AIRCRAFT

FIRE
PROTECTION
SYSTEMS
ATA 100 (CHAPTER 26)
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
• One of the most dangerous threats to the safe operation of an
aircraft is FIRE
• To reduce this threat to the tolerable minimum, variety of FIRE
PROTECTION SYSTEMS are installed on aircraft by Manufacturers as
well as Operators.
• Power-plant areas of the aircraft are major places where fire
occurs.

• So majority of these systems are located there.

 Topic Objective

• At the end of your study of this subject, you will be able describe:
• fire detection and the various ways of putting the fire out once
detected.
 FIRE

• Fire is a process of burning. The rapid production of:

• light,
• heat, and
• flames
• from something that is burning.
• E.g. in the combustion of wood, metal, petroleum or electrical
equipment
 ELEMENTS OF FIRES

• There are three essentials needed for fire to occur.

• They are:
1. Fuel
 Combustible materials(gas, liquid or solid)
2. Oxygen
3. Heat (To bring fuel to its ignition point)
CAUSES OF FIRE
 CAUSES OF FIRE
 The possibility of fire out break in the process of
aircraft operation is due to the following factors:-
1. The presence of large quantity of combustible
material on board the aircraft.
2. The auto ignition of fuel and oil especially when
they come in contact with hot engine parts or
components.
3. Location of fuel tanks near the engine.
 CAUSES OF FIRE

4. Extraordinary accidents in flight e.g. failure of individual

components, failure to observe fire precautions, operating
instructions and maintenance regulations.
5. Explosion of fuel vapor in the free space of fuel tanks or in other
closed spaces when there is flame in the zones
 CAUSES OF FIRE

• The source of ignition of fuel may be due to faulty electrical

equipment, discharge of static electricity whether during flight or
during refueling.
Classification of Fire
Class A Fire
1. Class A Fire— fires involving solid combustible materials, such
as wood, cloth, paper, rubber, and plastics.
Control cabins or passenger compartments are examples of
locations where Class A fires are likely to occur.
• Since the interiors of the passenger com­partment and of the
cockpit are readily accessible to the crew, fire detection in these
areas is generally accomplished by visual surveillance.

On the other hand, such fires can also occur in baggage compart­
ments, where crew access is limited or even impos­sible during flight.
• In these areas, monitoring is pri­marily accomplished with
electrically powered:
• smoke or
• flame-detector systems.
Class B Fire
2. Class B—fires are composed of combustible liquids such as:
 gasoline,
 petroleum oils,
 jet fuel,
 greases,
 tars,
 oil-based paints,
 lacquers,
 solvents,
 alcohols, and flammable gases.
2. Class B
On an aircraft, these classes of fires typically occur in engine
compartments or nacelles, and in compartments that house an
Auxiliary Power Unit(APU).
2. Class B
Since operating temperatures within these areas can be extreme,
overheat detection systems, which sense the rate of temperature
rise, are often used to monitor the zone for the presence of fire or
overheat conditions
Class C
3. Class C—fires involving energized electrical equipment.
Such fire are generally confined to electrical and electronic
equipment bays and to areas behind electrical control panels.

