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Sub Module 11.8 Fire Protection (ATA 26)
Sub Module 11.8 Fire Protection (ATA 26)
Sub Module 11.8 Fire Protection (ATA 26)
MODULE 11A
Sub Module 11.8
Contents
Since fire is one of the most dangerous threats to the safe On early aircraft, the task of detecting smoke and fire was
operation of an aircraft, manufacturers and operators install a reasonably easy because the pilot could see most areas of the
variety of overheat, fire detection, smoke detection, and aircraft from the cockpit. However, as larger and more complex
extinguishing devices. Although the majority of aircraft fire- aircraft were built, it became nearly impossible for the crew to
protection systems are installed around the power plant section, observe all parts of an aircraft, and smoke and fire were often
it is typically the responsibility of an airframe technician to not detected until the hazard was beyond control.
maintain all fire-protection systems regardless of where they are
installed. To maintain the highest level of reliability from these To resolve this problem, modern aircraft have overheated and
systems, a technician must be familiar with the basic operating fire detection systems installed to provide an early warning of
principles, troubleshooting, and repair of the various types of fire hazards so the crew can take appropriate actions to reduce or
protection devices used on modern aircraft. eliminate them.
For a fire to occur, three conditions must be met. There must be In the case of smoke and fire hazards aboard aircraft, the
emission of smoke or the presence of flames and heat makes it
Fuel, reasonably easy for a person to physically detect a fire or
overheat condition. The smoke produced by combustion
Oxygen, and produces strong odors and is readily visible in most
circumstances, so the crew of an aircraft can physically detect a
Enough heat to raise the temperature of the fuel to its fire hazard in its early stages, provided they are in the same
ignition or kindling point. compartment or area of the aircraft where the fire occurs.
If any of these elements is missing or removed, fire will not be However, many aircraft areas are inaccessible to the crew and,
sustained. because of the design of the aircraft, airflow around and through
various compartments may prevent the hazard from being
Chemically, fire is a reaction between oxygen and fuel. This detected until it is too late to remedy the problem.
reaction reduces fuel to its basic chemical elements and in the
process, produces tremendous amounts of heat. To provide a more thorough means of monitoring remote
locations of an aircraft for smoke or fire, detection systems are
Paper, for example, is an organic material composed primarily mounted in areas the crew does not have access to in flight.
of carbon and hydrogen. When the paper is heated to its Some examples of areas where these systems may be installed
kindling temperature in the presence of air, the carbon and include engine nacelles, baggage compartments, electrical or
hydrogen will unite with oxygen to form carbon dioxide (CO2) electronic equipment bays and passenger lavatories.
and water (H2O). Other elements in the paper, and the products
of incomplete combustion, show up as ash and black carbon to Depending on the types of combustible materials that may
form smoke. smolder or ignite, the systems are designed to activate by
various means to provide the most accurate indication of an
actual hazard. These systems monitor areas, commonly called
fire zones, for heat, flames, the rate of temperature rise, or the
presence of smoke.
Engine fire-detection systems generally fall into two categories: A thermo switch fire detection system is a spot-type detection
spot-detection type systems and continuous-loop type systems. system that uses a number of thermally activated switches.
With a spot-detection type system, individual fire detectors, or Each switch, or sensor, consists of a bimetallic thermoswitch
switches, are used to detect a fire. Such detectors must be that closes when heated to a predetermined temperature.
placed in locations where a fire is likely to occur, because with
this type of system a fire warning sounds only when a fire exists There are two basic types of thermoswitch systems. They are,
in the same location as the detector.
The single loop
The continuous-loop type system works on the same basic
principle as the spot-type fire detectors except that a single The double loop.
switch in the form of a long Inconel tube is used instead of
several individual switches. The small-diameter Inconel tube is
run completely around an engine nacelle or an area that
surrounds an auxiliary power unit thus allowing more complete
coverage than spot-type detection systems.
