The accelerator pedal increases engine speed by allowing more air and fuel into the engine. It can be connected mechanically or electronically, and is used in various applications such as aircraft and cars. Some aircraft have an autothrottle system for better fuel economy and less pilot work.
In an automotive application, the accelerator is typically the pedal a driver uses to increase engine speed. The accelerator may be commonly known as a gas pedal, although it usually directly affects air intake rather than gas. On most vehicles, the throttle is connected to a butterfly valve via a mechanical linkage, and depressing it allows more air to enter the engine. This will usually also increase the amount of gas being burned, as the carburetor or fuel injection will tend to equalize the fuel/air ratio as the air volume increases.
On carbureted vehicles, the throttle is usually connected via a cable or other mechanical means to a throttle valve inside the carburetor. Depressing the accelerator pedal in these applications will cause the throttle valve to open, allowing more air into the engine. Most fuel injected vehicles work in a similar way, although the valve that controls the throttle is typically on a throttle body. This valve generally performs the same function as one inside a carburetor, allowing the accelerator pedal to directly affect the volume of air entering the plenum.
Some vehicles use a type of electronic throttle control. These cars often have a sensor located on the throttle in place of the mechanical linkage. The sensor will usually send a different signal, depending on how depressed the accelerator pedal is. The Engine Control Module (ECM) can use this signal to determine the amount of air the throttle body should allow into the chamber, which indirectly allows the driver to control engine speed.
Many other apps also use some kind of accelerator. Aircraft typically use a thrust stick to control engine power. On multi-engine aircraft, each engine may have its own thrust lever. These levers can usually be individually adjusted to achieve the desired amount of thrust from each engine. Some aircraft will also include thrust reversers, in which case each thrust stick will typically be accompanied by a reverser.
Jet engined aircraft will often include a throttle system known as an autothrottle. Instead of adjusting each thrust lever manually, these systems can allow the pilot to choose the desired speed or thrust. The system can automatically adjust the power of each engine to achieve the desired characteristics, resulting in better fuel economy and less work for the pilot. An autothrottle can be automatically set for optimal takeoff, cruise, or other different conditions.
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