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A320 CBT Page: 1/9

HYDRAULICS Rev: 2
Date: 15.04.2019

TABLE OF CONTENT
LEGAL CAUTION ................................................................................................................................................................. 2
HYDRAULICS ........................................................................................................................................................................ 2
OVERVIEW ........................................................................................................................................................................... 2
BASIC COMPONENTS ........................................................................................................................................................ 2
ECAM HYDRAULICS PAGE ................................................................................................................................................ 4
SYSTEM CONTROLS............................................................................................................................................................. 6
HYDRAULIC CONTROL PANEL ................................................................................................................................................. 6
HYDRAULIC MAINTENANCE PANEL ....................................................................................................................................... 8
WARNINGS AND CAUTIONS ............................................................................................................................................. 8

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HYDRAULICS Rev: 2
Date: 15.04.2019

1
LEGAL CAUTION
The material contained in this training program is based on the information obtained from
current national, international and company regulations and it is to be used for training
purposes only. At the time of designing this program contained then current information.
In the event of conflict between data provided herein and that in publications issued by
the authority, the authority shall take precedence.

2
HYDRAULICS
This chapter introduces you to the hydraulic system and provides an overview of its
organisation, operation, controls and indications. Here is the chapter outline:
 Overview
 Basic components
 ECAM hydraulics page
 System controls
 Warnings and cautions
3
OVERVIEW
The Airbus 320 is equipped with three independent main hydraulic supply systems which
are identified by a color. The system corresponding to engine 1 is designated as green
system and the system associated with the engine 2, yellow system. The third hydraulic
system, which is powered independently of the engines, is designated as blue system.
4
There is no hydraulic fluid transfer from one system to another.
5
Figure shows the simplified schematic of the hydraulic system. The system normally
operates at a pressure of 3000 psi to supply hydraulic power to the users.
6
The users of the hydraulic system include flight controls, landing gear, brakes, cargo doors
and thrust reversers. In an emergency, the blue system also powers the emergency
generator. Now let’s take a look at the systems in more detail.
7
BASIC COMPONENTS
Each system has its own reservoir which stores the hydraulic fluid. All reservoirs are
pressurized with air.
8
How about a question? Why is it necessary to pressurize the reservoir? .... Reservoir
pressurization is necessary to prevent pumps cavitation and maintain positive flow supply
to the pumps during operations at all altitudes.
9
The reservoirs are normally pressurized by the bleed air from the engine 1. When the
engine 1 bleed air is not available, the pneumatic system provides the reservoir
pressurization

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HYDRAULICS Rev: 2
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10
A pressure sensor installed to each reservoir transmits a signal to the ECAM when the air
pressure of a reservoir is equal to or less than 22 psi.
11
Each reservoir also incorporates a quantity transmitter and a low level switch which
supply data to ECAM for fluid quantity indication and low level warning in the cockpit.
12
For the green and yellow system, the low level warning is activated when the fluid
quantity in the respective reservoir is less than 3.5 liters. For the blue system, the low level
warning is triggered when the fluid quantity reduces below 2.4 liters in the reservoir.
13
A temperature sensor detects any abnormal temperature of returning hydraulic fluid to
the reservoir.
14
The green and yellow hydraulic systems are each pressurized by an engine driven pump.
The blue hydraulic system is pressurized by an electric pump which starts to operate at
the first engine start up.
15
These three pumps are the main system pumps and operate at all times when the engines
are running and the respective pump switch is not OFF.
16
The yellow hydraulic system can also be pressurized by an electric pump. The pump is
mainly used on ground, when the engines are not running, for maintenance operations
and cargo door operations.
17
Pressure sensors are fitted in each engine–driven and electrical pump outlet. When a
pump outlet pressure goes below normal, the respective sensor transmits a signal to the
ECAM for further processing.
18
Crew members can also use a hand pump to pressurize the yellow system in order to
operate the cargo doors when no electrical power is available.
19
In an emergency the blue system can be pressurized by the Ram Air Turbine or RAT.
20
Each of the green and yellow systems has a fire shutoff valve located between the
reservoir and the engine driven pump.
21
When the ENGINE 1 or ENGINE 2 FIRE switch is pushed, the respective valve closes and
isolates the system.
22
An accumulator fitted to each system helps maintaining a constant system pressure by
covering transient demands during normal operation.