With a Fenwal single-loop system, all of the thermoswitches are In a double-loop system, all of the detectors are connected in
wired in parallel with each other, and the entire group of parallel between two complete loops of wiring. The system is
switches is connected in series with an indicator light. In this wired so that one leg of the circuit supplies current to the
arrangement, once a thermoswitch closes, the circuit is detectors while the other leg serves as a path to ground. With
completed and power flows to the warning light. [Figure 3] this double-loop arrangement the detection circuit can withstand
one fault, either an open or short circuit, without causing a false
To provide for circuit testing, a test switch is installed in the fire warning.
cockpit. Once the test switch is depressed, power flows to a
relay that provides a ground to the warning light, simulating a For example, if the ground loop should develop a short, a false
closed thermoswitch. Once grounded, the warning light fire warning will not occur, because the loop is already
illuminates only if there is no break in the warning circuit. grounded. On the other hand, if the powered loop shorts, the
rapid increase in current flow would trip a relay that causes the
In addition to the test feature, most fire-detection circuits include powered loop to become the ground and the grounded loop to
a dimming relay for night operations that, when activated, alters become powered. [Figure 4]
the warning circuit by increasing resistance. The increased
resistance reduces the amount of current flowing to the light. In
most airplanes, several circuits are wired through the dimming
relay so all the warning lights may be dimmed at the same time.
Fig 5
Thermocouple Detector
In addition to a thermoswitch detection system, Fenwal also The Fenwal system uses a magnetic amplifier control unit. This
produces a continuous-loop type system that consists of a unit is a non-averaging controller that supplies power to the
single fire or overheat-sensing element that varies in length, sensing element and sounds an alarm when the circuit to
depending on the size of the fire zone. A typical sensing ground is completed through the Inconel tube. [Figure 7c].
element can be anywhere from 1 foot to 15 feet long. As
mentioned earlier, the sensing element used in a continuous
loop fire detection system consists of a flexible, small-diameter
Inconel tube. [Figure a]
In the Fenwal system, the metal Inconel tube uses a single wire
electrode made with pure nickel. The pure-nickel electrode is
surrounded by ceramic beads to prevent the electrode and
conductor from touching each other. The beads in this system
are wetted with a eutectic salt, which has an electrical
resistance that varies with temperature. [Figure 7a]
Kidde System
Both the Fenwal and Kidde systems will detect a fire when one
sensing element is inoperative, even though the press-to-test
circuit does not function, indicating that there is a fault in system
Fig 8b
Lindberg System
Systron-Donner System
The Systron-Donner system is another pneumatic continuous- This increases the sensor's total gas pressure, which closes the
length system that utilizes a gas filled tube with a titanium wire diaphragm switch and trips the fire alarm. A typical Systron-
running through its center as a sensing element. The tube itself Donner system sensor activates a fire alarm when exposed to a
is made of stainless steel and is filled with helium gas. The 2 000°F flame for five seconds. This is the overheat function.
titanium wire, on the other hand, acts as a gas absorption
material that contains a quantity of hydrogen. For protection, the After a fire is extinguished, the sensor core material reabsorbs
wire is either wrapped with an inert metal tape or inserted in an the hydrogen gas and the responder automatically resets the
inert metal tube. One end of the sensor tube is connected to a system. [Figure 10a]
responder assembly containing a diaphragm switch that
provides a warning for both an overheat condition and a fire. To check system integrity, the responder unit of a Systron-
Donner system contains an integrity switch that is held closed
Like the Lindberg system, the Systron-Donner system's by the normal gas pressure exerted by the helium. When the
principle of operation is based on the gas law: integrity switch is closed, depressing the test switch results in a
fire warning. However, if the sensing element should become
“If the volume of a gas is held constant and the temperature cut or severely chafed, the helium gas will escape and the
increases, gas pressure also increases.” integrity switch remains open. In this situation, depressing the
test switch provides a "no test" indication.
