POWERPLANT1 ACCESSORY SECTION & PROPELLER REDUCTION GEARS

ACCESSORY SECTION
 The accessory (rear) section usually is of cast construction and the material may be either aluminum alloy, which is
used most widely, or magnesium, which has been used to some extent.
 On some engines, it is cast in one piece and provided with means for mounting the accessories, such as magnetos,
carburetors, fuel, oil, vacuum pumps, starter, generator, tachometer drive, etc., in the various locations required to
facilitate accessibility.
 Accessory drive shafts are mounted in suitable drive arrangements that are carried out to the accessory mounting
pads. In this manner, the various gear ratios can be arranged to give the proper drive speed to magnetos, pumps,
and other accessories to obtain correct timing or functioning.
 Located at the rear part of the engine

CARBURETOR
 It is a device that mixes air and fuel for internal combustion engines to give proper fuel-air
ratio.
 Aircraft carburetors are separated into two categories: float-type carburetors and
pressure-type carburetors.
 The basic difference between a float-type and a pressure-type carburetor is the delivery
of fuel. The pressure-type carburetor delivers fuel under pressure by a fuel pump.

FLOAT TYPE CARBURETOR

 In the operation of the float-type carburetor system, the outside air first flows through an air filter, usually located at
an air intake in the front part of the engine cowling.
 This filtered air flows into the carburetor and through a venturi, a narrow throat in the carburetor. When the air flows
through the venturi, a low-pressure area is created that forces the fuel to flow through a main fuel jet located at the
throat.
 The fuel then flows into the airstream where it is mixed with the flowing air.
POWERPLANT1 ACCESSORY SECTION & PROPELLER REDUCTION GEARS

 The float-type carburetor acquires its name from a float that rests on fuel within the float chamber. A needle
attached to the float opens and closes an opening at the bottom of the carburetor bowl.
 This meters the amount of fuel entering into the carburetor, depending upon the position of the float, which is
controlled by the level of fuel in the float chamber.
 When the level of the fuel forces the float to rise, the needle valve closes the fuel opening and shuts off the fuel flow
to the carburetor.
 The needle valve opens again when the engine requires additional fuel. The flow of the fuel-air mixture to the
combustion chambers is regulated by the throttle valve, which is controlled by the throttle in the flight deck.

Air inlet - located below the propeller (Cessna)

Venturi - Converging duct throat
Venture effect – strong winds, low pressure
Throttle valve or butterfly valve
Full power – maximum airstream

PRESSURE-TYPE CARBURETOR
 A pressure-type carburetor discharges fuel into the airstream at a pressure well above atmospheric pressure. This
results in better vaporization and permits the discharge of fuel into the airstream on the engine side of the throttle
valve.
 With the discharge nozzle in this position fuel vaporization takes place after the air has passed through the throttle
valve and at a point where the drop in temperature is offset by heat from the engine.
 The effects of rapid maneuvers and rough air on the pressure-type
carburetors are negligible, since their fuel chambers remain filled
under all operating conditions.
 When air passes through the carburetor to the engine, the pressure
on the right of the diaphragm is lowered because of the drop in
pressure at the venturi throat.
 As a result, the diaphragm moves to the right, opening the fuel valve.
Pressure from the engine-driven pump then forces fuel through the
open valve to the discharge nozzle, where it sprays into the airstream.
 The distance the fuel valve opens is determined by the difference
between the two pressures acting on the diaphragm. This difference
in pressure is proportional to the airflow through the carburetor. Thus,
the volume of airflow determines the rate of fuel discharge
 Angel 1 has float type carburetor
POWERPLANT1 ACCESSORY SECTION & PROPELLER REDUCTION GEARS

MAGNETOS
 A magneto uses a permanent magnet to generate an electrical current completely
independent of the aircraft’s electrical system.
 The magneto generates sufficiently high voltage to jump a spark across the spark
plug gap in each cylinder. The system begins to fire when the starter is engaged
and the crankshaft begins to turn. It continues to operate whenever the crankshaft
is rotating.
 Most standard certificated aircraft incorporate a dual ignition system with two
individual magnetos, separate sets of wires, and spark plugs to increase
reliability of the ignition system. Each magneto operates independently to
fire one of the two spark plugs in each cylinder.
 The firing of two spark plugs improves combustion of the fuel-air mixture and
results in a slightly higher power output. If one of the magnetos fails, the
other is unaffected. The engine continues to operate normally, although a
slight decrease in engine power can be expected. The same is true if one of
the two spark plugs in a cylinder fails.
 Magneto gets its power from the battery itself; connected to spark plugs
STARTER MOTOR
 It is a device used to rotate an internal-combustion engine so as to initiate the
engine's operation under its own power.
 The starter engages the aircraft flywheel, rotating the engine at a speed that allows
the engine to start and maintain operation.
ALTERNATOR
 Engine-driven alternators or generators supply electric current to the electrical
system. They also maintain a sufficient electrical charge in the battery.
 Electrical energy stored in a battery provides a source of electrical power for starting
the engine and a limited supply of electrical power for use in the event the alternator
or generator fails.
ACCESSORY GEAR TRAINS
 Gear trains, containing both spur- and bevel-type gears, are used in the
different types of engines for driving engine components and accessories.
 Spur-type gears are generally used to drive the heavier loaded
accessories or those requiring the least play or backlash in the gear train. Spur-type gear Bevel gear

 Bevel gears permit angular location of short stub shafts leading to the various
accessory mounting pads. On opposed, reciprocating engines, the accessory gear trains are usually simple
arrangements.
 POWERPLANT1 ACCESSORY SECTION & PROPELLER REDUCTION GEARS