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HYDRAULICS Rev: 2
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23
A bidirectional Power Transfer Unit (PTU) allows the green system to be pressurized by the
yellow system and vice versa. The PTU transfers the hydraulic power but does not transfer
the hydraulic fluid.
24
The operation of the power transfer unit is normally automatic. For instance, on the
ground when the engines are not running, it automatically activates to let the yellow
system pressurize the green system.
25
Each system incorporates a leak measurement valve installed in the primary flight
controls supply line. These valves allow the maintenance crew to measure the leakage
in each circuit.
26
A pressure sensor fitted to each supply line monitors the system pressure. When the
pressure drops below a preset value, a signal is transmitted to the ECAM.
27
Priority valves isolate the secondary users in order to keep the primary services pressurized
if the hydraulic pressure in a system gets low.
28
When a minimum system pressure has been reached, the priority valve closes to ensure
that remaining pressure goes only to the primary services.
29
ECAM HYDRAULICS PAGE
The ECAM hydraulics page presents the system layout that we have discussed previously
as an aid for crew situational awareness.
30
The hydraulic fluid storage indications are at the bottom of the display.
31
The green arrow shows the quantity of fluid in the reservoir as transmitted by the quantity
sensor. The arrowhead moves up or down with variation in the fluid level.
32
These indicators show the normal filling level and low level warning level.
33
If the fluid level goes below the warning level, the quantity indicator changes color to
amber.
34
If the temperature of the fluid returning to the reservoir is above normal, OVERHEAT
message appears in amber.
35
When the air pressure in a reservoir is below normal, an amber LOW AIR PRESSURE
message is displayed for the affected reservoir.
36
Now, you see more indications on the page. Can you guess which symbols show the fire
shut-off valves. .... These symbols represent the fire shut-off valves.

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HYDRAULICS Rev: 2
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37
The symbol is inline when the valve is open. If the valve is closed due to engine fire, the
indication becomes an amber crossline.
38
These symbols show the status of each main system pump.
39
The symbol is green in-line when the associated pump is operating normally. If the pump
is switched off from the hydraulic control panel, then the symbol changes to amber cross-
line.
40
If low pressure is detected at a main pump outlet, an amber LO is displayed for the
related pump
41
The numbers next to the engine pump symbols are normally white. The number becomes
amber when the related engine N2 RPM is below idle.
42
It is time to test your memory. Based on the lesson given so far, what do you think the
highlighted symbol represents? The highlighted symbol represents the symbol represents
the status of electric pump in the yellow system.
43
The hollow white arrowhead shows that the electric pump is off.
44
The symbol changes to a green solid arrowhead when the pump is ON.
45
If a low pressure is detected with the pump ON, an amber arrowhead is displayed.
46
This symbol gives information about the ram air turbine status. The symbol is white when
the ram air turbine is stowed and green when the ram air turbine is deployed.
47
The symbol becomes amber when the ram air turbine has a malfunction.
48
The electric pumps in the blue and yellow system are fitted with temperature switches. If
an electric pump gets hot, the switch causes OVERHEAT indication to be displayed for
the respective pump.
49
You can monitor the PTU status from here. This green symbol shows that PTU is armed and
there is no transfer of pressure between the green and yellow systems.
50
When the PTU is switched off from the hydraulic control panel, the symbol changes color
to amber.
51
When the PTU is supplying pressure to the green system, the indication becomes like this.
52
If the PTU is supplying pressure to the yellow system, the indication changes to this.

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53
These are the system label and system pressure indications. The normal system pressure is
3000 psi. When the pressure drops below 1450 psi, the associated system label and system
pressure indications become amber.
54
SYSTEM CONTROLS
The control switches for the hydraulic system are located on the overhead hydraulic
control panel.
55
A hydraulic maintenance panel incorporates switches which are used on ground for
maintenance operations. Now, let’s take a closer look at the hydraulic control panel.
56
HYDRAULIC CONTROL PANEL
As you may recall, the Airbus uses lights out philosophy in the cockpit. Thus, during normal
operation, hydraulic panel switches have no visible light.
57
The engine pump switches are ON/OFF type. Here, you see that both switches are in the
ON position. With the switches in ON position, each pump pressurizes the system as long
as the respective engine is running.
58
When an engine pump switch is set to OFF, the white OFF light illuminates in the switch.
The pump is depressurized and pump output stops.
59
Amber FAULT light illuminates and the respective ECAM caution is triggered when one or
more of these occur. The fluid level in the system reservoir is low.
60
An overheat condition is detected in the reservoir.
61
The air pressure in the reservoir is below normal.
62
The pump outlet pressure is low.
63
The guarded blue system electric pump switch has AUTO and OFF modes. Here, the
switch is in AUTO position.
64
With the switch in AUTO and AC power available, the pump automatically operates
when one engine is running.
65
If the blue electric pump switch is pushed OFF, the white OFF light comes on and the
pump stops supplying the hydraulic pressure.
66
As being an auxiliary pressurization unit, the yellow system electric pump switch is normally
OFF and there is no indication on the switch. The pump does not supply hydraulic pressure
to the system.

