Turboprop aircraft

TURBOPROP ENGINE
TURBOPROP ENGINE
 TURBOPROP PROPELLER
Ø It is a new design and technique to improve
reliability and efficiency of the propeller
powered by TURBINE ENGINE.
Ø Basic design and operational characteristics are
common to all turboprop engines.
 Propeller Speed Reduction
• Although reciprocating engine and turboprop engine
system are similar but there is a difference, mostly on
operational.
• Turboprop engine operate at high rotational speed
compared to piston engine.
• Reduction gear assembly is necessary to convert engine
high speed, low torque to a usable low speed high
torque.
• Reduction gear system perform under extreme
operational condition.
• Turboprop engine operates more than 40,000 rpm, and
propeller turns at approximately 2,200 rpm so
reduction gear ratio for certain aircraft is about 14:1
 Power Section
• The combination of reduction gear assembly and
propeller referred as POWER SECTION.
• There are two methods used to drive a
turboprop power section:
a) Direct driven by integral turbine through
fixed shaft.
b) Driven by power turbine or free turbine.
- No mechanically connection with the gas
generator.
 POWER SECTION
• Power section generally refers to:
• a) Power turbine.
• b) Reduction gearbox.
• c) Propeller.
 Propeller governing
• All turboprop engine utilize constant-speed,
feathering propeller and propeller are controlled
by one or more governors.
• Use the same governing principle to control
propeller pitch and maintain constant rpm.
• Propeller pitch change more extensively with
turboprop engine to produce changes in thrust.
• Unlike reciprocating engine , turboprop engine
takes more time to react to fuel flow and power
changes.
• Due to slow reaction, gas generator speed is held
constant while propeller pitch is varies to
produce desired amount of thrust.
 Reversible-Pitch Propeller
Ø In addition to constant speed and feathering,
most turboprop propeller is reversible.
Ø Capable of operating beyond the low pitch limits,
blade rotate to a negative blade angle.
Ø Propeller thrust is directed forward instead of aft.
Ø Advantages of reversible:-
Ø - reduce a/c landing distance.
Ø - reduce brake wear.
Ø - improve landing performance.
Ø - better control taxi speed and back the a/c up.
Ø - improve maneuverability on ground.
 Reversible-Pitch Propeller
• Turboprop propeller has two operating ranges:-
• a) Alpha range – operating under constant-
speed mode (from flight idle to full power or
from 95 – 100% N1)
• b) Beta range – operating on ground, when the
blade is rotated so they produce zero or
negative thrust.
- beta range may be divided into two ranges;
i) Beta for taxi range.
ii) Beta plus power range.
 Reversible-Pitch Propeller
• i) Beta for taxi range.
- blade angle that fall between the bottom of the
Alpha range to zero thrust blade angle.
- used primarily for taxiing and gas generator
operate at high rpm and limiting the amount of
thrust produced by the propeller.
- a/c operator has better control the a/c speed
an the ground.
 Reversible-Pitch Propeller
• ii) Beta plus power range.
- represents the range of blade angle that produce negative thrust.
- in this range power lever also control the fuel flows to the engine.
- farther back you move the more reverse thrust produced.
- power lever quadrant is generally either striped or a placard is
provided.

 Disadvantages of reversible propeller.

= stir up FOD in front of the a/c, will be ingested into the engine.
= damage the propeller blade due to FOD.
= difficulties in rear viewing.
= be accomplished on smooth, clean surfaces and limit the speed to
a minimum.
= moving backward rapidly and when brake applied, a/c nose to rise
off the ground and cause the tail to strike the ground.

Ì Note:-
Reversing the propeller during flight is prevented by electro
hydraulic stop.
 Reversible-Pitch Propeller

