Importance of hydraulic systems on aircraft

 Class,

In this week's post, the associated problem to identify and mitigate is a hydraulic failure in a hydraulic controlled aircraft. Many problems can come with a hydraulic failure, and the worst is a complete loss of control of an aircraft. On small aircraft, it simply controls wheel brakes, retractable landing gear, and some constant-speed propellers (United States Federal Aviation Administration, 2016). On bigger commercial aircraft and larger military airplanes, the hydraulic system is utilized for major flight control systems, such as alerions, elevators, and rudders (United States Federal Aviation Administration, 2016). Four major components control hydraulic systems; hydraulic pumps, valves, plumping, and an incompressible fluid (SKYbrary Wiki. Hydraulic Systems - SKYbrary Aviation Safety, n.d.). 

The planes that do have hydraulic systems controlling the flight surfaces have a redundant system. A redundant system means that multiple hydraulic systems are controlling the valves that move flight control systems. For example, on CV-22(Ospreys), there are three hydraulic systems. Two of these hydraulic systems control a respected side, and the third acts as more a backup and assistant to the other two. All of the hydraulic systems can also take over a system if it fails. So, it is implausible that the plane will ever lose all three of its hydraulic systems. This diagram is not exactly how a CV-22's hydraulic system works, but it gives you a good idea of the redundancy of a hydraulic system (hydraulic system B737 NG Hydraulic power, 2014).

  

Hydraulic systems work because of Pascal's law; "pressure exerted anywhere in a confined incompressible fluid is transmitted equally in all directions through the fluid such that the pressure ratio remains to same"(Hydraulic Principles. EAI, n.d.). Meaning the fluid in a system helps mover mechanically heavy or very hard to move components against aerodynamical forces during flight (Hydraulic Principles. EAI, n.d.).

 

(Gannon, Stricker, Says, & Shanmugam, 2017)

V / R, Jordon Martinez

References:

B737 NG Hydraulic power (ATA 29). (2014, September 23). https://theboeing737.blogspot.com/2014/09/b737ng-hydraulic-power.html.

Gannon, M., says, P. S., Stricker, P., says, S., & Shanmugam. (2017, April 27). How do you size hydraulic reservoirs for aircraft hydraulic systems? Sealing & Contamination Control Tips. https://www.sealingandcontaminationtips.com/size-hydraulic-reservoirs-aircraft-hydraulic-systems/.

Hydraulic Principles. EAI. (n.d.). https://www.experimentalaircraft.info/articles/hydraulic-principles.php#:~:text=Hydraulic%20systems%20are%20used%20on,landing%20gear%2C%20flaps%20and%20brakes.&text=The%20reason%20to%20use%20hydraulics,of%20fluid%20(hydraulic%20oil).

United States Federal Aviation Administration. (2016). Pilot's handbook of aeronautical knowledge ( First Skyhorse Publishing edition.). New York, NY : Skyhorse Publishing.

SKYbrary Wiki. Hydraulic Systems - SKYbrary Aviation Safety. (n.d.). https://www.skybrary.aero/index.php/Hydraulic_Systems.