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APU

An airborne auxiliary power unit (APU) is a small gas turbine installed in aircraft to provide electrical and pneumatic power when the main engines are shut down. The APU uses fuel from the aircraft's main tank and an electric starter to power a compressor, combustor, and turbine similar to a jet engine. It drives an electrical generator and load compressor to supply power and compressed air to aircraft systems independent of external ground sources. The APU electronic control box monitors speed and aircraft demands to regulate fuel flow and inlet guide vanes to maintain constant speed while meeting load requirements or minimizing fuel use during idling.

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188 views

APU

An airborne auxiliary power unit (APU) is a small gas turbine installed in aircraft to provide electrical and pneumatic power when the main engines are shut down. The APU uses fuel from the aircraft's main tank and an electric starter to power a compressor, combustor, and turbine similar to a jet engine. It drives an electrical generator and load compressor to supply power and compressed air to aircraft systems independent of external ground sources. The APU electronic control box monitors speed and aircraft demands to regulate fuel flow and inlet guide vanes to maintain constant speed while meeting load requirements or minimizing fuel use during idling.

Uploaded by

ravi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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 Airline operators cannot always guarantee that external electrical, pneumatic and

air conditioning sources will be available at every airport that their aircraft will
visit.
 The Airborne Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) was the answer to make the aircraft
independent of all this ground support equipment.
 In some airplanes the APU’s will also be used as backup sources in flight for
electrical or also pneumatic power.
 The APU is mainly used on the ground when the aircraft engines are not running to
supply pneumatic air and electrical power if no other more economically and
ecological ground sources are available.
 An APU is a small, simple gas turbine mounted in a fire proved, unpressurized
APU compartment located within the aircraft.
 There is no really a standard location, but most APU’s are installed in the fuselage
tail cone of the aircraft. Starting/Stopping and monitoring of the APU is
performed from an APU Control Panel located in the cockpit.
 Emergency shutdown and fire extinguishing functions can also be performed from
outside the aircraft on an APU External Control Panel.
 To operate an APU, it uses electrical power from the aircraft battery and fuel from
the aircraft main fuel tank. The APU compartment is equipped with a fire warning
system and a manual- or automatic fire extinguishing system.
 The APU is a turbine engine that is similar to a jet engine, but it produces no
thrust and drives the gearbox with constant speed.
 The compressor and turbine of the power section are mounted on a common
shaft. Initially turned by an electrical starter motor.
 The compressor draws air through the air inlet raising its pressure, then passes it
into the combustor where fuel is injected.
 The burning which takes place within the combustor chamber raises the energy
level of the air. The hot gases then pass through the turbine, which extracts as
much energy as possible from the gas flow.
 The turbine converts the gas energy to rotational energy to drive the compressor,
the load compressor and the gear box.
 One of the main functions which the APU performs is driving an
electrical AC-generator mounted on the gear box. Because the APU
generator is not equipped with a Constant Speed Drive (CSD), the
gear box speed must be constant to provide a constant APU
generator frequency.
 Most APU’s have one generator. You may also find two generators
on very large APU’s. Whether we are bleeding air from the load
compressor or taking electrical power from the generator, each will
impose a load on the APU.
 As load is applied, the APU speed tends to slow down. The APU
Electronic Control Box (ECB) senses the speed drop and provides
more fuel to the combustor to increase the power and match the load
in order to maintain a constant speed.
 There are two different methods of APU bleed air supply:
1. One uses the compressor of the power section.
2. The other one uses an individual load compressor.
 APU’s with load compressors are more fuel efficient. This is because
the airflow across the load compressor can be adapted to the aircraft
bleed air demands.
 Inlet guide vanes between the compressor and the air inlet match
compressor flow to the demand. Inlet guide vane position is changed
by an inlet guide vane actuator (IGVA), controlled by the ECB in
response to aircraft bleed air demand signals.
 As the IGV’s open the power required to drive the load compressor
increases, so the fuel flow and EGT also increases. When there is no
demand, the ECB closes the IGV’s to the minimum close position so
that the load compressor imposes almost no load on the power section.
 The load compressor is driven from an extension of the power
section compressor turbine shaft.
 The load compressor takes air from the same inlet as the power
section compressor. It compresses the air to supply the pneumatic
system.
 Naturally, the energy which is required to drive the load
compressor must be obtained from the turbine by burning more
fuel in the combustor.
 If the airflow from the load compressor falls too far below the
rate at which it enters through the IGV’s, a condition known as
compressor stall or surge may occur.
 So for any opening the inlet guide vanes, there is a minimum
amount of air that must be allowed to flow through the
compressor to prevent a compressor stall.
 The function of the bleed valve is to shutoff or provide APU
bleed air flow to the pneumatic system. The valve is controlled
by the ECB in response of the APU bleed air switch position and
the APU speed. It is normally closed < 95% rpm.

oThe function of the APU surge control valve is to prevent


APU compressor stall by bleeding air from the compressor
outlet duct.
oThe valve is controlled to open by the ECB, when a surge
(stall) condition is detected. On some APU the surge control
valve is pneumatically actuated by a flow sensor located in
the compressor outlet duct.

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