The helium gases surrounding the titanium wires provide the
systems averaging or overheat function. At normal The continuous length sensor elements are quite durable and
temperatures, the helium pressure in the tube exerts an can be flattened, twisted, kinked, and dented without losing their
insufficient amount of force to close the overheat switch. overheat and fire detection abilities unlike continuous loop
However, when the average temperature along the length of the sensors. A typical sensing system consists of two separate
tube reaches an overheat level, the gas pressure increases sensing loops for redundancy. Both loops are required to sense
enough to close the diaphragm switch, which activates the a fire or overheat before an alarm will sound. However, if one
alarm. Once the source of the overheat condition is removed, loop fails, the system logic will isolate the defective loop and
the helium gas pressure drops and the diaphragm switch opens. reconfigure to a single loop operation using the good loop.
This is the averaging function. The system's fire detection, or
[Figure 10b]
discrete, function is provided by the gas-charged titanium wire.
When exposed to a localized high temperature, such as a fire or
turbine engine compressor bleed air leak, the titanium wire
releases hydrogen gas.
Flame Detectors
These detecting elements consist of a heating coil encased in a If smoke is present in the air sample being drawn through the
coating of semiconductor material. Carbon monoxide or nitrous detector, small particles of the smoke will attach themselves to
oxides, if present, will be absorbed into this coating and change the oxygen and nitrogen ions, reducing the electrical current
the electrical current-carrying capability of the detector. flow in the test circuit. If the current flow falls below a preset
value, the alarm circuit will activate visual and aural cockpit
These elements are connected into a type of bridge circuit so alarms. [Figure 14].
that when both elements are conducting evenly the bridge will
be balanced, and no warning signal will be present. If the
element in the area being monitored is subjected to CO gas or
nitrous oxides, an unbalanced condition will be created across
the bridge and the warning circuit will illuminate the cockpit-
warning lamp. [Figure 13]
Fig 13 Fig 14
Fig 15 Fig 16
Water can only be used for Class A fires, such as aircraft cabin
fires, where electricity is not involved. Most modern water-type
extinguishers consist of a container of water in which an
antifreeze material has been mixed. The water is propelled from
the extinguisher by a charge of carbon dioxide or nitrogen.
Once the extinguisher is activated, all of the propellant is
discharged and a new cartridge must be installed when the
extinguisher is serviced.
Halogenated Hydrocarbons
Halogenated hydrocarbons are numbered according to their
A halogen element is one of the groups that consist of chlorine, chemical formulas with five-digit Halon numbers, which identify
fluorine, bromine, or iodine. Some hydrocarbons combine with the chemical makeup of the agent. The first digit represents the
halogens to produce very effective fire-extinguishing agents that number of carbon atoms in the compound molecule; the second
work by excluding oxygen from the fire source and by digit, the number of fluorine atoms; the third digit, the number of
chemically interfering with the combustion process. chlorine atoms; the fourth digit, the number of bromine atoms;
and the fifth digit, the number of iodine atoms, if any. If there is
The probable extinguishing mechanism of halogenated agents no iodine present the fifth digit does not appear.
is a chemical interference in the combustion process between
fuel and oxidizer. Experimental evidence indicates that the most For example, bromo-tri-flouro-methane CF3Br is referred to as
likely method of transferring energy in the combustion process Halon 1301, or sometimes by the trade name Freon 13TM.
is by molecule fragments resulting from the chemical reaction of
the constituents. If these fragments are blocked from Halon 1301 is extremely effective for extinguishing fires in
transferring their energy to the unburned fuel molecules, the engine compartments of both piston and turbine powered
combustion process may be slowed, or stopped completely aircraft and is also considered to be one of the best
(extinguished). It is believed that the halogenated agents react extinguishing agents for aircraft interior fires. In engine
with the molecular fragments, thus preventing the energy compartment installations, the Halon 1301 container is
transfer. This may be termed chemical cooling or energy pressurized by compressed nitrogen and is discharged through
transfer blocking. This extinguishing mechanism is much more spray nozzles. Halon 1301 is also widely used as the agent for
effective than oxygen dilution and cooling. portable fire extinguishers.