PROPELLER REDUCTION GEARS

 A propeller reduction gear system permits a propeller to turn slower than the
engine.
 Lessen engine speed from crankshaft to propeller
 This allows an engine to turn at a relatively fast speed and a propeller to turn at
a more efficient slower speed.
 Reduction gear systems currently used on aircraft engines utilize spur gears,
planetary gears, or a combination of the two.
 The amount of power produced by an aircraft recip rocating engine is determined by several factors, including the
amount of pressure exerted on the pistons during each power stroke and the number of power strokes completed in
a given time period.
 As a general rule, the faster an engine turns, the more power it produces; however, this same rule does not apply to
propellers.
 For example, as a propeller blade tip approaches the speed of sound, the propeller can no longer efficiently convert
the power produced by an engine into thrust.
 The blade tip rotates faster because the propeller diameter outside has larger ones than the propeller diameter
inside.
 Most propellers must be operated at a specific speed to achieve maximum efficiency.
 Therefore, to allow an engine to run at the speed required to produce its maximum rated power output while, at the
same time, maintain a reasonable propeller speed, some high-powered engines must use a propeller reduc tion
gear system.

SPUR GEARS
 Spur gears have their teeth cut straight across their circumference and can be
either external or internal.
 The simplest type of reduction gearing consists of two external tooth spur gears,
one small gear on an engine crankshaft and one larger gear on the propeller shaft.
 When configured this way, the amount of reduction is based primarily on the size
of the propeller shaft gear. The larger the gear, the slower the propeller turns.
 This reduction system does have some disadvantages. For example, when using
two external tooth spur gears, the propeller turns opposite the crankshaft.
 Furthermore, since the propeller shaft is off-center from the engine crankshaft, the propeller acts like a gyroscope
and places severe torsional loads on the engine case.

With a gear reduction system that uses two

externally driven spur gears, the amount of With a gear reduction system
reduction is determined by the ratio of the that uses one internal-tooth gear
gear teeth. For example, if the drive gear and one external-tooth gear the
has 25 teeth and the driven gear has 50 propeller and crankshaft turn in
teeth, a ratio of 1:2 exists and the propeller the same direction and are more
turns at one half the crankshaft speed. closely aligned.
POWERPLANT1 ACCESSORY SECTION & PROPELLER REDUCTION GEARS

 One way to overcome some of the drawbacks of a simple spur gear arrangement is to use an internal-tooth spur
gear on the propeller shaft and an external-tooth spur gear on the crankshaft.
 allowing the propeller to turn in the same direction as the engine, this arrangement keeps the propeller shaft more
closely aligned with the crankshaft, thereby eliminating much of the stress placed on the crankcase.
QUILL SHAFT
 A quill shaft is a hardened steel shaft that is splined on both ends and
installed between two gears, or shafts, to absorb torsional vibration.
 Whenever a reduction gear is used that does not keep the propeller shaft
perfectly aligned with the crankshaft, additional vibration is induced into an
engine. To help minimize this vibration, some engines use a quill shaft
between the crankshaft and propeller shaft.
A quill shaft minimizes torsional vibration
between the propeller shaft and the crankshaft.
PLANETARY GEARS
 Planetary reduction gears keep the propeller shaft and crankshaft perfectly aligned to
reduce vibration.
 In a planetary gear system, the propeller shaft is attached to a housing which con tains
several small gears called planetary gears.
 The planetary gears rotate between a sun gear and a ring or bell gear. The crankshaft
drives either the sun gear or ring gear, depending on the individual installation.
 The planetary gear reduction system keeps the propeller shaft aligned with the crankshaft, In a planetary gear reduction
transmits power with a minimum of weight and space, and keeps the propeller's direction system, the propeller is
of rotation the same as the engine. attached to the planetary gear
spider and the crankshaft turns
 Planetary gears are used on some horizontally opposed engines, as well as radial and either the sun gear or the ring
turboprop engines. gear.

 The reduction rate that a particular gearing arrangement achieves is found by the formula:
Gear Ratio = Teeth On Ring Gear + Teeth On Sun Gear (GEAR RATIO – WHOLE NUMBER)
Teeth On Ring Gear
 For example, if there are 72 teeth on the ring gear and 36 teeth on the sun gear, the propeller turns at a ratio of 1.5
to 1. However, reduction ratios are traditionally expressed in whole numbers, so this example is expressed as a 3-
to-2 reduction. In other words, the crankshaft turn three revolutions for every two revolutions of the propeller shaft.
PROPELLER SHAFT
 It is a shaft that carries a propeller at its end and transmits power from
engine to propeller.
POWERPLANT1 ACCESSORY SECTION & PROPELLER REDUCTION GEARS

 The various types of propeller shafts includes the tapered, splined, and flanged.

TYPES OF PROPELLER SHAFTS:

1. TAPERED PROPELLER SHAFTS

- Tapered propeller shafts were used on most of the early, low-
powered engines. On a tapered propeller shaft, the shaft tapers,
or gets smaller in diameter, as you move out toward the end of
the shaft.

2. SPLINED PROPELLER SHAFTS

- Most high powered radial engines use splined propeller shafts.
- A spline is a rectangular groove that is machined into the
propeller shaft. Most splined shafts have a master spline that is
approximately twice the size of any other spline.
- This master spline assures that a propeller is attached to a
propeller shaft a specific way so that vibration is kept to a
minimum.

3. FLANGED PROPELLER SHAFT

- Most modern horizontally opposed aircraft engines use a flanged
propeller shaft.
- With this type of propeller shaft, a flat flange is forged directly
onto the end of a crankshaft and a propeller is bolted to the
flange.
- To provide additional support for the propeller, most flanged
propeller shafts incorporate a short shaft forward of the flange
and a series of studs around the flange circumference.
 commonly used on modern opposed engines