In our daily life, when we travel or go on business trips, airplanes are a good choice for transportation. However, electricity is an indispensable resource during the flight. Have you ever wondered where the electricity on the plane comes from? When the plane stops at the airport, what is powering our plane? In fact, it is not difficult to find that the plane is running without power outages. In fact, for the safety of aircraft operation, the power supply of the aircraft usually has three sources. Generator The aircraft power supply system is mainly composed of the main power supply, emergency power supply and secondary power supply, and sometimes also includes auxiliary power supply. The main power supply is composed of generators driven by aircraft engines, power control and protection equipment, etc., and supplies power during flight. However, when the aircraft engine is not working, its main power supply is also not working. At this time, it is mainly powered by auxiliary power supply. Aircraft batteries or auxiliary power units (a power unit composed of a small airborne engine, generator and hydraulic pump, etc.) are commonly used auxiliary power supplies. When the main power supply fails during flight, the battery or emergency generator becomes the emergency power supply. Airborne electrical equipment requires a high quality of power supply, and there are certain technical standards for voltage adjustment accuracy, frequency adjustment accuracy, AC voltage waveform sinusoidality, voltage surges and spikes.
Auxiliary Power Unit (APU)
When the engine is not started or other thrust is insufficient, the small gas turbine engine installed at the tail of the aircraft, that is, the auxiliary power unit (APU), can still provide power for the entire aircraft. The APU can provide power for the aircraft. Even when there is no power supply support on the ground, it can be quickly put into the power grid to provide power for the entire aircraft during the flight of the aircraft, making up for the lack or loss of power from the main power supply, and powering the aircraft.
Emergency power supply
The aircraft is equipped with emergency power supplies such as large-capacity batteries and emergency generators. Assuming an extreme situation occurs, when the aircraft loses power, in order to ensure safe landing, the emergency power supply can take over immediately to ensure that power is provided to key equipment and instruments, ensuring the safe return of the aircraft.
What electricity does the aircraft use after it stops at the airport?
The power used by the aircraft when it stops at the airport mainly comes from the ground power unit (GPU). This is an external power supply system, and the airport will provide dedicated ground power equipment for the docked aircraft. These devices transmit electricity to the aircraft through connecting cables to meet the power needs of the aircraft when it is on the ground, including maintaining the operation of equipment such as air conditioning, lighting, and entertainment systems.
The use of ground power can reduce aviation fuel consumption and pollutant emissions, and can replace the use of aircraft auxiliary power units, reduce aviation kerosene consumption, and reduce the impact on the environment around the airport. Secondly, the electrification of aircraft ground power and aircraft ground air conditioning can reduce exhaust pollution. In addition, the stability of ground power is usually high, which can provide continuous and stable power supply for aircraft.
