engine driving an AC
generator.
The output is 115 V AC at 400 Hz. The maximum
current that can be withdrawn depends on the
capability of the generator.
AC External Power is basically used to power the
aircraft on ground.
AC power converter
This unit converts domestic power (240 V 50Hz) to
aircraft power at 115 V 400Hz.
Page 49

Constant output voltage

for non-linear loads
400 Hz +/- 0.1%
nominal frequency
+12/-5% voltage
adjustment range
Page 50

Dual output, solid-state, ACDC Ground Power Unit

supplies simultaneous 400
Hz AC and 28 VDC power
from a single unit
37.5 kVA to 90 kVA AC
450 Amps Continuous DC

2000 Amps Starting Current
DC
www.unitronlp.com/images/
Page 51

GPU Panel
Page 52

Wassalam
Page 53

Chapter 3 - APU, Ext Power &amp; RAT

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Chapter 3 - APU, Ext Power &amp; RAT

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Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Aircraft Electrical Systems

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Auxiliary Power Unit Systems

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Simple auxiliary power system schematic

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Schematic of a relay controlled auxiliary power system

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

UNIVERSITI KUALA LUMPIR

APU Components - Right

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Typical installation an APU in aircraft.

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

APU oil system is a self-contained system

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Some aircraft have

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

The drain mast on the

The APU cowling showing

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

AlliedSignal GTCP85 Series APU

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

The GTCP85-129 APU engine

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Operation of the GTCP 85 APU

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

The load control valve, shown in previous

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Ram Air Turbine (RAT)

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Next figure shows that the RAT output is

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Subject Code AKD 20403 / AAB 30403

Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology

Chapter 3 - APU, Ext Power & RAT

Chapter 3 - APU, Ext Power & RAT