Lahore School of Aviation

The University of Lahore

Presentation Report

Program: BSAMT Semester: 8th

Course: Propeller Engines Code:
Instructor: Sir Abu Bakr Batch:
Assign. No: 04 Date: 30-12-21
Name: Sarim Butt Reg. No: 70072954

Remarks:_____________________________________________________________________

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Marks: / 10

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Instructor’s Signature
 Starting and Ignition System

Starting of Gas Turbine Engine:

While starting a gas turbine engine there are two systems that are required. The 1st system is for
the rotation of compressor and turbine to a RPM through which an adequate amount of air passes
through into the combustion chamber to mix with fuel from the nozzles and another to ignite the
fuel-air mixture. During this period the two systems must work at the same time and also working
independently. The operations of these two systems must be in accordance with each other during
a starting cycle automatically or manually and generally the termination or disconnection of the
starting/ignition system power supply are automatic.

The typical sequence of starting the turbine engine is as follows:

 Start selected and the engine is motored by the starter

 At around 15-20% RPM ignition system energized.
 At around 20-25% RPM fuel is supplied
 At around 27% RPM light-up takes place
 At around 45-50% RPM starter circuit and the ignition circuit are switched off
 Engine accelerates on its own to idle RPM.

Starting systems:

For gas turbine engine starting there are several types of high-performance starter used. Some
of the factors which allow the starting of the system are:

 Length of the starting cycle

 The availability of the starting power
 Design features of a particular state

Types of gas turbine engine starters:

 Electric motor starter

 Starter generator
 Pneumatic starter
  Cartridge of solid propellant starter gas turbine starter
 Hydraulic starter

Electric motor starter-

This starting process normally uses an electric motor to spin the main turbine shaft. The motor is
bolted to the outside of the engine and uses a shaft and gears to connect to the main shaft.

Starter generator-

The starter generator is permanently engaged with the engine shaft through the necessary drive
gears, while the direct cranking starter must employ some means of disengaging the starter from
the shaft after the engine has started.

Pneumatic starter

A typical pneumatic turbine engine starter may be operated as an ordinary air turbine starter from
a ground operated air supply or an engine cross-bleed source. It may also be operated as a starter.

Cartridge of solid propellant starter gas turbine starter

To accomplish a cartridge, start, a cartridge is first placed in the breech cap. The breech is then
closed on the breech chamber by means of the breech handle and then rotated a partial turn to
engage the lugs between the two breech sections. The cartridge is ignited by applying voltage
through the connector at the end of the breech handle.

Hydraulic starter

A hydraulic start system is provided having separate, sequentially started hydraulic motors for the
controller PMG and for the gas turbine engine starter. Fluid pressure is provided by a hydraulic
accumulator to both motors through separating valves. The PMG motor is supplied with fluid first
and that drives the PMG to power up and initialize the controller before the starter motor is
utilized.
Types of clutch mechanisms

Mostly all the types of starters are connected to the engine or the accessory gearbox through a
clutch mechanism. The most commonly used ones are:

 The friction clutch

 The over running clutch
 The sprag clutch

The friction clutch

It is used to transmit the rotary motion of one shaft to another when desired. The axes of the two
shafts are coincident. The surfaces can be pressed firmly against one against when engaged and
the clutch tends to rotate as a single unit.

The over running clutch

An overrunning clutch adapted especially for use in an engine starter motor drive for a high-
speed gas turbine engine comprising a driving inner race, a cammed outer race adapted to be
connected drivable to a gas turbine gasifier, clutch rollers disposed in cam recesses between said
races, friction blocks situated between the individual rollers and adjacent reaction.

The sprag clutch

A sprag clutch may be used in the starting turbine of a turbojet engine, so that the running main
engine does not keep the starter engaged at high speeds.
Safety precautions
Safety has always been a virtue with aircraft components, so with the large amount of torque and
also due to weight of components care must be taken. Following are a few safety points to observe:
 Always refer the relevant engine maintenance manual beforehand.
 Use appropriate hand gloves when handling hot parts, etc.
 Ignition systems
The ignition systems are to provide the electrical discharge necessary to ignite the fuel/air
mixture inside the combustion chamber. The system used for starting and relighting after engine
flameout condition.

There are some requirements for an ignition system:

 Igniting a very lean fuel/air mixture of which the temperature is relatively low and which
rushes past the ignitor plugs at high speeds.
 Providing in-flight relighting in the event of flameout.
 Should be capable of preventing an engine flameout condition when continuous ignition
is selected on.
 Operate in normal and efficient fashion regardless of spark plug fouling.
 Provide adequate safety, preventing injury by electrocution to personal who are carrying
out approved maintenance operations on the system.

Types of ignition systems:

Mostly all gas turbine engine ignition systems regardless of being a high energy or low energy
are of the capacitor type. This type of system consists of a power supply, an exciter unit, an
ignition lead and igniter plug. There are two types which are as follows:

 Capacitor type DC input system

 Capacitor type AC input system

Capacitor type DC input system-

This system is a typical turbojet engine system in use today. This system can include: two exciter
units, two transformers, two intermediate ignition leads, and two high-tension leads. Depending
on engine configuration a dual ignition is provided on the engine by two separately mounted
exciters or by twin circuits throughout the exciter. As operation begins, the power source delivers
28VDC (maximum) input to the system. Each triggering circuit is connected to a spark igniter.
The operation described here takes place in each individual circuit. Except for the mechanical
features of the armature, the operation is essentially the same in both units.
As a safety factor, the ignition system is actually a dual system designed to fire two igniter plugs.
Before the electrical energy reaches the exciter unit, it passes through a falter. This filter prevents
noise voltage from being induced into the aircraft electrical system. The low-voltage input power
operates a DC motor, which drives one multilobe cam and one single-lobe cam. At the same time,
input power is supplied to a set of breaker points that are actuated by the multilobe cam.

Capacitor type AC input system-

The basis of operation on which the low-voltage, high-energy ignition system is built is the self-
ionizing feature of the igniter plug. In the high-voltage system a double spark is produced. The
first part consists of a high-voltage component to ionize (make conductive) the gap between the
igniter plug electrodes. The second high-energy, low-voltage portion follows. The low-voltage,
high-energy spark is similar except that ionization is affected by the self-ionizing igniter plug.

The main ignition unit changes the amplitude and the frequency characteristics of aircraft power
into pulsating DC. To do this, the components in the ignition unit are grouped in stages to filter,
amplify, rectify, and store an electric charge. The spark plugs used in the ignition system are the
shunted-gap type, which are self-ionizing and designed for low-tension (relatively low voltage)
applications.

Types of igniter plugs:

On a gas turbine engine spark plugs the electrodes are designed to withstand a very high intensity
spark and made of materials to withstand that kind of intensity. The igniter plugs can be
categorized into the following:

 Air gap type

 Surface discharge type
 Glow plugs

Air gap type

The constricted air gap type commonly used on gas turbine engines and the shunted surface
discharge type. As the name implies, the air gap type has a larger gap between the body of the
igniter and the electrode. This means that a voltage difference of approximately 25.000 Volts is
required to ionize the gap before a spark will occur. Insulation throughout the circuit should
therefore be sufficient to withstand these high voltages.
Surface discharge type

The discharge igniter plug also discharges by high intensity flashover from the electrode but only
requires a potential difference of approximately 2000 Volts in order to operate.

Glow plugs
Glow plugs are a possible ignition source for direct injected natural gas engines. This ignition assistance
application is much different than the cold start assist function for which most glow plugs have been
designed. In the cold start application, the glow plug is simply heating the air in the cylinder.