AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS
Hydraulic systems and its components –Boeing 757 hydraulic systems –
pneumatic systems– independent brake system - Power boost brake
system- debooster value-– landing gear systems- landing gear systems in
flying boat, Drones systems- control-power-communication systems
2.1 Hydraulic system and its components
• The basis for all hydraulic systems is
expressed by Pascal's law which states
that the pressure exerted anywhere upon
an enclosed liquid is transmitted
undiminished, in all directions, to the
interior of the container.
• This principle allows large forces to be
generated with relatively little effort.
2.1 Hydraulic system and its components
A basic hydraulic system consists of
1. Pump,
2. Reservoir
3. Directional Valve
4. Check Valve
5. Pressure Relief Valve
6. Selector Valve
7. Actuator
8. Filter
2.1 Hydraulic system and its components
Reservoir
• The purpose of the hydraulic reservoir is to hold a volume of fluid,
transfer heat from the system, allow solid contaminants to settle and
facilitate the release of air and moisture from the fluid.
Pump
• A hydraulic pump performs two functions when it operates. Firstly, its
mechanical action creates a vacuum at the pump inlet, subsequently
allowing atmospheric pressure to force liquid from the reservoir and
then pumping it through to the inlet line of the pump.
• Secondly, its mechanical action delivers this liquid to the pump outlet
and forces it into the hydraulic system.
2.1 Hydraulic system and its components
Directional Valve
• Directional control valves control the start, stop and change in the flow
direction of a pressure medium.
• The function of a directional control valve is determined by the number of
working ports (excluding control ports) and the number of spool positions.
Check Valve
• A check valve is an automatic safety device designed to allow fluids and
gasses to flow in one direction and prevent reverse flow.
• Under pressure, fluids enter the valve at the inlet where they force the disc
off the seat of the valve and exit through the outlet.
2.1 Hydraulic system and its components
Pressure relief Valve
• Pressure relief valves are used in hydraulic systems to limit the system
pressure to a specific set level.
• If this set level is reached, the pressure relief valve responds and feeds the
excess flow from the system back to the tank.
Actuators
• The actuator is a converter or drives element in a hydraulic system. It is the
component that converts hydraulic energy into mechanical energy.
• In any hydraulic system, our ultimate intention is to generate force and
displacement at the user end.
2.1.1 Types of Hydraulic fluid
• There are three principal types of hydraulic fluids:
vegetable- base fluids
o fluids are usually mixtures containing castor oil and alcohol and are colored
blue or blue-green or are almost clear.
mineral-base fluids
o consist of a high-quality petroleum oil and are usually colored red.
o Small aircraft that have hydraulic power systems for operating wheel brakes,
flaps, and landing gear usually use mineral-base fluids
phosphate ester–base fluids
o utilized in most transport category aircraft are very fire resistant.
o Although phosphate ester fluids are extremely fire resistant, they are not fire
proof.
2.1.2 Hydraulic Reservoir
In-line reservoirs
• In-line reservoirs are those that are separate
components in the hydraulic system and is
the most common type of reservoir.
• These can be pressurized or unpressurized.
• Pressurized reservoirs are commonly found
in aircraft designed for high-altitude flight
• Unpressurized reservoirs are normally used
in aircraft flying at lower altitudes, such as
below 15 000 ft
2.1.2 Hydraulic Reservoir
Integral Reservoirs
• Integral reservoirs are combined with the
hydraulic pump.
• These types of reservoirs are often found in
small aircraft, where the compact arrangement
of this type of mechanism is desirable.
• In figure the upper portion of the assembly
serves as the reservoir and
• The lower portion serves as the pump to operate
the brake.
2.1.3 Hydraulic filters
• Hydraulic filters are required to filter out any particles that may enter
the hydraulic fluid.
• These particles may enter the system when it is being serviced or
during wear of operating components
• If these contaminants were allowed to remain in the circulating fluid,
they could damage the seals and cylinder walls, causing internal
leakage and prevent components such as check valves from seating
properly.