The use of an extinguishing media that is electrically nonconductive

is important to quench this type of fire.
3. Class C
Since the initial stages of electrical equipment fires are usually
preceded by large amounts of
smoke, these areas of an aircraft are generally monitored by smoke-
detection systems.
Class D
4. Class D
Fires involving combustible metals, such as magnesium, titanium,
zirconium, sodium, lithium, and potassium and are difficult to
extinguish.
4. Class D
Using the wrong type of extinguishing agent with these fires may
not only be ineffective, but may even cause the fire to spread.
4. Class D
Although this type of fire is not common during flight, they occur
in maintenance shops, where metal shavings may ignite when
exposed to intense heat such as from a welding torch or high
voltage source
Fire Zones
•A fire zone is an area, or region, of an
aircraft designated by the manufacturer
to require fire detection and/or fire
extinguishing equipment and a high
degree of inherent fire resistance.
•Various compartments in an aircraft
are classified into fire zones based
on the amount and characteristics
of airflow through them.
• i.e. Fire Zones are primarily classified by the amount of Oxygen
that is available for combustion
• Fire Zones are identified as:
• Class A,
• Class B,
• Class C,
• Class D and
• Class X Zones.
Class A Zone
• Class - A Fire Zones
Zones having large quantities of air flowing past regular arrangement
of similarly shaped obstructions e.g. power section of a reciprocating
engine.
• Class - A Fire Zones
• For these areas, a fire-extinguishing system is usually installed,
but may not prove adequate since the sup­pressant may be
carried out into the air-stream before extinguishing the fire
• Class - B Fire Zones
• Class - B Fire Zones
Areas of heavy airflow past aerodynamically clean obstructions.
Included in this type are heat exchanger ducts, exhaust manifold
shrouds…
• Class - B Fire Zones
…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 - B Fire Zones
Turbine engine compartments may be considered in this class if
engine surfaces are aerodynamically clean and all airframe
structural formers are covered by a fireproof liner to produce an
aerodynamically clean enclosure surface.
•Class - C Fire Zones
• Class - C Fire Zones
Zone having relatively small airflow e.g. engine accessory
compartment separated from the power plant section.
• Class - C Fire Zones
An auxiliary power unit (APU) compartment is also a common
example of this type of zone.
• Class - C Fire Zones
These may be protected by a fire-detection and extin­guishing
system, or the compartment may have pro­visions for isolating
flammable materials such as fuel, oil, and hydraulic fluids.
• Class - D Fire Zones
• Class - D Fire Zones
Zones having very little or no airflow e.g. Wing compartment, wheel
well where little ventilation is provided.
• Class - D Fire Zones
• Due to the lack of airflow, fire-extinguishing systems are usually
not necessary since the fire will self-extinguish as it consumes the
atmosphere.
• Class - D Fire Zones
• However, fire-detection systems are often installed in Class D zones
to warn the crew that damage may have occurred to airframe
components, so that corrective actions may be taken.
• Class - D Fire Zones
• For example, a fire in a wheel well should self-extinguish due to
lack of air, but the wheels and tires may be damaged.

A fire-detection system will warn the flight crew, so that special

precautions may be taken during the landing to preclude further
hazards.
• Class - X Fire Zones
• Class - X Fire Zones
Zones having large quantities of air, flowing through them and are
of unusual construction making uniform distribution of the
extinguishing agents very difficult

…E.g. zones having deeply recessed spaces and pockets between

large structural formers.9
 FIRE PROTECTION
SYSTEMS

• Fire protection systems on aircraft usually consist of two separate

operating systems with associated controls and indicators
• One system is for:
• fire or overheat detection and
• the other is for:
• fire suppression or extinguishing
• In some cases the systems can be interconnected so extinguishing
takes place automatically when a fire is detected.
• The detection systems are meant for providing rapid detection of a
localized fire or overheat conditions and indication of the area in
which some corrective action is needed.
• The Extinguishing Systems are meant for discharging the
extinguisher into the source of the fire.
• Fire prevention on the aircraft involves quick location and
extinguishing of it.
• To achieve aircraft protection against fire, the followings measures
are observed by both the manufacturers as well as the operators:
1. Constructional Measures
2. Installation of fire protection equipment either by a fixed fire
or a portable fire extinguishing equipment.
3. Filling of fuel tanks with inert gas
4. Increase of effectiveness of fire protection devices.
5. Reliability of the detection System.
 Constructional Features
of Fire Safety
• It is important to create conditions whereby the out break and
spread of fire is impossible or minimized on the aircraft.

• A number constructional features are put in place to ensure this.

• They are:
 Constructional Features of
Fire Safety
1. The inclusion of provision of bulk-heads or fire wall in the
construction of engine bays to separate the cabin from the
power plant to prevent the spread of fire and smoke in the
cabin.

2. Pipe lines through designated fire zones are also made of heat
resisting materials and are routed far from the exhaust and
electrical systems.
3. Flexible joints are put outside firewall

4. Electrical cable insulation is made from heat resistant

material.
5. All heated components and parts of engines are usually cooled

6. Components of fuel, oil and hydraulic systems are usually

located on the cold region.
7. Fuel lines are routed through fire safe regions of the power plant.

8. The provision of indicating system to indicate malfunctioning

during operation.

10. The bonding of all aircraft parts and the presence of devices for
shutting off air supply to pressurized cabin in case of engine fire
are also safety measures.
AIRCRAFT FIRE DETECTION SYSTEMS
• Detection systems are designed to give indications of fire or
smoke at various locations in an aircraft.
• This is done by illumination of warning lamps and, in the event
of fire, by audible warning devices.
• Some examples of areas where these systems may be installed
include:
• engine nacelles and auxiliary power unit (APU)
• baggage compartments
• electrical or electronic equipment bays
• passenger lavatories.
• Wheel wells and
• Bleed air ducts
• These systems monitor areas, commonly called fire zones for:
• heat,
• flames,
• the rate of temperature rise, or
• the presence of smoke.
 Requirements of
Aircraft Fire Protection
Systems
• The requirements for fire protection in aircraft are set out in
JAR/FAR 25.
• These regulations specify the types of detecting and suppression
devices and systems required in accordance with the classification of
areas of the aircraft and the conditions existing in these areas.
• For example sufficient fire detectors must be fitted in each
designated fire zone and in the combustion, turbine and exhaust
cone sections of turbine engine installations.
• An ideal fire detector system includes as many of the
following features as possible:
1. Detection systems must be capable of providing rapid detection of
localised fire or overheat conditions and a warning by means of a
red light and an audible signal on the flight deck indicating the
area where some corrective action is required.

