Presented to:
By:
Date:
Federal AviationAdministrationCIRCUIT
BREAKERS
PROTECTING YOUR
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,
YOUR AIRPLANE,
AND YOU
THE SATURDAY MORNING CREW
BEN McQUILLAN
MARCH 20, 2010
Federal AviationAdministration
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Federal AviationAdministration
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Federal AviationAdministration
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WHAT TO TAKE HOME FROM THIS SEMINAR…
• A MORE INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OF YOUR AIRPLANE
• AN OPERATIONAL UNDERSTANDING OF ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROTECTION
• FLEXIBLE DEFINITIONS OF ESSENTIAL & NON-ESSENTIAL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
• A “CAPTAIN MINDSET” FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF YOUR AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS
Federal AviationAdministration
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WHAT IS A CIRCUIT BREAKER?
• A “GATE” THROUGH WHICH ELECTRICITY TRAVELS FROM THE BATTERY TO THE COMPONENT WHICH THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PROTECTS
• ABLE TO OPEN AUTOMATICALLY WHEN THE WIRING OF THE CIRCUIT GETS TOO HOT (TOO MUCH VOLTAGE AND/OR RESISTANCE) TO REMOVE ALL ELECTRICITY FROM CONTINUING BEYOND THE BREAKER TO THE COMPROMISED AREA
Federal AviationAdministration
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TYPES OF
CIRCUIT BREAKERS
Federal AviationAdministration
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PULL-TYPE CIRCUIT BREAKERS
• THERMALLY DISCHARGED (POPPED OUT)
• ABLE TO BE DEACTIVATED (PULLED OUT) BY THE PILOT
• ABLE TO BE RESET (PUSHED IN) BY THE PILOT AFTER CIRCUIT & BREAKER COOL
Federal AviationAdministration
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Federal AviationAdministration
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NON PULL-TYPE CIRCUIT BREAKERS • THERMALLY
DISCHARGED (POPPED OUT)
• NOT ABLE TO BE DEACTIVATED (PULLED OUT) BY THE PILOT
• ABLE TO BE RESET (PUSHED IN) BY THE PILOT AFTER CIRCUIT & BREAKER COOL
Federal AviationAdministration
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CIRCUIT BREAKER SWITCHES• DOUBLES AS THE PRIMARY
CONTROL SWITCH FOR PROTECTED COMPONENT
• AMP RATING STAMPED ON END OF SWITCH
• THERMALLY DISCHARGED (SWITCHED OFF)
• ABLE TO BE DEACTIVATED (SWITCHED OFF) BY THE PILOT
• ABLE TO BE RESET (SWITCHED ON) BY THE PILOT AFTER CIRCUIT & BREAKER COOL
Federal AviationAdministration
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WHAT DO THEY DO?
• A CIRCUIT BREAKER SENSES AN OVERLOAD CONDITION WITHIN ITS ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT– GROUND FAULTS/ARCING– OVER-VOLTAGE/OVER-TEMPERATURE
• IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY PREVENT ANY BATTERY POWER FROM CONTINUING BEYOND THE BREAKER TO THE FAULTY WIRING & COMPONENT
Federal AviationAdministration
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HOW DO THEY DO IT?
• NORMAL LOAD VS. OVERLOAD– CIRCUITS TYPICALLY CARRY ½ THEIR RATED
LOAD (NUMBER ON BREAKER LABEL)
• OVERLOAD = EXCESSIVE HEAT• EXCESSIVE HEAT TRIPS BREAKER• NORMALLY FLAT LAYERED METAL STRIPS
EXPAND AT DIFFERENT RATES, CURVE, AND BREAK AWAY FROM ELECTRICAL CONNECTION
Federal AviationAdministration
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IT WORKS!
