A320 HYDRAULIC

A320 HYDRAULIC

OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
SYSTEM
SYSTEM
DESCRIPTION
DESCRIPTION
NORMAL
NORMAL OPERATION
OPERATION
ABNORMAL
ABNORMAL
OPERATION
QUIZ
OPERATION
QUIZ

A320 HYDRAULIC
SYSTEM OVERVIEW

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

The A320 features 3 hydraulic systems. To make things easy, lets call them GREEN, BLUE and
YELLOW. They operate continuously at 3000 psi. Transfer of fluid between systems is NOT possible.
Every system has its own reservoir.

G RSVR

B RSVR

Y RSVR

Each system has its own pump or pumps, which provide hydraulic pressure to feed the different
users such us landing gear, reversers, flight controls, etc. The fluid then comes back to the reservoir.

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

USERS

PUM
P

G RSVR

USERS

USERS

PUMP
S

PUMPS

B RSVR

Y RSVR

The three systems feature accumulators, priority valves, shutoff valves, filters and leak
measurement valves. This will be reviewed later in detail. It is also possible to transfer PRESSURE
(not fluid) from the GREEN system to the YELLOW and vice versa.

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

USERS

PUM
P

G RSVR

USERS

USERS

PUMP
S

PUMPS

B RSVR

Y RSVR

A320 HYDRAULIC
SYSTEM DESCRIPTION

The green pump is powered by

engine 1.

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

The blue system is pressurized by an electric pump. There is also a Ram Air Turbine (RAT) available
to be used in abnormal operations.

ELE
C

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

RA
T

The yellow main pump is driven by engine 2. If the engines are stopped, hydraulic power is
available through an electric pump. If there is no electrical power at all, the cargo doors can be
operated with a hand pump.

ELE
C

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

RA
T

ELE
C

The layout is easy to remember using the 1, 2, 3 rule: The GREEN system has 1 PUMP, the
BLUE one has 2 PUMPS, and the YELLOW one has 3 PUMPS.

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

1 PUMP

2 PUMPS

3 PUMPS

There is also a bidirectional Power Transfer Unit (PTU) which allows the yellow system to pressurize
the green system and vice versa. It turns on if the differential pressure between the two systems
exceeds 500 PSI. Note that no fluid at all is being transferred.

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

PT
U

A320 HYDRAULIC
ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS

SYSTEM ACCUMULATORS
There are one accumulator per system to cope with transient demands and provide with some
reserve pressure when no pump is working at all.

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

ACC
U

ACC
U

ACC
U

PRIORITY VALVES
If the system pressure gets low, priority valves will cut off power to heavy load users such as
landing gear, slats, flaps and the emergency generator.

GREEN HEAVY
USERS
LANDING
GEAR
SLATS &
FLAPS

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

FLAPS

EMER GEN
SLATS
PR
VAL
VE

USERS

YELLOW
HEAVY USERS

BLUE HEAVY
USERS

PR
VAL
VE
USERS

PR
VAL
VE
USERS

FIRE SHUTOFF VALVES

The green and yellow systems feature a shutoff valve each which can be closed by the crew during
abnormal operations. This is done by pressing the ENG 1(2) FIRE pushbutton.

1
ENG
PUMP

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

SHUTO
FF
VALVE

2
ENG
PUMP

SHUTO
FF
VALVE

LEAK MEASUREMENT VALVES AND FILTERS

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

In order to measure the leakage in each system, three leak measurement valves have been set
upstream of the accumulators and the primary flight controls. They can be closed through their
own pushbuttons in the cockpit maintenance panel. Several filters are also installed to clean the
fluid all thorough the system.

RESERVOIR PRESSURIZATION
The reservoirs are pressurized with HP bleed air from engine 1. If this pressure is too low, the
system takes bleed air from the crossbleed duct.

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

XBLEE
D
DUCT

DISTRIBUTION

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

Get familiar with the users of the three different systems. Be aware that this layout may change
depending on the serial number. For example, the Nose Wheel Steering may be powered by the
yellow system as well.