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HYDRAULICS Rev: 2
Date: 15.04.2019

67
When the switch is pushed ON, ON light comes on and the pump starts running.
68
The yellow system electric pump also activates automatically when the cargo door
manual selector is set to OPEN or CLOSE by the maintenance crew.
69
An amber FAULT light, accompanied with ECAM caution, either in blue or yellow system
electric pump switch comes on for the same reasons as it illuminates on the engine pump
switches.
70
There is one more condition which causes the FAULT light on an electric pump switch to
illuminate and ECAM caution to trigger. Do you guess what it is? The FAULT light in an
electric pump switch also illuminates when the respective pump overheats.
71
The PTU pushbutton switch has AUTO and OFF modes, and is used to arm or disarm the
power transfer unit.
72
With the switch in AUTO, the power transfer unit is armed.
73
This means that when a pressure difference more than 500 psi occurs between the green
system and the yellow system, the unit will operate automatically.
74
Whenever the power transfer unit is running, green HYDRAULIC PTU message appears on
the ECAM MEMO display.
75
If you set the PTU switch to OFF, the pressure transfer between the green and yellow
systems stops.
76
An amber FAULT light, accompanied with ECAM caution illuminates in the switch due to
low reservoir level, reservoir overheat or low reservoir air pressure in the green or yellow
system.
77
Note that the FAULT light on any switch on the hydraulic panel extinguishes when you set
the switch to OFF, except an overheat condition. The light remains on as long as the
overheat condition exists.
78
The guarded RAT MANUAL ON switch lets you extend the ram air turbine at any time.
79
When extended, the ram air turbine can pressurize the blue hydraulic system at 2500 psi.
80
Note that the ram air turbine extends automatically when AC BUS 1 and AC BUS 2 are
lost.

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81
Once deployed, ram air turbine can be stowed only when the aircraft is on the ground.
If it is not fully stowed, the green RAT OUT message appears on the ECAM MEMO display.
82
HYDRAULIC MAINTENANCE PANEL
The hydraulic maintenance panel has individual guarded pushbutton switches for leak
measurement valves. These switches are used to perform a leak measurement test on
the ground.
83
When a switch is pushed OFF, the corresponding leak measurement valve closes and the
hydraulic supply to primary flight controls stops.
84
The panel also incorporates a guarded switch to operate the blue system electric pump.
With the BLUE electric pump switch in AUTO on the hydraulic panel, if the switch is set to
ON, the blue system electric pump operates.
85
WARNINGS AND CAUTIONS
The ECAM alerts the crew for the abnormal operation of the hydraulic system. You must
act according to the abnormal procedure displayed on the ECAM.
86
When two hydraulic systems pressure drops below 1450 psi, the ECAM triggers SYSTEMS
LOW PRESSURE warning for the affected systems.
87
Systems low pressure warning is generated for any combination of two hydraulic systems
and resets if the system pressure becomes 1750 psi or greater.
88
If only a single system pressure drops below 1450 psi, the ECAM activates SYSTEM LOW
PRESSURE caution for the affected system. The caution resets if the pressure is 1750 psi or
greater.
89
When a reservoir pressure reduces below 22 psi, the ECAM triggers RESERVOIR LOW AIR
PRESSURE caution for the affected system.
90
The caution is reset if the reservoir pressure is 25 psi or greater.
91
Note that if blue reservoir pressure drops below 30 psi during flight, blue reservoir low air
pressure caution is displayed on ground after landing.
92
If fluid temperature in a reservoir exceeds 93° Celsius, RESERVOIR OVEHEAT caution is
activated. The caution is reset when the temperature reduces to 88° Celsius or less.
93
The ECAM triggers low fluid level warning when the fluid quantity is less than 3.5 liters in
either green or yellow reservoir, or less than 2.4 liters in blue reservoir.

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HYDRAULICS Rev: 2
Date: 15.04.2019

94
If an engine pump outlet pressure drops below 1750 psi, the ECAM generates ENGINE
PUMP LOW PRESSURE caution for the affected pump. The caution is reset when the pump
pressure becomes 2200 psi or more.
95
When an electric pump outlet pressure drops below 1450 psi, the ECAM generates
ELECTRIC PUMP LOW PRESSURE caution for the related pump. The caution is reset when
the pump pressure becomes 1750 psi or more. Note that there are additional reset
conditions as shown if the caution is for the yellow system electric pump.
96
If an overheat is detected in an electric pump, the ECAM generates ELECTRIC PUMP
OVERHEAT caution for the affected pump.
97
The PTU FAULT caution is triggered if the PTU is not functioning correctly.
98
If the ram air turbine is not fully stowed or the RAT pump not available, ECAM RAT FAULT
caution comes on.
99
End of course.

Copyrights © 2007 by Flyco Training Solutions