Halogenated hydrocarbon fire-extinguishing agents are most A number of halogenated hydrocarbon agents have been used
effective on Class B and C fires but can be used on Class A and in the past but are no longer in production. The reason for this is
D fires as well. However, their effectiveness on Class A and D that some early Halon extinguishing agents produced toxic or
fires is somewhat limited. corrosive gases when exposed to fire.
Another once-popular agent was methyl bromide (Halon 1001). For example, Dupont FE-25TM has proven to be an acceptable
However, methyl bromide is toxic to personnel and corrosive to substitute for Halon 1301 as an extinguishing agent and has no
aluminum alloys, magnesium, and zinc. Of all the halogenated harmful affect on the earth's ozone layer.
hydrocarbon extinguishing agents, Halon 1301 is the safest to
use from the standpoint of toxicity and corrosion hazards. In Other replacement extinguishing agents being researched
small dosage amounts, the gas has a low toxicity, but has include water mist sprays, which have been proven to be
similar effects of depriving oxygen from the lungs. effective in combating many A, B, and C class fires.
Because of changing regulations and developing environmental As an aviation maintenance technician, it is important to be
impact data, you should keep abreast of current developments aware of airworthiness and environmental regulations governing
pertaining to the use of halogenated hydrocarbons as fire- the use and disposal of CFCs. Improper handling or disposal of
extinguishing agents. halogenated hydrocarbons can lead to civil and criminal
penalties.
For example, several studies suggest that chloro-flouro-carbons
(CFCs), such as Halon, damage the ozone layer in the The Freon and Halon are in a liquid state when under sufficient
stratosphere, allowing higher levels of ultraviolet radiation to pressure but become gaseous when released to atmospheric
reach the earth. To reduce damage to the ozone layer, the pressure. Liquid Freon or Halon must not be allowed to come
Environmental Protection Agency banned the production of into contact with the skin because they will cause frostbite due
CFCs after December 31, 1995. However, existing stocks of to extremely low temperatures attained when the liquid
CFCs are still allowed to be used after this date. evaporates.
Conventional Systems
Once past the control valve, the CO 2 proceeds to the fire zone
The fire-extinguishing installations used in older aircraft are via solid tubing installed in the fuselage or wing. Inside the fire
referred to as conventional systems. Many of these systems are zone, the tubing is perforated so the carbon dioxide can be
still used in some aircraft and satisfactory for their intended use. discharged.
A conventional fire-extinguisher system consists of a cylinder To operate a conventional fire extinguisher system used to
that stores carbon dioxide under pressure and a remotely protect an engine compartment, a selector valve in the cockpit
controlled valve assembly that distributes extinguishing agent. must be manually set for the engine that is on fire. Once this is
done, a T-shaped control handle located next to the selector
Carbon dioxide cylinders come in various sizes, are made of valve is pulled upward to actuate the release lever in the CO 2
stainless steel, and are typically wrapped with steel wire to cylinder valve. Once released, the compressed carbon dioxide
make them shatter proof. In addition, the normal gas storage flows in one rapid burst to the outlets in the distribution line of
pressure ranges from 700 to 1 000 psi. the affected engine compartment. Contact with the air converts
the liquid CO2 into a visible gas, which extinguishes the flames
Since the freezing point of carbon dioxide is so low, a storage by displacing oxygen.
cylinder does not have to be protected against cold weather.