• Draw the quadrant range for:-

•
• Alpha range.
•
• Beta range.
• - beta for taxi range.
• - beta plus power range.
 Reversible-Pitch Propeller
• A reversible propeller is very similar to typical constant-speed
propeller.
i) Oil pressure used to either increase or decrease blade angle.
ii) Combination of spring pressure, centrifugal force acting on
counterweights and nitrogen pressure on the opposing side.
• The only difference between reversing and non-reversing propeller is
the absent of fixed low pitch stop (blade can pass through it to
reverse).
• Appropriate blade angle must be maintained by creating a hydraulic
lock with the propeller governor can be change as necessary.
• Once a desired angle is achieved, oil pressure in the hub balances the
sum of the acting forces acting on the propeller blade.
• Primary pitch lock mechanism prevent blade from rotating to reverse
pitch.
• Secondary pitch lock as back up should primary system fails.
 TURBOPROP FUEL CONTROL
Ø Fuel control working conjunction with propeller
governor to control blade angle.
Ø Speed above flight idle, power lever control fuel
flow and propeller blade.
Ø When power lever advance further, more fuel
flow and increase blade angle to maintain its
optimum efficiency and vise-versa.
Ø Speed below flight idle, propeller blade angle is
controlled by power lever (exclusively) and
governor incapable handling it.
 HARTZEL REVERSING PROPELLER SYSTEM
Ø This propeller is used on Allied Signal TPE-331 and Pratt & Whitney
PT6 engine.
Ø This engine is constant-speed engine; operate at or near 100% rpm
throughout operational cycle.
Ø Reduction gear on the front of the engine with a fixed shaft coupled
directly to the gas generator turbine.
Ø Its reduction gear ratio is about 14:1
 HARTZEL REVERSING PROPELLER SYSTEM
Ø Negative torque sense (NTS) incorporated in
reduction gear assembly to prevent propeller
drive the engine.
Ø When engine power decelerated rapidly (by
automatically increase the blade pitch) enough
to prevent propeller drive the engine.
Ø If engine fail NTS senses the loss of engine
torque and rotate the blade to high pitch
position.
Ø Some engine are incorporated with Thrust
Sensitive Signal (TSS) automatically feathers
the blades should engine fails.
•
 Propeller
• The propeller used on a TPE-331
engine is a flange mounted
three or four bladed Hartzel
steel hub, feathering and
reversing propeller.
• Blade is moved to low pitch and
reverse by governor oil
pressure.
• Centrifugal force acting on
counterweight and spring
pressure increase blade angle.
• Set of retractable pitch stop
prevent blade to feather during
shutdown.
• Spacer or Beta Tube in place of
low pitch stop acts as reverse
pitch stop.
• Beta tube serve as oil transfer
tube between the propeller
pitch control and propeller
dome.
 Propeller Control
• During flight:
- engine power, control by fuel control unit and
propeller blade angle control by governor.
- governor permits operator to set a desired
engine rpm by direct oil into and out of the propeller
hub and change the angle.
• During ground operation:
- under speed governor control fuel flow to the engine
(Beta mode).
• Propeller pitch control meter oil in and out of the propeller
hub to control the blade angle, because propeller
governor has no ability to select angle to reverse.
 Cockpit Control
Ø Consist of two engine controls:
a) Power lever.
b) Speed or Condition lever.
Ø
 Cockpit Control
Ø Power lever has four position:
a) Reverse.
b) Ground idle.
c) Flight Idle.
d) Maximum.
Ø During flight power lever directly adjust fuel control unit.
Ø On ground power lever has three position connected to
primary and under speed governor through
mechanical linkage is to control rpm and manually cut-
off fuel and feather the propeller.
a) Cut-off.
b) Low rpm.
c) High rpm.
Ø
•
 Cockpit Control
• Some a/c feather valve connected to condition
lever, some with separate feather handle.
• Moving condition lever fully aft, will feather the
blade or moving the feather handle to feather
position.
• During flight condition, lever is set by pilot and
the propeller governor will maintain rpm by
changing blade angle.
• In beta range condition lever adjusts
underspeed governor on fuel control unit
through power lever adjustment.
 Cockpit Control
• Most TPE-331 include an unfeathering button.
• Unfeathering switch or button used to unfeather the propeller, when
attempting to restart the engine.
• Unfeathering switch is activated, electrical unfeathering pump forces oil into
the propeller dome to rotate the blades out of the feathered position.
•
•
 System operation
• Two basics operating mode of TPE-331are;
- a) Beta mode.
- includes all ground operations:
= engine starting.
= taxing.
= reverse thrust.
- in most cases, the Beta range includes all power
settings from 65 to 95 percent N1.
- b) Alpha mode.
- all operation from flight idle to full power or from 95
to 100 percent N1.
• To begin, TPE-331 is sitting at idle on an a/c with
propeller blades resting against the pitch stop.
•
 System operation
• Once engine starts:
• - Propeller latches are
retracted by easing
power lever toward
the reserve position.
• - Mechanical linkage
connecting the power
lever to the propeller
pitch control (PPC)
slides the follower
sleeve in the PPC
forward.
• - Open the port in the oil
transfer or beta tube
allowing high pressure
governor oil to be
ported to the propeller
hub.
 System operation
• Once the governor oil reaches propeller hub, oil
pressure overcomes both spring pressure and
centrifugal force acting on the counterweight
to force the piston outward.
• Piston move out, propeller blades move to
shallow pitch, in turn removes the weight of
the blades from the pitch stop.
• Weight removed, centrifugal force retracts the
pitch stop.
• Beta tube is attached to the propeller piston;
- propeller piston moves, the Beta tube also
moves.
•
 System operation
• Propeller blades
angle will stop
changing when the
port in the Beta
tube moves
forward enough to
be blocked by the
follower sleeve.
• This is referred as
neutral position
and represents the
point where oil
pressure within the
propeller hub
balances both
spring pressure
and centrifugal
force acting on the
counterweight.
 System operation
• Once propeller reached to a lower pitch and the pitch
stop retract, the power lever is move forward to
increase blade pitch.
• As the power lever moves, a mechanical linkage pulls
the sleeve in the propeller pitch control aft, unporting
the Beta tube.
• Beta tube oil port open, oil is free to flow into the gear
reduction case.
• Combination of spring tension and centrifugal force on
the counterweight to force oil out from the hub to
increase the blade angle.
• Blade angle increase, the propeller piston and beta tube
moves aft until Beta tube return to it’s neutral position
in the PPC.
• Blade angle change proportional to the degree of power
lever movement.
System operation
 System operation
• Take-off:
• - condition lever to high setting.
• - power lever to the flight idle.
• Condition lever in a high rpm position, under-speed
governor is fully opened and no longer controls fuel
flow.
• In addition, when power lever to FLT> IDLE, the follower’s
sleeve in the propeller pitch control is slide forward that
no longer cover the port in the Beta tube.
• This effectively eliminates the ability of the PPC to change
the propeller pitch giving the propeller governor full
control over the propeller blade angle.
• In this mode, power lever is used to control fuel flow from
engine’s fuel control unit and has no effect on propeller
pitch change.
•
 System operation
• In Alpha / flight mode.
• - Propeller governor adjusted by condition lever
to set rpm setting.
• - Power lever control the amount of fuel
delivered to the engine.
• - Power lever forward, increase fuel flow that
will increase engine power.
• - Governor control constant rpm.
• - increasing engine power causes propeller
governor to increase propeller blade angle.
• - decrease engine power causes propeller
governor to decrease propeller blade angle.
 System operation
• To feather the
propeller on TPE-
331 engine:
• - condition lever is
moved aft or pulled
the feather handle.
• - this causes the
feather valve to
shift and allow the
oil in the hub to
return to the
engine.
• - with no oil pressure
in the hub, spring
tension and
centrifugal force
acting on the
counterweight
rotate the propeller
blades to the
feather position.
 System operation

