New Fire/Smoke Detection and Fire Extinguishing Systems

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• New Fire/Smoke Detection and Fire Extinguishing
  Systems
• for Aircraft Applications
• by
• Konstantin M. Kallergis
• Airbus Deutschland GmbH
• Cargo Center
• D-28183 Bremen, Germany
• presented at the
• Third Triennial Aircraft Fire Cabin Safety
  Research Conference
• Oct. 22 25, 2001
• Trump Taj Mahal Casino-Resort
• Atlantic City, NJ, USA

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The FIREDETEX Project

• FIREDETEX New Fire/Smoke Detection and Fire
  Extinguishing Systems for Aircraft Applications
• Project funded by the European Commission
• Duration from 02/2000 01/2003
• Overall budget 10 Mio EURO
• 13 Partners from industry and science involved
• 2 main thematic aspects
• Fire detection
• Fire suppression

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Project Consortium
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Fire Suppression Objectives

• Development of an environmentally friendly (
  non-halon) fire suppression system for cargo
  compartments
• Development of the on-board generation of
  nitrogen to inert large rooms as cargo
  compartments

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State of the Art

• Cargo compartment fire suppression with Halon
  1301
• 1 high-rated bottle
• 1 x flow-metered bottles

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Search for Alternative Technologies (1)

• Gaseous agents
• Best solution because of
• Easy retrofit
• Clean
• Cope with physical environment in cargo
  compartment

• But until today no alternative foreseeable
  because of
• Weight
• Toxicity
• Environmental reasons

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Search for Alternative Technologies (2)

• Water mist
• Environmentally friendly
• Non-toxic to passengers

• Question
• How to design a water based system that can cope
  witha suppression time of 240 minutes or even
  more without exceeding weight requirements?

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Search for Alternative Technologies (3)

• Solution 1 (water mist only)

• Exceeding the weight requirements!

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Search for Alternative Technologies (4)

• Solution 2 (water mist OBIGGS)

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Technology

• Concept
• Fire knock-down with water mist
• Initially available and active
• Environmentally friendly

• Long time inerting with OBIGGS
• Environmentally friendly
• Always available

• Interaction

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Technology in Detail

• Water mist
• Fine spray generation by pressurization
  and special nozzle geometry
• Zonal layout
• Requires zonal fire detection

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Technology in Detail

• OBIGGS
• On-Board Inert Gas Generation System
• Established in military aircraft fire protection
  (tank, dry bay)
• Engine bleed air separated by hollow fiber
  membranes
• Nitrogen enriched air flow
• Oxygen enriched air flow

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Technology in Detail

• Combination

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Project Phases

• Requirements phase
• System requirements have been fixed (07/2000)
• Concept phase
• Partners have proposed different concepts to
  fulfill the requirements
• Introduced concepts have been evaluated
• First choice solution and fall-back position have
  been determined
• System has been described (01/2001)
• Test phase
• Test validator will be equipped with system
  components
• Fire suppression system will be tested against
  the Minimum Performance Standards of the IASFPWG
• Test results will be evaluated
• Systems will be optimized

today