FIRE DETECTION/SUPPRESSION

SYSTEMS
Salazar, Naz Antonio J.
AE414(04) – Aircraft Systems and
Instruments
• Fires are detected in • The complete aircraft fire
reciprocating engine and small protection systems of most
turboprop aircraft using one or large turbine-engine aircraft
more of the following: incorporate several of the
• Overheat detectors different detection methods.
• Rate-of-temperature-rise detectors • Rate-of-temperature-rise detectors
• Flame detectors • Radiation sensing detectors
• Observation by crewmembers • Smoke detectors
• Overheat detectors
• Carbon monoxide detectors
• Combustible mixture detectors
• Optical detectors
• Observation by crew or passengers
Classes of Fires
• Class A
• fires involving ordinary combustible materials, such as wood, cloth,
paper, rubber, and plastics.
• Class B
• fires involving flammable liquids, petroleum oils, greases, tars, oil-
based paints, lacquers, solvents, alcohols, and flammable gases.
• Class C
• fires involving energized electrical equipment in which the use of an
extinguishing media that is electrically nonconductive is important.
• Class D
• fires involving combustible metals, such as magnesium, titanium,
zirconium , sodium, lithium, and potassium.
 Requirements for Overheat and Fire
Protection Systems
• 1. No false warnings under any flight or ground condition.
• 2. Rapid indication of a fire and accurate location of the fire.
• 3. Accurate indication that a fire is out.
• 4. Indication that a fire has re-ignited.
• 5. Continuous indication for duration of a fire.
• 6. Means for electrically testing the detector system from the
aircraft cockpit.
• 7. Resists damage from exposure to oil, water, vibration,
extreme temperatures, or handling.
• 8. Light in weight and easily adaptable to any mounting
position.
• 9. Circuitry that operates directly from the aircraft power
system without inverters.
• 10. Minimum electrical current requirements when not
indicating a fire.
• 11. Cockpit light that illuminates, indicating the location of the
fire, and with an audible alarm system.
• 12. A separate detector system for each engine.
Fire Detection/Overheat Systems
• Thermal Switch System
• A thermal switch system has one or more lights energized by the
aircraft power system and thermal switches that control operation
of the light(s).
• Thermocouple System
• Depends on the rate of temperature rise and does not give a
warning when an engine slowly overheats or a short circuit
develops.
• The wiring system of these units may be divided into the
following circuits:
• 1. Detector circuit
• 2. Alarm circuit
• 3. Test circuit
• Constructed of two dissimilar metals, such as chromel and
constantan. The point at which these metals are joined and
exposed to the heat of a fire is called a hot junction. If the
temperature rises rapidly, the thermocouple produces a voltage
because of the temperature difference between the reference
junction and the hot junction.
• Continuous-Loop Systems
• Transport aircraft almost exclusively use continuous thermal
sensing elements for powerplant and wheel well protection.
• Two widely used types of continuous-loop systems:
• Thermistor type detectors, such as: Kidde and the Fenwal systems.
• Pneumatic pressure detector, such as: Lingberg system (also known
as Systron-Donner and more recently, Meggit Safety Systems.)
• Fenwal System:
• Kidde System:
Fire Zones
• Class A zone
• Area of heavy airflow past regular arrangements of similarly shaped
obstructions. The power section of a reciprocating engine is usually
of this type.
• Class B zone
• Area of heavy airflow past aerodynamically clean obstructions.
Included in this type are heat exchanger ducts, exhaust manifold
shrouds, and areas where the inside of the enclosing cowling or
other closure is smooth, free of pockets, and adequately drained so
leaking flammables cannot puddle.
• Class C zone
• Area of relatively low airflow. An engine accessory compartment
separated from the power section is an example of this type of
zone.
• Class D zone
• Area of very little or on airflow. These include wing compartments
and wheel wells where little ventilation is provided.
• Class X zone
• Area of heavy airflow and of unusual construction, making uniform
distribution of the extinguishing agent very difficult. Areas
containing deeply recessed spaces and pockets between large
structural formers are of this type. Test indicate agent requirements
to be double those for Class A zone.