• To unfeather the propeller on TPE-331 engine.

• - activate an electric unfeathering pump in the
cockpit.
• - pump’s “on”, it pumps oil to the propeller hub
forces the piston forward.
• - piston moves outward, the blades rotate out of
the featherd position and into high pitch.
• As the blades unfeather, the propeller begin to
windmill and aid in an air start attempt.
• - unfeathering pump can be used on ground to
unfeather the propeller.
 PRATT & WHITNEY PT6
• PT 6 is a free or power turbine engine.
• Produces more than 600 hp at 38,000 rpm gas generator speed.
• Free turbine engine, has no mechanical connection between gas
generator and power turbine.
• Power turbine is driven by the hot gases produced by the gas
generator section.
• The power is transmitted through a shaft to a reduction gear to drive
the propeller.
• Reduction gear reduce propeller speed to 2200 rpm, from engine
operation at 100% output.
• Main difference between free turbine and a fixed shaft engine is that
a free turbine engine is shutdown, the propeller are placed in the
feathered position.
• During normal engine start, the compressor and turbine are rotated
while the free turbine remains motionless.
• This reduce the starter load and eliminates the need for a set of
pitch stops.
•
•
•
 PRATT & WHITNEY PT6
Propeller.
• Type in used is the Hartzel
HC-B3TN-3.
• It is flange mounted, three
blades, steel hub and
reversible.
• Governor oil pressure to low
or reverse blade angle.
• Feathering, spring and
counterweight to high
pitch and feather
position.
• To provide blade angle
information to the
propeller governor and
fuel control, a feedback
ring or Beta slip ring is
installed on the rear of
the propeller assembly
when operating in the
Beta range.
•
 PRATT & WHITNEY PT6
Governor.
• Utilize a primary and over speed
governor, in some engine
use topping governor.
• Located at 12 o’clock position
on top of the reduction gear
case.
• Component include:
- a gear-type oil pump.
- rotating flyweight.
- speeder spring.
- pilot valve.
• In addition depending on model,
governor incorporate either
Beta valve or a Beta lift rod
that control blade angle
when propeller is operated in
the Beta range.
 Governor
• Precaution - in the event of
primary propeller governor
fails to limit the propeller’s
speed to normal maximum
rpm.
• A over-speed governor act as
backup (rpm above 106%).
• - To prevent the propeller from
over-speed by using a
speeder spring and flyweight
arrangement.
• Speeder spring tension cannot
be controlled from the
cockpit nor is it field
adjustable.
• Adjustments by manufacture or
approved repair station.
 Governor
• Operation of the over-speed governor.
• - speeder spring applies a predetermined amount of pressure to a set of
flyweight.
• - engine accelerate, centrifugal force pulls the flyweight outward and raises a
pilot valve.
• - engine speed exceeds its maximum rated speed, centrifugal force acting on
the flyweights pulls the flyweights out to raise the pilot valve so oil can
escape from the hub.
• - spring tension and centrifugal force acting on the propeller counterweights
to increase the blade angle and slow the engine.
• To check the over-speed governor’s operation;
• - momentarily close toggle switch will activate the electrical test solenoid.
• - on ground engine running at high rpm and switch is depressed, the propeller
maximum rpm will be less than the normal amount.
• - care should be taken, test switch is not released while power lever is
advanced or a real over-speed will occur.
• Fuel topping governor senses propeller rpm.
• In the event propeller rpm exceeds the limit, fuel topping governor dumps a
portion of the bleed air in the fuel control unit to tricked that the gas
generator is not developing as power as it really is and send less fuel to
the engine.
• The engine gas generator’s rpm reduces, in turn reduces propeller’s rpm.
 PRATT & WHITNEY PT6
• Fuel Control Unit.
• - it is installed on the rear of the engine.
• - it is linked through a cam assembly to
Beta valve on the primary propeller
governor and to the Beta slip ring on the
propeller.
• - the purpose for interconnecting the fuel
control unit with Beta valve and Beta slip
ring is to provide input to the fuel control unit
when operating in the Beta mode.
 PRATT & WHITNEY PT6
Cockpit control.
• Cockpit control consist of:
• a) power lever.
• b) propeller control lever.
• c) fuel cut-off or condition lever.