2. Fire detection systems will not automatically operate the main

power unit extinguishers. However, in some installations the
fire detection system may be used to shut down on APU and
may operate on APU fire extinguisher automatically.
 3. The system must accurately indicate that a fire has been
extinguished and indicate if a fire re-ignites.

4. When there is a fire, there must be a continuous indication for its

duration.
5. The system must be durable and resistant to damage from any
oil, water(or other fluids), vibration, extreme temperature
that may be present in the area where it is installed.

6. The system must include an accurate and effective method of

testing so that the flight crew and ground engineers can check the
integrity of the system.
7. The system must be easily inspected, removed and installed.

8. The system and its components must be designed so that

the possibility of false indications is unlikely.
9. The system must require a minimum of electrical power when
not indicating fire.

10. The system must operate from the aircraft electrical system
without the use of inverters or other special equipment.
11. Light in weight and easily adaptable to any mounting position.
12. In the case of multi-engine aircraft, the detec­tion system must
consist of a separate sensing circuit for each engine.
TYPES OF FIRE DETECTORS
• The most common types of fire detection systems found in
modern aircraft include:
• Fenwal,
• the Kidde,
• the Lindberg,
• the Systron-Donner, and
• the flame-detector system.
• FENWAL manufactures the detection systems:
1. THERMOSWITCH;
2. THERMOCOUPLE and
3. CONTINUOS-LOOP
THERMAL SWITCH DETECTOR
BI-METALLIC STRIP

CONTACTS(Silver Rhodium)
 THERMAL SWITCH DETECTOR
BI-METALLIC STRIPS HEATS UP

CONTACTS ARE MADE

WARNING SIGNAL SENT TO THE COCKPIT

Thermocouple
Detector
 HOT JUNCTION
SHEATH

THERMOCOUPLE SENSING WIRES

REFERENCE JUNCTION

CONNECTORS TO
CONTROL BOX
 CONTINUOUS LOOP
DETECTORS(FENWAL)
CONTINUOUS LOOP
DETECTORS(KIDDE)
LINBERG SYSTEM
SYSTRON-DONNER SYSTEM
FLAME DETECTORS
INFRA RED FLAME DETECTOR
SMOKE DETECTION
• Smoke detection systems are usually installed to monitor
the air in:
• cargo and baggage compartments
• Toilets and
• Avionics Equipment.
• There are two types of Smoke Detector:
1. Photoelectric and
2. Ionization detectors
PHOTOELECTRIC SMOKE DETECTORS
INLET

SENSING CHAMBER

LIGHT BEAMS
LIGHT SOURCE

LIGHT REFLECTED FROM PHOTO ELECTRIC CELL

SMOKE PARTICLES IN THE
AIR

OUTLET
Ionisation Type Smoke Detector
 IONIZATION TYPE SMOKE DETECTORS

SENSING CHAMBER
RADIOCATIVE
MATERIAL

AIR OUTLET
AIR INLET

IONISING BEAM

TARGET
Fire-Extingushing Systems
• For a fire to occur, three conditions must be fulfilled:
• Fuel
• Oxygen
• Heat(to raise the temperature of fuel to ignition or kindling
point).
• if any of this element is missing or removed fire cannot be
sustained
 Fire-Extinguishing Systems

• Various fire extinguishing systems are installed in many aircraft to

provide the flight crew and maintenance personnel with the ability
to fight fire while aircraft is operating on the ground or in flight.
 Fire-Extingushing Systems

• The fire extinguishing systems in general use

are the:

1. Fixed
2. Portable and
3. Mixed systems.
Extinguishing Agents

1. Cool the fuel below it’s ignition point.

2. Remove the oxygen supply

3. Separate the fuel from the oxygen

 FIRE BOTTLE

EXTINGUISHER BOTTLE

EXTINGUISHANT

FRANGIBLE DISC

PRESSURE GAUGE
FUSIBLE SAFETY PLUG

CARTRIDGE OUTLET

ELECTRICAL CONTACTOR STRAINER

FIRE BOTTLE

FIRE BOTTLE

PRESSURE GAUGE

EXTINGUISHER CARTRIDGE