Smoke, Flame, and Carbon Monoxide
Detection Systems
• Smoke Detectors
• Monitors the lavatories and cargo baggage compartments for the
presence of smoke, which is indicative of a fire condition.
• Two common types:
• Light Refraction Type – contains a photoelectric cell that detects light
refracted by smoke particles.
• Ionization Type – generates an alarm signal (both horn and indicator) by
detecting a change in ion density due to smoke in the cabin.
• Flame Detectors
• Optical sensors, often referred to as flame detectors, are designed
to alarm when they detect the presence of prominent, specific
radiation emissions from hydrocarbon flames.
• Two types of optical sensors:
• Infrared (IR)
• Ultraviolet (UV)
• Carbon Monoxide Detectors
• Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is a byproduct of
incomplete combustion.
• Most often found on reciprocating engine aircraft with exhaust
shroud heaters and on aircraft equipped with a combustion heater.
 Extinguishing Agents and Portable Fire
Extinguishers
• Halogenated Hydrocarbons
• For over 45 years, halogenated hydrocarbons (Halons) have been
practically the only fire extinguishing agents used in civil transport
aircraft.
• Halon has been the fire extinguishing agent of choice in civil
aviation because it is extremely effective on a per unit weight basis
over a wide range of aircraft environmental conditions.
• It is a clean agent (no residue), electrically nonconducting, and has
relatively low toxicity.
• Two types:
• Halon 1301 a total flooding agent.
• Halon 1211 a streaming agent.
• Class A, B, or C fires are appropriately controlled with Halons.
• Inert Cold Gases
• Carbon dioxide is an effective extinguishing agent.
• Most often used in fire extinguishers that are available on the ramp
to fight fires on the exterior of the aircraft, such as engine or APU
fires.
• It is noncombustible and does not react with most substances.
1
• Carbon dioxide is about 1 times as heavy as air.
2
• Dry Powders
• Dry powder chemical extinguishers best control class A, B, and C
fire but their use is limited due to residual residue and clean up
after deployment.
• Water
• Class A type fires are best controlled with water by cooling the
material below its ignition temperature and soaking the material to
prevent re-ignition.
• The following is a list of extinguishing agents and the type
(class) fires for which each is appropriate.
• 1. Water – Class A.
• 2. Carbon Dioxide – Class B or C. 𝐶𝑂2 acts as a blanketing agent.
NOTE: 𝐶𝑂2 is not recommended for hand-held extinguishers for
internal aircraft use.
• 3. Dry chemicals – Class A, B, or C. Dry chemicals are the best
control agents for these types of fires.
• 4. Halons – only classes A, B, or C.
• 5. Halocarbon clean agents – only classes A, B, or C.
• 6. Specialized dry powder – Class D
• The following hand-held extinguishers are unsuitable as
cabin or cockpit equipment.
• 𝐶𝑂2
• Dry chemicals
• Specialized dry powder (suitable for use in ground operations)
Installed Fire Extinguishing Systems
• Transport aircraft have fixed fire extinguishing systems
installed in:
• 1. Turbine engine compartments
• 2. APU compartments
• 3. Cargo and baggage compartments
• 4. Lavatories
• Containers
• Fire extinguisher containers (HRD bottles) store a liquid
halogenated extinguishing agent and pressurized gas (typically
nitrogen).
• Discharge Indicators
• Provide immediate visual evidence of container discharger on fire
extinguishing systems.
• Two kinds of indicators:
• Thermal Discharge Indicators (Red Disk)
• Red disk is shown when container contents have dumped overboard due to
excessive heat.
• Yellow Disk Discharge Indicator
• If the flight crew activates the fire extinguisher system, a yellow disk is ejected
from the skin of the aircraft fuselage.

• Fire Switch
• The engine and APU fire switches are typically installed on the
center overhead panel or center console in the flight deck.
• When an engine fire is activated, the following happens:
• Engine stops because the fuel control shuts off.
• Engine is isolated from the aircraft systems.
• Fire extinguishing system is activated.