A330 Qantas flight: starter motor sheared off because no oil

Well well well, what a fantastic year this has been for QFA!

You can sum it up in two words… “Annus Horribilis”

Hi all
The A330 has an air driven starter motor. Hear is a picture of a 737 starter motor.
http://www.b737.org.uk/powerplant.htm#Misc_Photos
Its the thing on the end of the large silver pipe.
ALL Airbus and Boeings, except the 787 are started by air starters. They are all prety much the same shape as this one but the do get a little bigger.
The 787 from what I gather is going to use the generator as a starter. The BAC 1-11 used to use it’s constant speed drive as a starter (CSDS). That used to change rotational direction after starter cut out making that disinctive whine that we all know and love
They are all oil lubricated, all held on by a “Vee band” clamp.
Not filling one with oil would not do it any good but, as this one was FOUR days out of maintenance I don’t think that had anything to do with it. I doubt that one would last that long without oil.

Rgds Cking

Here’s the equation that they don’t teach you in school.

Journalist + Bull**** = A story that will sell

I doubt there’s a single person on this forum who isn’t entirely aware of that, Sam. 😉

Paul

Here’s the equation that they don’t teach you in school.

Journalist + Bull**** = A story that will sell

Larger turbine engines use air pressure to spin the turbine for starting. The air pressure usually comes from the APU for the first engine, and the operating engine for the second engine (crossbleed start). If the APU is not available, the plane can use air pressure from a ground source, called a “huffer”. (If you’re ever listening to a scanner/ATC and here an aircraft asking to start one engine on stand, idle power only – this is usually why)

That bit I well know, I’ve just never heard of a motor being used to get the turbine up to an RPM where combustion is self sustaining. Ahh well… You live and learn! 🙂

Paul

Well well well, what a fantastic year this has been for QFA!

Paul,
Smaller turbine engines (such as those found on business jets and smaller airliners) have a starter/generator. Depending on the position of switches and the active function on the Generator Control Unit. (The generator can function as a starter to get the turbine spinning.) This is accomplished electrically using the battery, a ground power unit, an APU, or (after one engine is started) the other generator.

Larger turbine engines use air pressure to spin the turbine for starting. The air pressure usually comes from the APU for the first engine, and the operating engine for the second engine (crossbleed start). If the APU is not available, the plane can use air pressure from a ground source, called a “huffer”. (If you’re ever listening to a scanner/ATC and here an aircraft asking to start one engine on stand, idle power only – this is usually why)

Sam

The starter ‘motor’? I thought turbofan engines were started by compressed air? Do some have actual motors to turn them over before lighting?

Paul