A320 HYDRAULIC
INDICATIONS

ECAM HYD PAGE

We are
progress.

in

cruise

making

good

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

Please call the ECAM HYD PAGE now.

ECAM HYD PAGE

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

Well done. This is the HYD page during

normal operations in-flight. The three
systems are working properly. Lets
take a look at the meaning of every
symbol in there.

ECAM HYD PAGE

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

As you can see on the screen, the nominal pressure of every system is indicated on the top,
together with the system label. All pumps provide 3000 psi, except the RAT which works at
2500 psi (emergency only).

ECAM HYD PAGE

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

If system pressure is above 1450 psi, the system line, the pressure indication and the triangle on
top are green. The system label remains white. Otherwise all of them become amber.

ECAM HYD PAGE

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

Moreover, the three squares (one per system) represent each of the main pumps, with the label
1 and 2 for the engine-driven pumps and ELEC for the blue electrical pump.

ECAM HYD PAGE

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

[Aqu se continua con los distintos smbolos de la pgina con fotos sacadas del VPT]

TRIPLE INDICATOR

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

[Aqu van una foto con el triple indicador y el significado de los indicadores]

A320 HYDRAULIC
CONTROLS

MAIN HYD PANEL

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

The main hydraulic panel is located in the upper area of the systems overhead panel.

MAIN HYD PANEL

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

The panel features pushbutton switches for the main pumps, the yellow electrical pump and the
PTU. There is also a pushbutton for the manual extension of the RAT, guarded in red.

GREE
N
PUM
P

BLUE
PUMP
(GUARDE
D)

YELLO
W
PUMP

YELLO
W ELEC
PUMP

A320 HYDRAULIC
NORMAL OPERATION

COCKPIT PREPARATION

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

As per the Airbus general rule, all white lights must be extinguished during the scan. It is mandatory
to get clearance from the ground crew before applying hydraulic power, since some parts of the
airplane may move and cause serious harm.

DO NOT APPLY
HYDRAULIC POWER
WITHOUT GROUND
PERSONNEL
CLEARANCE!

COCKPIT PREPARATION

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

The accumulator pressure indication must be in the green band. If it is not, turn on the yellow
electric pump to recharge the accumulator. Remember: ask for ground clearance first!

COCKPIT PREPARATION

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

Lets put you find the accumulator pressure low. Please get it back to the green band using the
yellow elec pump.

COCKPIT PREPARATION

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

Well done!

ENGINE START
The GREEN and YELLOW pumps will start working when their corresponding engine spools up. The
BLUE pump will automatically be turned on after the first engine start.

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

The PTU will perform a self-test during engine start-up. A PTU FAULT is triggered if the second engine
is started within 40 seconds after the end of the cargo doors operation.

IN-FLIGHT
During the cruise scan, the ECAM HYD page should be reviewed. If you see a slight decrease in
quantity, it is normal. Particularly the green system is lower than on ground because of the landing
gear retraction.

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

Fluid contraction during cold soak can also be expected.

A320 HYDRAULIC
ABNORMAL OPERATION

HYDRAULIC ABNORMALS
The simple hydraulic abnormal procedures will follow this basic guideline:
1. The system will try to recover automatically the affected part by means of the PTU (if applicable).

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

[Aqu va
ECAM]

un

pantallazo

del

2. The ECAM will tell the pilot to turn off the affected PUMP and, in case of GREEN or YELLOW LOW
LEVEL or OVERHEAT, switch off the PTU to prevent the overheat condition to spread.

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

[Aqu va
ECAM]

un

pantallazo

del

3. If a system is lost, then the landing distance will be affected since the spoilers, reversers and
braking are hydraulically powered.

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

[Aqu va
ECAM]

un

pantallazo

del

4. If an overheat condition disappears during the approach (FAULT light extinguishes), the system
may be recovered.

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

[Aqu va
ECAM]

un

pantallazo

del

EXAMPLES

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

[Aqu van un par de ejemplos

con lo que saquemos del VPT]

DOUBLE HYDRAULIC FAILURES

AIRBUS A320 HYDRAULIC

[Aqu va material con lo que

saquemos del VPT]