Definition

The term electronic engine control (EEC), in commercial air transport aeroplanes and other aircraft (e.g., turbine-powered helicopters), can refer to:

• an early-generation computer system designed for fuel-flow regulation of an engine, thrust management of an engine and interface with flight crew–alert systems throughout normal flight operations, while allowing manual overrides/interventions by the pilot; or,
• a descriptive category for such computer systems covering early EEC units and later-generation designs, such as full authority digital engine control (FADEC) systems, which are not designed for intervention by the pilot.

A synonym within the aviation industry is engine control unit (ECU).

Description

The basic purpose of the EEC is to optimise flight performance while protecting each engine and the aircraft against safety risks. Later-generation EECs, with electronic controls, meter fuel more precisely and sense/process more engine operating parameters to adjust fuel metering than early EECs with mechanical fuel control — improving fuel economy, flight crew workload and engine reliability.

Regulators oversee manufacturers’ designs of EEC digital hardware, software and networks to ensure compliance with certification criteria, including high standards in manufacturing processes and certified software build.

Aircraft accident and incident investigators may include analysis of recorded EEC data, searching for faults that reveal any disparity between commanded engine power and achieved engine power.

Related Articles

• Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC)

Further Reading

• Aircraft Gas Turbine Electronic Engine Controllers (EEC) by John E. Lightbody, Jihan Farzana, Christian Schulz, Hector Castaneda, Daniel King, Fadl Isa, Antriksh Rana, Ashley Day, Sezen Molagean, Thomas Carrington, 16 June 2014. Abstract cited from Wiley Online Library.
• Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC), U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).