Fire Protection in the Aviation Industry

Fire Protection in the Aviation Industry

Stephen Re – Australian Licenced Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) Technical and

Regulatory Manager

Stakeholder Forum 2016

• Aircraft Fire Protection Systems:-

• Active

• Passive

• Designed to prevent, control and contain fire until the aircraft can land safely:-

• Detect

• Suppress

• Extinguish

Aircraft Fire Protection Systems

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• Use of High Fire Resistant Materials

• Low Electrical Resistance Structures

• Stringent Design Standards

• Firewalls and Compartmentalised Construction

Passive Systems

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• Detection Systems

• Aircraft use a variety of styles of heat and smoke detectors depending on the areas covered– Thermal Switches

– Thermocouple (rate of rise)

– Continuous Loop Fire Wires

– Smoke Detectors • Draw through

• Open air

Active Systems

• Extinguishing Systems

• Primarily Halon Based Agents Are Used

• Halon 1301 flooding agent for engine and cargo compartments

• Halon 1211 (BCF) streaming agent for portable extinguishers

• Water based portable extinguishers

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Active Systems

• Engine systems

• In many cases the aircraft fire system is

designed to not only extinguish a fire but to

suppress any fires that are unable to be

extinguished to protect the aircraft

structure and system.

• An engine fire protection system on a large

passenger turbine powered aircraft will use

a range of methods to extinguish and

suppress a fire.

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Active Systems

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Scheduled Extinguishing Agents

• Engine Protection

• Fuel, Air, Electrical and Hydraulic

Shutoff

• Dual fire bottle systems

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Scheduled Extinguishing Agents

• Cargo Compartment

Protection

• Dual fire bottle systems

• Halon 1301

• Designed for high

concentration initial

knockdown

• Continual suppression for

duration of flight up to 180

mins.

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• Cabin Protection

• Lavatory Protection

• Automatic discharge extinguishers fitted to

waste compartments

• Portable Extinguishers

• BCF

• Smoke hoods used during use

• Water

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Scheduled Extinguishing Agents

• Fuel Tanks

• Spark and Flame arrestors

• Strict bonding requirements

• Increased wiring inspection requirements

• Nitrogen Generation Systems

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Other Fire Protection Systems

• Halon is a scheduled extinguishing agent under

the Act

• Requires an Extinguishing Handling Agent

Licence

• Low Risk of accidental release during

maintenance and testing

• Licenced Engineers are trained in extinguishing

systems and handling

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Halon Handling in Aviation

• Conditions on the industry are in place for

Licenced Aircraft Maintenance Engineers and

unlicensed engineers working under

supervision provided additional ozone

depleting substances awareness training has

been completed.

• CPPFES2043A - Prevent ozone depleting

substance and synthetic greenhouse gas

emissions or an equivalent assessment

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Halon Handling in Aviation

• Aircraft Engineers Licences and

activities are regulated under the

Civil Aviation Act and Safety

Regulations.

• Halons are regulated under the

Ozone Protection and Synthetic

Greenhouse Gas Management Act

and Regulations.

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The ALAEA and FPIB

• The ALAEA and the Board have been

consulting and working together to

better understand the interaction

between the aviation sector and the

fire protection industry.

• The ALAEA assists the Board in

providing information and feedback

from the aviation maintenance

industry.

Stakeholder Forum 2016

The ALAEA and FPIB

Contact the ALAEA

Contact:

Stephen Re, Technical and Regulatory Manager

T 02 9554 9399 M 0447 693 607E [email protected]

Visit: www.alaea.asn.au

Questions