Aircraft Turbine Engine Instruments
Posted on January 20, 2020
Mason Jones
Aviation
In the cockpit of an aircraft, there are three different instrumentation systems, those which are the flight instrumentation systems, navigational instruments, and the engine instruments. The engine instruments play a pivotal role in the aircraft as they (particularly the gas turbine engines) are the indicators of temperature and fuel flow, along with engine speed. Below you can find a detailed outline of the various components that there are among engine instruments.
Exhaust Gas Temperature Indicator
There are several different instruments involved with the Exhaust Gas Temperature Indicator (EGT).These include the turbine inlet temperature (TIT), the turbine outlet temperature (TOT) and the interstage turbine temperature (ITT). Each is used to inspect exhaust gas temperatures that are entering the first turbine inlets. Each of these take the temperatures at different locations of the engine as they must all measure the various phases of the turbine.
Torquemeter
The torquemeter is a significant
component of the engine instruments because it is used to determine the established power settings of the aircraft. Turboprop engines are normally placed with a torque meter so as to measure the torque that is applied to the shaft turned by the gas generator and power turbines of the engines. The torquemeter functions with a ring gear that reacts to torque force that is applied. This action makes the oil pressure proportional to the torque being applied to the proper shaft.
Fuel flow Indicator
Fuel flow indicators measure the flow of fuel in pounds per hour. While other indicators are measured in gallons, the fuel flow indicator measures pounds because the weight of the fuel is a significant factor in the aerodynamics of large turbine aircraft. Fuel flow is of interest in monitoring fuel consumption and checking engine performance.
