Da42 electrical system

Primary explaination
⁃ alternator strapped to the bottom of each engine belt driven
⁃ Supplies power to avionics via LH/RH busbars
⁃ If engine fails, alternator fails. energy is drawn from main battery to
busbars then to avionics
⁃ Emergency battery pack powers bare minimum: standby ADI and flood light
for 1.5hr

Other stuff…

Alternator
⁃ Alternator circuit breaker
• 70amps

⁃ purpose of alternator control unit

• measures output
• Controls current through coils
• Balances load by putting more on alternators cooler (because output
voltage decreased at higher temps)
• Diagnostic function warns of failure on g1000

⁃ How does alternator work

• rotor (electromagnet with dc current running through it) turns within
stator (conductive wire wrapped round iron core)
• As rotor turns, magnetic field created cuts through iron core producing
current
• Alternator field is magnetic field either created by alternator or
excitation batteries

Excitation batteries
⁃ purpose of excitation batteries
• provide alternative source of electrical field if alternator fails

⁃ how many excitation batteries (volts/amps)

• x2
• 12volts
• 1.3amps
• Connected in series

⁃ what does engine master do

• connects excitation batteries to alternator field via 5amp fuse

⁃ Location of excitation batteries

• front baggage compartment
• Forward of cockpit bulkhead

Main battery
⁃ main battery location
• front baggage compartment
• Rear right hand side

⁃ 24v dc
⁃ Lead acid
⁃ 10amp hr

⁃ connected to
• hot bus
 • Bat bus
• Electric master switch connects battery relay

⁃ emergency power
• 1.5hrs
• Standby ADI and Flood light

⁃ emergency power storage

• 10x
• 3v
• 1300mAmphr
• Lithium manganese
• Taped together
• Behind PFD left side
• Replace after: use in flight, if seal is broken

⁃ external power jack

• Lower section of fuselage nose section

⁃ Power distribution
• battery relay box
• Contains: battery relay, external power relay, starter relay,
• Contains both alternator relays
• located next to main battery

⁃ hot battery bus

• connects main battery to relay via 20amp fuse
• Provides pwr for map/pilot readings
• Even if electric master switches off the hot bat bud doesn’t

⁃ electric master on
• battery relay connects the battery bus to L/R main bus, L/R ECU busses

⁃ alternator switch on
• alternator relays connect alternators to L/R main buses and ecu buses
via 70amp circuit breaker

⁃ engine master switched on

• connect ECU A/B to ECU bus and connects excitation batteries

⁃ Engine starters engaged

• Starter relay connects to bat bus

⁃ avionics master switched on

• Avionics bus connects to main bus via avionics master relay

⁃ external power switched on

• battery relay
• L/R main bus
• L/R ECU bus

⁃ do avionics still work if right main bus fails

• Avionics only connected to right hand bus
• Will fail!

⁃ Avionics bus systems

• Comm 2
• GPS 2/nav2
• Audio panel
 • Autopilot
• Data link
• (Potentially wx 500)

****************more**********************

⁃ Dc conversion
• inverter

⁃ Ac
• Rectifier with diodes

⁃ why not just use AC

• electronics need DC to function

⁃ generator
• generator doesn’t need initial electricity to start
• But is heavier
• output is proportional to input (dead at idle

⁃ Alternator
• Lighter
• Stable output
• Needs initial electricity to start

⁃ busbars
• X4 ECU AB LR
• X2 MAIN L/R
• Battery
• Hot battery
• Avionics bus

⁃ batteries
• main battery
• X2 Ecu backup batteries
• Emergency batteries