a) Power lever.
• - it is connected to cam assembly and through
mechanical linkages to the fuel control unit and Beta
valve on the primary governor.
• - in the Alpha mode, power lever controls engine power
output by adjusting the fuel flow to maintain desired
gas generator speed.
• - Beta mode, power lever controls both the fuel unit and
the propeller blade angle.
b) Propeller control lever.
• It is connected to the primary propeller
governor.
• Adjusts the tension applied on the speeder
spring.
• Full aft movement will dump oil pressure
from the propeller piston to feather the
blade.
• Full forward will cause oil pressure to be
directed into the hub and decrease blade
angle.
 c) Fuel cut-off or condition lever.
• Utilized on reversing propeller installation.
• Has two function:-
- i) positive fuel shutoff at the FCU for engine
shutdown.
- ii) sets the gas generator’s low and high idle rpm.
= Low Idle – provides 50% gas generator
during ground operation.
= High Idle – provides 70% gas generator rpm
during flight.
•
PT6 engine control
 PRATT & WHITNEY PT6
System Operation.
• PT6 turboprop engine has two operation mode.
1) Alpha Mode.
- all operation from 95 – 100%.
2) Beta Mode (Beta range).
- all operation from 50 and 85%.
• To begin, engine not running propeller blades in the feathered
position.
• To start;
- power lever – idle position.
- propeller control lever – in feather position.
- condition lever - fuel cut-off position.
• Starter engaged and the N1 reaches to specified speed, move
condition lever to Low Idle position.
• Engine starts and ready to taxi;
• - control lever moved to high rpm setting.
• - power lever adjusted as necessary for a/c taxi speed.
•
 PRATT & WHITNEY PT6
• System Operation.
• Beta mode, the primary
governor is in a under
speed condition and
pilot valve in the
lowered position.
• This allows the power lever
to control fuel flow and
blade angle.
• As power lever moved aft
into Beta range, Beta
valve is pushed into the
governor to allow
governor oil into the
hub.
• Oil in, piston moves
outward and propeller
to fine angle.
• As piston move outward,
the feedback ring
moves forward and
beta valve to neutral
position.
•
 PRATT & WHITNEY PT6
• System Operation.
• Movement of power lever aft, increases fuel flow and reverse thrust during
ground operations.
• Power lever forward to Beta range, Beta valve is pulled out of the governor.
• Oil is released from propeller piston.
• Centrifugal force acting on counterweight moves piston inward to increase
blades angle.
• As piston moves aft the feedback ring moves aft until the Beta valve
returned to the neutral position.
• To feather.
• - propeller lever to full aft.
• - pilot valve in the governor rise allow oil in hub to return to the engine.
• - spring tension and centrifugal force acting on the counterweight rotate
blade to feather position.
• To unfeather.
• - the engine must first be started.
• - propeller control lever forward, out of the feather position.
• - pilot valve down, governor oil directed into the hub.
• - pressurized oil rotate the blades out from feathered position to the
selected blade angle or governor rpm setting.