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Art:
ELECTRIC AL SYSTHI
Oh, that's a kind of gen~rator, except that it's used in AC
systems. The alternator is driven by the eqgine, just as a gen-

17
. .~ erator is. Your airplane doesn't have one. On yours, the neces-
sary AC comes from the inverter. It gets its DC power straight
...
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~ ! · ~ -i- from the bus bar.
Dan: Is an APU an alternator?
Art:
-
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/
Dan:
Art:

Not the kind you use. It's just another source of DC power for
your starter. When you hit the starter toggle switch, you're
using a lot of current. The APU saves your battery.
I suppose most of the drcuits are protected by a circuit-breaker.
--
Yes, but a few still use fuses. lt's much easier to reset a circuit-
', • f breaker than to replace a fnse.
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Dan: agree. lt's hard to find a new fuse and replace it at night. ....
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j Art: Especially if you --ha:ve to fly the airplane while you're changing it.
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··{ •B. Termin ology Practic e
1
ELEC TRICA L SVSTE M
AC: áltemating current, as opposed to direct current (DC); a given
- device uses either AC or DC, not both; one kind of current cari be
art changed to the other with special equiprnent
.- A. Dialog ue
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We can start on the electrical system now. Do you have any

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·/

It measures both AC and DC.

-Ac is produced by an altertiator.
The inverter produces AC.
~~ Art:
complai nts? .
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alternator: an engine driven device far producing AC
l've heard about something called an alternator.
y about the popped circuit-breaker on
1111 Dan: Well, I told you yesterda Dru:i's airplane did not have an altemator.
the navigati on lights. The loadmet ers seem to be running a bit Many modero airplanes use _alternators.
9
'-' Art:
high, too.
There must be a slíort somewh ere in- the wiring. We'll check
ammeter: an instrument far meas~ring electrical current
lt's also an ammeter.
~ the whole circujt against the séhematic. So~e airplanes use loadmete~s ~-stead of ammete~s.- /
?.
Da-,z: What's that thing you're carrying Toe·ammeter showed the generator was not workmg.
This is -a voltmete r. It's helpful in determining the cqpdition
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1
Art:
of ·the battery and generator. It measure
lt's also an ammete r.
s both AC and DC. APU: auxili:áry power unit
Is an APQ. an alternator?
The APU saves your battery. _ .
By the way, I've heard about somethi ng cailed an alternato r. Toe mechanic plugged in the APU befare he started the e!1grne.
,\Í~ Dan:
What is it?
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I"\ ·- , 16
 _18 AVIATION MECHANICS
"\i
battery: a device which stores electrical energy
The APU saves your battery . .
Art pu_t ne~ batteries in Dan's airplane,
Battenes will last a lot longer if an APU 1s • use d m .
. startmg
- bus bhar: _the ?ea~y wire which distributes power from the ba¡tery
to eac maJor c1rcmt
lt gets its power straight from the bus bar.
Art said the b~s bar was not big enough.
. _lf the bus bar 1s not_Iarge enough, it might heat up.
circu1t:_ ~ path over wh1ch electricity flows; in this sense, a division of
the electncal system . The left wing tip has a red navigation light.
We'll check the whole circuit against the schematic.
The circuit was over-loaded.
They found a short in the navigation light circuit.
circuit-breaker: a device for disconnecting an electrical circuit if it
becomes overloaded
I told you about the popped circuit-breaker.
When the circuit-breaker pops out, it disconnects the circuit.
You should wait a few seconds before resetting a popped circuit-
breaker.
current: flow of electricity through a circuit or portian of a circuit
When you hit the starter toggle switch, you're using a lot of current.
The loadmeters indicated the system was using too much current.
A circuit-breaker will pop if too much current flows through it.
DC: direct current
It measures both AC and DC.
The battery supplies DC.
DC drives the inverter.
fuse: a device which melts when excessive current flows through it
Yes, but a few still use fuses.
Circuit-breakers are much more convenient than fuses.
The fuse f ailed when a short developed.
generator: an engine-driven device for producing DC
It's helpful in determining the condiy.on of the generator.
The generator had a short in it. · !:(·
Toe voltmeter said the generator produced 14 volts.
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inverter: a device for changing DC to AC
The necessary AC comes from the inverter.
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ELECTRICAL ·SYSTEM 19
J1.,
t Dan's airplane had aspare inverter.
·,;,
Sorne of the instruments stopped working when the inverter failed .
loadmeters: instruments for indicating the amount of current being
consumed
The loadmeters seem to be running a bit high.
The left loadmeter read zero.
Excessively high loadmeter readings indicated overload of thc
electrical system.
navigation lights: lights mounted on each wing tip and the tail
I told you about the circuit-breaker on the navigation lights.
./
The navigation light on the tail is whi:te.
popped: said of a cir,cuit-breaker that is in the open (no current)
position as the result of a short circuit
.'.- ~~
.·.~~ I told you about the popped circuit-breaker.
This circuit-breaker may pop because of heavy current.
A fire would have started if the ciruit-breaker hadn't popped.
schematic: a plan or drawing of the electrical system
We'll check the whole circuit against the schematic.
The schematic showed that the starter was connected to the bus
bar.
Dan wasn't able toread the schematic.
short: an abbreviation for a short circuit, that is, the failure of an
electrical current to flow through the entire circuit
There must be a short somewhere in the wiring.
They found a short in the navigation light system.
Toe short popped the circuit-breaker.
starter: a device for tuming the engine to prepare it to run under its
own power
It's another source of power for your starter.
Toe battery wasn't strong enough to turn the starter,
An APU should be attached when using the starter.
toggle switch: · a de~ice for opening a circuit by a le;er .
": . When you hit the starter toggle switch, you re usmg a lot
·,· of current. · · . !)_
Most of the circuits are controlled ~y to_ggle swltches. ✓ -@~
~~;:,, He couldn't find the little toggle switch m the dark. •
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'
20 AVIATION MECHANICS
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voltmeter: an instrument for showing the difference in electrical force
lla between two points of a circuit

........ This is a voltmeter.

Many airplanes have voltmeters mounted on the instrument

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1
,
panel.
This voltmeter is also an ammeter.

llj'• 1
C. Electrical System Check-Up
1

Match the following terms with their definitions.

bus bar generator loadmeter
current inverter battery
DC fuse
schematic starter
l. a device for turning the engine to prepare it to run under its own
power
2. a plan or drawing of the electrical system
3. an instrument for indicating the amount of current being consumed
4. the heavy wire which distributes power from the battery to each
major circuit
5. a device which stores electrical energy
6. flow of e1ectricity through a circuit
7. direct current
8. an engine-driven device for producing DC
9. a device which melts when excessive current flows through it
1O. a device for changing DC to AC

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