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Aug 31
I was reading an article about the air plane crash in Nepal where the pilots reported that the engine generator had failed on their Dornier DO 228. What does that mean and what does that entail (as far as measure a pilot can take to fly the plane). I thought you can play a twin engined plane even if one of them fail….anyone has any insight. (we know there was bad weather but still…)
A CSD generator is only found on jets engines. There are usually 3 on a jet aircraft, one for each engine and another in the APU.
This supplies a constant frequency output which allows a steady AC current regardless of engine performance. The Engine driven generator isn’t directly connected to the engine shaft, but through a drive unit that can disconnect itself completely from the engine in the event of engine malfunction.
Which is why if a generator fail was to occur in flight, the crew can diconnect the effected generator (which cannot be reconnected in flight), the crew can/could transfer the AC power to the APU or leave the effected Bus off without it having an effect on the engine.
Each aircraft system powers off a particular AC system , and DC transformer rectifier systems are there to power AC systems and for redundancies for limited standby power in the event of AC power loss.
(DC battery can power AC standby bus via a static invertor if AC fail). If the left engine gen fails, then that particlar AC is effected and can be transfered to the APU bus etc.
The dornier DO-228 doesn’t have a CSD but a starter/generator like most turbo props. It has the ability to use DC power from it’s battery source to power the starter generator and start the engine (for engine combustion) to produce mechanical torque. The torque from the engines produce an alternating current from the generator. Unlike the CSD the starter/generator is connected to the mechanical shaft of the engine.
The reason why the Dornier 228 crew notified ATC regarding generator trouble is probably due to RPM/engine fluctuations on each engine which eventually led to a failure on both engines
One of the 1st indications of engine problems is generator/electrical problems, if the engine is unable to provide a high enough RPM the engine driven generator is unable to produce enough AC power for the effected systems.
It would seem unlikely that the generators are a lkely cause of a dual engine failure, but merely just an early indication of engine problems.
From the news, the crew lost both engines in IMC (and with all AC power off, no instruments etc) the crew consequently crashed.
Too early to tell the direct cause however…