Introduction to small aircraft system

This video was made for pilot training. That make it a introduction to small aircraft system. Pilots need to know the system to the extend that he would be able to operate and identify a normal, abnormal and emergency situation.

It starts with the description of an electrical circuit, with a battery as the power source and a bulb as the load. The animation gives a clearer idea of the concept, where the battery is like a water pump pressurising the pipe, instead of the water, the battery is pressuring the emf, or the electrons.

The series and parallel circuit were introduced. A series circuit provides a single path for the electrons to flow, but a parallel circuit provides at least two separate paths.

 The electrical components.
1. Batteries - A battery stores energy in chemical form. It is mainly used as an emergency source of power. Basically there are two types of batteries used, the nickel cadmium and lead acid. Nickel cadmium is widely used on commercial jets as it last longer, higher capacity and the voltage remains steadier.

2. Alternator - This is also known as a generator. It is driven by the engine's gear box and convert the mechanical energy to electrical energy. To regulate the voltage a voltage regulator is installed. On a small system, it can be part of the alternator.

3. Ammeter and voltmeter. These are the gauge to measure the current and voltage. This is a quality check to make sure that the alternator and battery provide the right voltage and current.  

The distribution
The power has to be distributed