Power / Propulsion System
Last updated
Last updated
The Power/Propulsion system encapsulates all of the electronics on the plane. It is important to know how this system works because it utilizes the electronics components to generate thrust and power the plane.
Electronics Overview
As a general overview, the electronics on the plane are powered by the flow of electrons (electricity). When it comes to electricity, there are three important aspects: voltage, current, and resistance. Let's briefly go over each.
Voltage, measured in volts (V), is the "pushing force" behind the electrons. When voltage is applied to a stream of electrons, it will cause the electrons to flow from the higher to lower voltage area. For example, electrons flow from the positive (5V, 12V, 24V, etc.) side of a battery to the negative end (0V).
Current, measured in amperes (amps), is the measure of the number of electrons moving through a given area per second (or more broadly, the net rate of flow of electrons through a given space). If we were to take a deeper look at current, we would find that electrons move incredibly fast. For instance, one coulomb (C) per second is equal to one amp. One coulomb is equal to 6.24x10¹⁸ electrons, so if there is one amp flowing through a wire, that means that there are 6.24x10¹⁸ electrons flowing through a single point every second!
Last, but certainly not least, resistance, measured in ohms (Ω), is exactly what it sounds like -- the opposition of current (essentially the "pulling force" behind the electrons). One way to think about resistance is the friction that acts on electrons as they flow through a circuit.
In summary, each aspect of electricity works together. In fact, they heavily influence each other. Here is a depiction:
In simpler terms, the relationship between them, known as Ohm's Law:
