If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Surviving Flight Recorder Power Failures
At a recent contest we got to talking about powering flight recorders
(and computers, etc) and how to survive a mid-flight power failure and still get a log file. There are a couple of lines of thought. 1) Don't worry about it. The systems are pretty good these days and if you wire things up right you won't have a failure. 2) Use two batteries with an A/B switch. This requires the recorder to be able to survive the failure until you flip the switch. Some can handle short power outages, others cannot. I have no test data to suggest how long of an outage they can handle while a good battery is switched in. 3) Place a separate backup battery on the recorder itself. Many recorders have that feature. If this is a computer you may loose functionality (vario, moving map) while retaining recording. While my experience fall into #1, I am currently using #2 and thinking about #3. What are your thoughts? Thanks, John |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Battery A/B switches are very old old old school. If you have two or
more batteries for your avionics, eliminate the switches and use a low voltage drop diode on each battery. This set up will always pull from the best battery. In the event you have a melt down in between the batteries and the recorder then having an additional battery of some sort wired to the recorder with another diode is a good option. The CAI 302 provides for this feature as part of it's design. ContestID67 wrote: At a recent contest we got to talking about powering flight recorders (and computers, etc) and how to survive a mid-flight power failure and still get a log file. There are a couple of lines of thought. 1) Don't worry about it. The systems are pretty good these days and if you wire things up right you won't have a failure. 2) Use two batteries with an A/B switch. This requires the recorder to be able to survive the failure until you flip the switch. Some can handle short power outages, others cannot. I have no test data to suggest how long of an outage they can handle while a good battery is switched in. 3) Place a separate backup battery on the recorder itself. Many recorders have that feature. If this is a computer you may loose functionality (vario, moving map) while retaining recording. While my experience fall into #1, I am currently using #2 and thinking about #3. What are your thoughts? Thanks, John |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
If you are using a volkslogger you must ensure you can power down the
VL so at power up it will go into PC mode for a few seconds. This allows you to load a declaration or task from a program such as Winpilot into the VL. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
How about cheap handheld GPS + cheap handheld PDA + SW for a completely
separate, fully redundant system? Cost about $400. "ContestID67" wrote in message oups.com... At a recent contest we got to talking about powering flight recorders (and computers, etc) and how to survive a mid-flight power failure and still get a log file. There are a couple of lines of thought. 1) Don't worry about it. The systems are pretty good these days and if you wire things up right you won't have a failure. 2) Use two batteries with an A/B switch. This requires the recorder to be able to survive the failure until you flip the switch. Some can handle short power outages, others cannot. I have no test data to suggest how long of an outage they can handle while a good battery is switched in. 3) Place a separate backup battery on the recorder itself. Many recorders have that feature. If this is a computer you may loose functionality (vario, moving map) while retaining recording. While my experience fall into #1, I am currently using #2 and thinking about #3. What are your thoughts? Thanks, John |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
On Tue, 14 Jun 2005 18:11:11 -0700, ContestID67 wrote:
2) Use two batteries with an A/B switch. This requires the recorder to be able to survive the failure until you flip the switch. Some can handle short power outages, others cannot. I have no test data to suggest how long of an outage they can handle while a good battery is switched in. We installed two batteries with changeover switches, so we have a warning when one battery is flat (like a the reserve tap on a motorbike fuel tank). But our Volkslogger runs off a separate circuit which is connected to both batteries via low voltage drop electronic diodes. It draws current from which ever battery has the highest voltage. I have tested it and cannot reset the Volkslogger without unplugging both batteries. (But I can measure the battery voltage on any one battery with the VL battery test function simply by unplugging the other. The voltage reading is that after the diode loss, slightly less than what the rest of the panel sees - unfortunately I can only do this on the ground) Ian |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
I agree that a couple of diodes are the way to go to place the
batteries in parallel without allowing one battery to cause problems with the other. However the key is the voltage drop which is typically 0.6vdc for a power diode. Do you have a specific diode number that you have been using? I am using a 302. I could have a separate battery for recorder backup but I would rather come up with a more generic solution for everyone that powers everything. |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
One of the main points is to protect the recorder so that you retain
your all important log file. While what you propose will get you back home, it won't produce a valid FAI log file. |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
I think the diode idea is a poor way to go unless there is full time
monitoring of both of both/all batteries. If one battery goes bad the other will be discharged before you know you have a problem. This solution offers no more redundancy than a single battery with twice the capacity. With switched batteries the pilot has the option to minimize current draw to conserve the second battery for essential equipment. Short term power loss does not invalidate the flight log. With a 302 the ideal solution is probably 2 switched main batteries and a backup battery (factory option) for the 302 only. I'm wired for 3 switched batteries but am only using 2. Andy |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
I think there have only been a small handful of failures out there so
far. If the electrical system is clean and put together well, then the chance of a failure is probably too remote to worry about. FAI and contests allow for a gap of several minutes, so a simple switch for dual batteries is good enough if you're worried about the battry running out on you - or you forget to charge one. A simple A/B setup takes care of the most obvious situation of leaving the master switch on overnight and running a battery down. The second one is hopefully still full. -Tom |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Switches of any kind provide the opportunity for user error and as a
mechanical device are subject to mechanical failure too. If you are using so much electrical power that you don't have enough battery for a long flight then you have a separate issue of not enough batteries. If you find yourself short on power during a flight then you can always selectively turn off equipment that you don't need. Best plan is to have plenty of supply and always start with charged batteries on any flight of importance. Failure to start with fully charged batteries simply shows a lack of preparation and no amount of switches will cure that problem. T o d d P a t t i s t wrote: "Andy" wrote: I think the diode idea is a poor way to go unless there is full time monitoring of both of both/all batteries. If one battery goes bad the other will be discharged before you know you have a problem. And even if you don't have a problem, this method tends to draw down the two batteries equally. I like to use only one, keeping the second as a reserve in case I forget to charge the first, or so I can reduce electrical consumption if the first battery is used up early in the flight. Short term power loss does not invalidate the flight log. If you want to prevent the short term power loss during switchover, you can use a "make before break" switch, or you can use a switch to briefly put them in parallel before switching over. |
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
AOPA Stall/Spin Study -- Stowell's Review (8,000 words) | Rich Stowell | Aerobatics | 28 | January 2nd 09 02:26 PM |
ramifications of new TSA rules on all non-US and US citizen pilots | paul k. sanchez | Piloting | 19 | September 27th 04 11:49 PM |
Flight Simulator 2004 pro 4CDs, Eurowings 2004, Sea Plane Adventures, Concorde, HONG KONG 2004, World Airlines, other Addons, Sky Ranch, Jumbo 747, Greece 2000 [include El.Venizelos], Polynesia 2000, Real Airports, Private Wings, FLITESTAR V8.5 - JEP | vvcd | Home Built | 0 | September 22nd 04 07:16 PM |
WINGS: When do the clocks start ticking? | Andrew Gideon | Piloting | 6 | February 3rd 04 03:01 PM |
Date of effect now 1 April 2004 for revised IGC-approval for certain legacy types of GNSS flight recorder | Ian Strachan | Soaring | 56 | December 2nd 03 08:08 AM |