2.1.3 Hydraulic filters
• A micronic filter contains a treated
paper element to trap particles in the
fluid as the fluid flows through the
element.
• The micron filters can be designed to
filter out particles as small as 3 µm (A
micrometer is equal to 0.0000394 in,
or 0.0001 mm.)
2.1.3 Hydraulic filters
• Porous metal filters are composed of
metal particles joined together by a
sintering process.
• These filters can trap particles as small
as 5 µm in size.
• Most hydraulic filter assemblies are
located in the pressure and return
lines.
2.1.4 Hydraulic Pumps
Hand Pumps
• When the handle is moved toward the
left, the piston movement creates a
low-pressure condition and draws fluid
from the reservoir through the check
valve and into the cylinder.
• Then when the handle is moved toward
the right, the piston forces the fluid out
through the discharge check valve.
• The check valves allow the fluid to flow
only in one direction
2.1.4 Hydraulic Pumps
Gear Type Pump
• This pump is classed as a
positive-displacement pump because each
revolution of the pump will deliver a given
volume of fluid
• One of the two gears is driven by the
power source, which could be an engine
drive or an electric-motor drive.
• The other gear is meshed with and driven
by the first gear.
2.1.4 Hydraulic Pumps
Vane type pump
• The vane-type pump is also classed as a
positive-displacement pump because of
its positive action in moving fluid.
• consists of a slotted rotor located
off-center within the cylinder of the
pump body with rectangular vanes free to
move radially in each slot.
2.1.4 Hydraulic Pumps
• A gerotor pump, consists of a housing containing an eccentric-shaped
stationary liner, an in ternal gear rotor having five wide teeth of short
height, a spur driving gear having four narrow teeth, and a pump
cover, which contains two crescent-shaped openings.
2.1.5 Pressure Relief Valves
• Requirements of some parts of the
system may demand that the
designer utilize a lower pressure
than the normal system operating
pressure.
• It may be desirable to have a
reduced operating pressure to
prevent overloading some structures.
• PR valves also offer thermal relief
2.1.6 Accumulators
• An accumulator is basically a chamber for storing hydraulic fluid under
pressure.
• It dampens pressure surges caused by the operation of an actuator.
• It can aid or supplement the system pump when several units are operating
at the same time and the demand is beyond the pump’s capacity.
• An accumulator can also store power for limited operation of a component if
the pump is not operating
• Finally, it can supply fluid under pressure to make up for small system leaks
that would cause the system to cycle continuously between high and low
pressure.
2.1.6 Accumulators
Diaphragm-Type accumulator
• consists of a metal sphere separated by a
synthetic-rubber diaphragm,
• The sphere is constructed in two parts,
which are joined by means of screw threads
• At the bottom of the sphere is an air valve,
such as a Schrader valve, and at the top is a
fitting for the hydraulic line.
• During operation of the accumulator, the air
chamber is preloaded, or charged, with air
pressure
2.1.6 Accumulators
Bladder-Type accumulator
• The bladder-type accumulator usually
consists of a metal sphere in which a bladder
is installed to separate the air and the
hydraulic fluid.
• The bladder serves as the air chamber, and the
space outside the bladder contains the
hydraulic fluid.
• Initially, the bladder is charged with air
pressure, as specified in the aircraft manual.
When fluid is forced into the accumulator, the
bladder col- lapses to the extent necessary to
make space for the fluid,
2.1.6 Accumulators
Piston-Type accumulator
• Many modern hydraulic systems employ
piston-type accumulators because they
require less space than an equivalent spherical
accumulator.
• this unit consists of a cylinder with a free
piston inside to separate the air from the
hydraulic fluid.
• The piston is equipped with seals that
effectively prevent the air from leaking into
the fluid chamber and vice versa.
2.1.7 Selector valves
Rotary valve
• When a rotary four-way valve is in
the position shown in Fig (a), the
fluid will flow from the valve at the
top port and will cause the actuating
cylinder to be extended.
• When the valve is rotated 90°, as in
Fig. (b), the fluid to and from the
actuating cylinder will be in the
opposite direction, and the cylinder
will retract.
