An air-start system is a power source used to provide the
initial rotation to start large
diesel
Diesel may refer to:
* Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression
* Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines
* Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...
and
gas turbine
A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of continuous flow internal combustion engine. The main parts common to all gas turbine engines form the power-producing part (known as the gas generator or core) and are, in the directio ...
engines.
Diesel engines
Direct starting
Compared to a
gasoline
Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organi ...
(petrol) engine, a
diesel engine
The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-ca ...
has a very high
compression ratio, an essential design feature, as it is the heat of compression that ignites the fuel. An electric starter with sufficient power to "crank" a large diesel engine would itself be so large as to be impractical, thus the need for an alternative system.
When starting the engine,
compressed air is admitted to whichever cylinder has a
piston just over
top dead center
In a reciprocating engine, the dead centre is the position of a piston in which it is either farthest from, or nearest to, the crankshaft. The former is known as Top Dead Centre (TDC) while the latter is known as Bottom Dead Centre (BDC).
...
, forcing it downward. As the engine starts to turn, the air-start valve on the next cylinder in line opens to continue the rotation. After several rotations, fuel is injected into the cylinders, the engine starts running and the air is cut off.
To further complicate matters, a large engine is usually "blown over" first with zero fuel settings and the indicator cocks open, to prove that the engine is clear of any water build up and that everything is free to turn. After a successful blow ahead and a blow astern, the indicator cocks are closed on all the cylinders, and then the engine can be started on fuel. Significant complexity is added to the engine by using an air-start system, as the
cylinder head
In an internal combustion engine, the cylinder head (often abbreviated to simply "head") sits above the cylinders and forms the roof of the combustion chamber.
In sidevalve engines, the head is a simple sheet of metal; whereas in more modern ...
must have an extra valve in each cylinder to admit the air in for starting, plus the required control systems. This added complexity and cost limits the use of air-starters to very large and expensive reciprocating engines.
Starter motor
Another method of air-starting an internal combustion engine is by using compressed air or gas to drive a fluid motor in place of an electric motor. They can be used to start engines from 5 to 320 liters in size and if more starting power is necessary two or more motors can be used. Starters of this type are used in place of electric motors because of their lighter weight and higher reliability. They can also outlast an electric starter by a factor of three and are easier to rebuild. Engines operating in underground mining activities tend to operate on this type of starter system to reduce the risk of an electrical system igniting flammable material.
All vane type air starters should have a lubricator installed to insure long-life and maximum performance. Lubricators give the moving parts a needed friction barrier, reduce metal corrosion and keep vanes sealed properly against the cylinder walls. Even the so-called lube-free air starters require lubrication to prolong trouble free life. Two basic lubricator devices are typically employed. One is an in-line or reservoir type that typically stores up to 2 quarts of lubricant, and is installed along the air supply line. The second style of lubricator is a small one shot device that dispenses a measured amount of lubricant every time the starter is engaged. Installed directly onto the air inlet of the starter, the in-line lubricators are self priming pneumatic pumps that require a 1/4″ lubrication line piped from as far away as 4 feet. Air Starter lubricators perform best using misting type, non-detergent oils such as diesel fuel or Marvel Mystery oil. If emissions are a concern, there are environmentally friendly type lubricants available on the market.
Not all air starters require lubrication. Turbine type air starters do not require air motor lubrication, although some turbine air starters do use an oil filled transmission that may require periodic inspections and maintenance.
Gas turbines
Compressed air has been used to start gas turbine engines using air impingement starting (in which air is directed at the engine turbine blades through nozzles in the turbine casing, used on US Navy
General Electric J79
The General Electric J79 is an axial-flow turbojet engine built for use in a variety of fighter and bomber aircraft and a supersonic cruise missile. The J79 was produced by General Electric Aircraft Engines in the United States, and under li ...
engines). It is much more efficient to use an air turbine starter (ATS) which is usually mounted on an accessory gearbox. An early axial compressor turbojet had an ATS located in the compressor nose cone (eg particular variants of the J79).
Air impingement starting was not used for US military aircraft after the F-4B, A-5A and F-5 as the pneumatic energy requirement was several times greater than when using an air turbine starter. The gas turbine compressor required to start a J79 with impingement starting was sufficient to start two J79 engines simultaneously in a B-58 when using air turbine starters.
An ATS has its own turbine and gears to change its low torque and high speed to low speed and high torque at the engine mounting pad. Further gears in the engine gearbox connect to the engine shaft (high pressure spool on multi-spool engines). Compressed air is sent to the ATS turbine from the aircraft
auxiliary power unit
An auxiliary power unit (APU) is a device on a vehicle that provides energy for functions other than propulsion. They are commonly found on large aircraft and naval ships as well as some large land vehicles. Aircraft APUs generally produce 115& ...
(
bleed air
Bleed air is compressed air taken from the compressor stage of a gas turbine upstream of its fuel-burning sections. Automatic air supply and cabin pressure controller (ASCPCs) valves bleed air from high or low stage engine compressor sections. Lo ...
from the gas generator or from a free-turbine load compressor, eg PW901 APU), from an already-running engine (bleed air) on a multi-engined aircraft or, for early jet aircraft, from an
air compressor
An air compressor is a pneumatic device that converts power (using an electric motor, diesel or gasoline engine, etc.) into potential energy stored in pressurized air (i.e., compressed air). By one of several methods, an air compressor forces m ...
mounted on
ground support equipment
File:Qatar Airways Airbus A380-800 at Heathrow Airport Terminal 4 before Flying to Doha, 6 Jan 2015.jpg, Qatar Airways Airbus A380-800 on apron outside Heathrow Terminal 4 with a wide range of ground handling equipment around such as aircraft con ...
.
Compared with electric starters, air-starters have a higher
power-to-weight ratio so are used on large engines as an electric starter would be too big and, with its cables, too heavy and expensive. However, for smaller engines, which don't need as much starter power, an electric starter is more suitable. It has a dual function as a generator (is known as a starter/generator) at speeds above which the engine no longer requires starter assistance.
[Aircraft Electrical Systems, Third Edition,Pallett,,p.157]
See also
*
Air Start Unit
*
AVPIN - A monofuel used to power turbojet starter motors.
*
Coffman engine starter
The Coffman engine starter (also known as a "shotgun starter") was a starting system used on many piston engines in aircraft and armored vehicles of the 1930s and 1940s. It used a cordite cartridge to move a piston, which cranked the engine. The C ...
- A similar system which uses an explosive cartridge to supply gas pressure.
References
{{Aircraft gas turbine engine components
Starting systems