#Number One Weekly #As an important means of transportation in the 21st century, airplanes have become the most important mode of transportation for people to travel, it is not only convenient and fast, but also has a relatively large capacity for passengers.
However, there are also some people who are more afraid of flying, and they feel that it is not safe to fly. Because there are plane crashes almost every year, and once there is a breakdown, it is difficult for passengers to survive. But now with the development of science and technology, the safety of aircraft is gradually improving, even if there is a malfunction in the sky, there will be emergency equipment.
I don't know if you noticed the small fan on the plane when you were flying? I think most people don't know it, because it's generally hidden in the belly of the plane and is not easy to find.
Then there is speculation. What's the use of a small fan on such a big plane? It can't be used to generate electricity for airplanes, right? Not to mention that it is really used to generate electricity, today I will introduce you to the "little mouse" on the plane, the RAT system.
The full name of the RAT system is Ram Air Turbine, which we call the ram air turbine. Because rat means rat in English, everyone also calls it "little mouse" on the plane.
Rat did match his little mouse title and looked very small on the whole huge plane.
The RAT system consists of blades, turbines, generators, generator control units, actuators, upper locks, and other components, and the fan blades consist of 2-4 or 6-10 blades of equal size, which look like a small engine propeller. Usually, it is stored in the inside of the fuselage and the inside of the wing.
Generally speaking, the size of the ram air turbine is about 80 cm, of course, in larger aircraft, the size will be larger. The largest stamped air turbine is currently assembled on the Airbus A380, which has a size of 1.63 meters and is a veritable "big mouse".
So what is the use of this "little mouse"?
The RAT system is actually an emergency landing system in the event that the aircraft engine loses power and power. If the aircraft suddenly loses power during flight, it does not fall down immediately, but lands slowly like a glider, and still maintains a fast speed. At this time, the pilot will release the stamped air turbine, using the strong air flow generated by the inertia of the aircraft to drive the blades of the ramjet turbine, so that he can provide emergency power and power for the aircraft like a wind turbine, which is used to restart the engine and ensure the emergency energy supply and power supply of the aircraft operating system, hydraulic system and electronic equipment.
For example, in the 1983 Canadian Flight 143 air accident, the RAT system became very useful, avoiding an air accident. At that time, both engines of the plane had run out of fuel, the plane had run out of power, and the aviation system was about to fail. In a time of crisis, the captain turned on the RAT urgently, allowing the stamped air turbine to provide the aircraft with electrical and hydraulic systems. In the end, all 69 passengers and crew survived. Afterwards, the aircraft was dubbed the "Geely Taxi" by Canadians.
The RAT system played a huge role in this incident, and another incident more than a decade later saved hundreds of lives because of it.
In August 2001, Transoceanic Airlines Flight 236, captain Robert Pichy, flew the Airbus A330 from Canada to Portugal. At that time, the fuel of the aircraft was exhausted due to failure, the power and hydraulic system failed, and at such a critical juncture, it was once again the RAT device that stood out, and the electrical and hydraulic system provided by the RAT maintained the normal operation of the aircraft. In the end, with the joint efforts of the crew, the aircraft landed successfully, with a total of 306 passengers on the plane without any casualties, and created the record for the longest gliding distance in the history of civil aviation aircraft.
The application of the RAT system has saved countless lives, as an emergency standby system, I hope it can be used and I hope it will not be used.