Aircraft System Principles and Applications Assignment

Aircraft System Principles and Applications - Assignment Example Effect of air density on aircraft performance Air density is responsible for lifting the aircraft at the start of flight. It is also responsible for favorable amount of fuel consumption as air density affects air fuel mixture which is burned to run the engine. Therefore, fuel consumption and lift of aircraft not only depends on density but also depends upon temperature and pressure, indirectly. Â  Effect of air pressure on aircraft performance An aircraft requires maintaining a specific pressure to keep flying in the air or to move to higher altitudes. As the lift of aircraft is directly affected by the density of air, so in order to move to higher altitudes density of aircraft must be greater than 1225 gm/m-cube. Reduction in density results in lesser amount of air molecules moving around the plane and hence, lesser amount of thrust is applied on the plane than is required to move at higher altitude(FAA). Â   Effect of air pressure on aircraft performance Air may have parcels of air that are having raised temperatures and this raised temperature significantly reduces density of air within these parcels. Whenever a plane enters from a parcel of lower temperature to a parcel of higher temperature, it undergoes variation in performance. Due to lower density, flight of plane is adversely affected and it also affects the fuel efficiency of the engine due to insufficient air required to inject fuel. Therefore, planes are equipped with turbochargers. in order to maintain air pressure. Question 2 Explain the function and operation of aircraft pneumatic systems and their associated status indicators? Old aircraft systems were based on high pressure pneumatic systems which make use of air as a power transmission medium. Most common components that make use of pneumatic system are: Brakes Closing and opening of doors Operation of emergency devices, for example landing gears, flaps etc. Driving of hydraulic and water pumps etc. Pneumatic power systems are most commonly named as vacuum pressure systems, where pressure is measured by making use of suction pressure. Vacuum pressure system facilitates following components named, pumps, relief valves, vacuum air filter, suction gauge gyro instruments(FAA). Before the air enters the pneumatic system, it is passed through the air filter in order to filter out impurities and dust particles. These particles, if enter the pneumatic system, damage the system adversely. After that it is served to the pumps which are used to pump out air at desired pressure required by the pneumatic system. It is considered the most important part of the system without which system would not work. The pumped air is