However, cylinders can discharge prematurely in hot climates. Some CO2 systems designed to protect engine fire zones have
To prevent this, manufacturers sometimes charge a cylinder multiple bottles, which gives the system capability of delivering
with about 200 psi of dry nitrogen before they fill the cylinder extinguishing agent twice to any of engine compartments.
with carbon dioxide. When treated in this manner, most CO2
cylinders are protected against premature discharge up to Each bank of CO2 bottles is equipped with a red thermo-
160°F. The nitrogen also provides additional pressure during discharge indicator disk and a yellow system-discharge
normal release of the agent. indicator disk. The red thermo-discharge disc is set to rupture
and discharge the carbon dioxide overboard if the cylinder
Carbon dioxide cylinders are equipped internally with one of pressure becomes excessively high (about 2,650 psi). On the
three types of siphon tubes. The cylinders used in aircraft other hand, the yellow system-discharge disk ruptures
typically utilize either a straight rigid, or a short-flexible siphon whenever a bank of bottles has been emptied by a normal
tube. The type of siphon tube installed in the cylinder is discharge.
determined by the cylinder's mounting position.
These disks are mounted so that they are visible on the outside
The CO2 within a cylinder is distributed through tubing from the of the fuselage. This way, during a preflight inspection, the flight
CO2 cylinder valve to the control valve assembly in the cockpit. crew can identify the condition of the system.
Fig 18
Fig 20
The system is acting when a member of the crew closes the fire
switch to direct extinguishing agent to the area where a fire is
indicated. When the fire-extinguishing switch is closed, an ex-
plosive charge at the neck of the selected agent container is
detonated and a cutter is driven through the ceiling disk in the Fig 21
neck of the container. This release- the extinguishing agent
from the container instantly and permits it to flow to the area
selected. The pilot or other crewmember will have selected the
appropriate area by operating a switch on the fire control panel.
This will direct the agent through the correct deployment line.
Fig 22
Regular maintenance of fire-extinguishing systems includes A pressure check of fire-extinguisher containers is made
inspecting and servicing the fire-extinguisher bottles, removing periodically to determine that the pressure is between the
and reinstalling discharge cartridges, testing the discharge minimum and maximum limits prescribed by the manufacturer.
tubing for leaks, and testing electrical wiring for continuity. Aircraft service manuals contain pressure/temperature curves or
charts that provide the permissible gauge readings corrected for
The following discussion looks at some of these common temperature. If the pressure does not fall within the appropriate
maintenance procedures to provide an understanding of the limits, the container must be removed and replaced with a
operations involved. However, as an aviation maintenance properly charged container.
technician, you must understand that fire-extinguishing-system
maintenance procedures vary substantially, depending on the Once it has been determined that a bottle is properly charged,
design and construction of the particular unit being serviced. check to make certain that the glass on the pressure gauge is
not broken. In addition, verify that the bottle is securely mounted
Therefore, the detailed procedures outlined by the airframe or to the airframe.
system manufacturer should always be followed when
performing maintenance. The only way to determine if the appropriate amount of
extinguishing agent is in a given container is to weigh the
container. Therefore, most fire-extinguishing containers require
re-weighing at frequent intervals. In addition to the weight check,
fire-extinguisher containers must be hydrostatically tested at
five-year intervals.
Fig 23
The discharge cartridges used with HRD containers are life- All extinguishing systems have a method of testing their
limited and the service life is calculated from the manufacturer's serviceability. This can vary from weighing the complete
date stamped on the cartridge. The manufacturer's service life is cylinder off-aircraft, (which will have the correct 'full' weight
usually expressed in terms of hours and is valid as long as the marked on it), through to the bottle having a gauge with
cartridge has not exceeded a predetermined temperature limit.
safe and low-pressure sectors marked on it.
To determine a cartridge's service life, it is necessary to remove
the electrical leads and discharge hose from the bonnet Figure 24 shows an engine extinguisher with a fitted
assembly. Once this is done, the bonnet assembly can be gauge. Other more sophisticated systems have internal
removed from the extinguisher container so the date stamped pressure switches fitted to the bottle, which will notify the
on the cartridge can be seen. flight deck of the loss of bottle pressure, (or discharge), via
a warning light, magnetic indicator etc.
