Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2011-2012 - 77

PILOT’S GUIDE

Alpha Avionics
While an essential item serving multiple purposes in the aircraft, batteries can fall into neglect because — yes, you got it — they’re out of sight and, until they fail, generally out of mind.
either their cumulative voltage or their collective amperage . You can see the cells in traditional lead-acid batteries with six or 12 caps for adding electrolyte to each of the individual seriesconnected cells — cells that add up to 14 or 28 volts . We use individual cells — increasingly rechargeable nickel metal hydride AAA, AA or D cells, for example — in our flashlights, portable radios and hand-held GPS navigators . Lead acid, NiCad; Li-ion and RG all employ different chemical technologies to produce their power . Why so many types? Because of the many different applications for which they’re needed — and because no single type suits all applications . Each holds out distinct advantages for its role . Lead-acid batteries, for example, are at the low end of the power-density scale — a measure of the wattage available from a volume of battery, usually expressed in watts per liter . They are stable over long periods without use . They can sustain high peaks and long discharge rates, recover quickly from the drain, and be recharged again and again . They work excellently as our electrical system’s ballasts . Nickel cadmium, or NiCad batteries, the first real breakthrough in rechargeable cells after lead acid, moved into the lead-acid role for some turbine aircraft, predominantly because they required less maintenance, delivered higher power and sufContinued on following page…

FAA Approved Limited Repair Station #SW6R386
Your One-Stop Shop for Professional Aviation Maintenance:
• Aircraft Avionics/Electrical Installation & Troubleshooting • A&P/IA & FCC Licenses • Aircraft Inspection Services & Annuals • Pitot Static/Transponder Testing Mode S Capable • Authorized Garmin, Becker Avionics & PS Engineering Dealer

A battery is at the heart of every electrical system . Beyond the electrical system, batteries specifically provide backup power to electronic flight-instrument systems, backup batteries for individual components and as standby, standalone power sources are proliferating . Credit for this proliferation belongs to an ongoing evolution in battery technologies that is influencing a wide swath of our lives . Many Needs, Many Types Electrical storage devices use chemical compounds to generate a reaction that produces direct current electricity — the stuff we need to run starter motors, power lights, radios and blower motors . The name “battery” overlooks one key aspect of these devices: a battery really is an assembly of individual power sources — cells — assembled to maximize

phone: 1-310-594-7915 3403 Airport Drive Torrance, CA 90505 www.alphaavionics.com.

SKYE AVIONICS

Specializing in Glass Cockpits
• Bell 407 Alert System STC • Avionics Sales, Service, Installation • Garmin G1000, G500, G600 Trained • Servicing Helicopters, Airplanes & Homebuilt
We represent major avionics manufacturers and provide custom installations with personal quality service with reasonable rates. 1979 Airside Dr. Campbell River, BC, Canada phone: 250-202-7649 • fax: 250-923-3441 info@skyeavionics.ca www.skyeavionics.ca

- 77 -

http://www.alphaavionics.com http://www.skyeavionics.ca

Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2011-2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pilot's Guide to Avionics 2011-2012