Federal AviationAdministration
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FAULT
POWER REMOVED
= HEATCIRCUIT ISOLATED
Federal AviationAdministration
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WHAT TO DO WITH A TRIPPED CIRCUIT BREAKER
-FAA SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS INFORMATION BULLETIN (SAIB) CE-10-11, DECEMBER 23RD, 2009
-FAA ADVISORY CIRCULAR AC 120-80
-FAA ADVISORY CIRCULAR AC 25-16
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DURING PRE-FLIGHT
• IF YOU FIND A CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED, IT’S PROBABLY POPPED FOR A GOOD REASON– SERIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM ON A PREVIOUS
FLIGHT– MECHANIC TROUBLESHOOTING A MALFUNCTION
OR INSPECTION– ANNOYING SADISTIC FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR
• DO NOT RESET THE BREAKER UNLESS THERE ARE NO CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT SYSTEM’S CONDITION
Federal AviationAdministration
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DURING FLIGHTSTOP!...THINK BEFORE ACTING• NON-ESSENTIAL SYSTEMS
– DON’T TOUCH IT!– CALMLY CONTINUE THE FLIGHT TO YOUR
DESTINATION OR DIVERT AS YOU SEE FIT, CONSIDERING THE NOW INOPERATIVE EQUIPMENT
– THINK AHEAD ABOUT HOW THE INOPERATIVE EQUIPMENT WILL AFFECT THE REST OF YOUR FLIGHT, PLAN AS NECESSARY
– AFTER LANDING, HAVE A MECHANIC ADDRESS THE SITUATION PROPERLY
Federal AviationAdministration
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DURING FLIGHT (CONT.)
• ESSENTIAL SYSTEMS– LOOK FOR A REASON FOR THE TRIPPED
BREAKER BEFORE JUST RESETTING IT– BE CERTAIN YOU REALLY WANT THAT SYSTEM
ENOUGH TO RISK A POSSIBLE FIRE– WAIT AT LEAST 1 MINUTE TO RESET TO ALLOW
CIRCUIT & BREAKER TO COOL DOWN– BE VIGILANT FOR ANY SMOKE OR BURNING
SMELL– HAVE A “PLAN B” IN THE EVENT YOU DO START
A FIRE…DO YOU HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER?
Federal AviationAdministration
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ESSENTIAL SYSTEMS
Federal AviationAdministration
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DAY VFR• HMMM…NOT A WHOLE LOT WE ACTUALLY
NEED• ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP• LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR• FLAP ACTUATOR• ELECTRIC ENGINE INSTRUMENTATION• ELECTRIC TRIM IN A CIRRUS• MAYBE A RADIO• MAYBE A TRANSPONDER• DEFINITELY NOT A GPS!
Federal AviationAdministration
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NIGHT VFR
• COCKPIT/INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING• NAVIGATION SOURCE (GPS, VOR, ETC.)• MAYBE A RADIO• MAYBE A TRANSPONDER• ANTI-COLLISION LIGHT• POSITION LIGHTS• LANDING LIGHT?...CHICKEN
Federal AviationAdministration
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IFR
• ELECTRIC FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS• AT LEAST 1 RADIO• AT LEAST 1 NAVIGATION SOURCE• TRANSPONDER• NECESSARY LIGHTING
Federal AviationAdministration
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TRAINING & PRACTICE• SPEND A FEW MINUTES IN YOUR COCKPIT, LOOK
AT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL, & THINK ABOUT WHICH SYSTEMS ARE ESSENTIAL & NON ESSENTIAL FOR THE TYPE OF FLYING YOU DO
• TAKE A CFI UP AND HAVE THEM POP SELECT CIRCUIT BREAKERS, DISCUSS WHETHER TO RESET THEM, AND HOW THAT SYSTEM’S FAILURE WILL AFFECT YOUR FLIGHT IE. THE FLAP ACTUATOR BREAKER & NO-FLAP LANDING
• BE DILIGENT IN YOUR PREFLIGHT INSPECTIONS, AND SYSTEMS MONITORING IN-FLIGHT
Federal AviationAdministration
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• JOIN US NEXT SATURDAY FOR:
GARMIN’S TERRAIN AWARENESS & WARNING SYSTEM (TAWS)
• JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER & DOWNLOAD THIS PRESENTATION @
www.inflightpilottraining.comSATURDAY SEMINARS PAGE
• FLY SAFE!