Most new extinguisher containers are supplied with their
cartridge and bonnet assembly disassembled. Therefore, care Regardless of the system, all bottles and squibs have a life,
must be taken in assembling or replacing cartridges and bonnet after which they have to be removed and returned to the
assemblies. Before installation on an aircraft, the cartridge must
manufacturer for maintenance.
be properly assembled into the bonnet and the entire assembly
connected to the container.
Squib-Test.
In most cases, these extinguishers are mounted in brackets the occupants if struck by the extinguisher. When
supplied by the extinguisher manufacturer and can tolerate the evaluating the mounting bracket installation verify that it
inertia forces that may be encountered during flight or due to an does not obstruct or damage the aircraft structure. For
accident. When evaluating the installation of a new or previously example, make sure the mounting hardware does not
installed portable extinguisher, consideration should be given to penetrate into electric cables, control cables or fluid
the following items: carrying hoses
Portable extinguishers should be mounted as near as Verify that all maintenance documentation detailing the
possible to the hazardous areas they are intended to installation is complete. Required record entries include
protect. If no obvious hazard areas exist, the amended empty weight and empty weight C.G. data as
extinguisher should be mounted near the passenger well as the equipment list and permanent maintenance
entrance door or in a flight-attendant station, if one is records.
provided.
Most portable fire extinguishers are vendor supplied Any servicing or maintenance performed on the extinguisher
components and may not be covered in the aircraft must be recorded in the aircraft's permanent maintenance
manufacturer's maintenance instructions. In these situations, records and is often also indicated directly on the extinguisher
the best resource for servicing and maintenance information container as shown in figure 25.
may be directly from the extinguisher manufacturer. However,
for extinguishers installed in aircraft that are used in commercial Additional items to check include releasing the extinguisher
operations, the maintenance requirements for portable from its mounting bracket to determine its ease of removal and
extinguishers are often detailed in the carrier's individual checking that the activation-trigger safety pin is properly
operating specifications. installed.
In some situations, the extinguisher manufacturer may provide If there is any doubt as to the integrity of the extinguisher's
basic servicing and maintenance information on the condition, it should be replaced or sent to a certified repair
identification label. This information should be reviewed during station that is authorized to perform full servicing and
any inspection. Items that are typically checked include: maintenance on portable fire extinguishers.
Fig 25
– Water Spray
The various types of fire extinguisher put out fires started with
different types of fuel – these are called ‘classes’ of fire. The
fire risk from the different classes of fire in your business – Foam
premises will determine which fire extinguisher types you need.
– Dry Powder – Standard
You will also need to make sure that you have the right size and
weight of fire extinguisher as well as the right kind. You can
read more about the current UK extinguisher regulations. – Carbon Dioxide (‘CO2’)
Whilst there are 5 main types of fire extinguisher, there are
different versions of both the Water and Dry Powder
– Wet Chemical
extinguishers, meaning there are a total of 8 fire extinguisher
types to choose from. The 8 types of fire extinguisher are:
There is no one extinguisher type which works on all classes of
fire.
Which fire extinguisher types are used for each class of fire?
Overview:
Water extinguishers are the most common fire extinguisher type
for class A fire risk. Most premises will require either water or
foam extinguishers.
Label Color:
– Bright Red
FOAM EXTINGUISHERS
Use for:
– Kitchen fires
– Fires involving electrical equipment
– Flammable metals
CO2 extinguishers are predominantly used for electrical fire Where to locate CO2 extinguishers:
risks and are usually the main fire extinguisher type provided in – Place near to the source of the fire risk and/or near the fire
computer server rooms. They also put out Class B fires exits.
(flammable liquids, such as paint and petroleum).
Label Color:
– Black
Use for:
– Flammable liquids, like paint and petrol
– Electrical fires
Label Color:
– Yellow
Use for:
– Cooking oil/fat fires
– Organic materials such as:
o Paper and cardboard