A Review of the History of Fire Suppression on U.S. DoD Aircraft
Abstract
As the Department of Defense's (DoD) Next Generation Fire Suppression Technology Program (NGP) culminates its research efforts, it is prudent to capture the history of fire suppression on DoD aircraft. This paper provides a synopsis of the history of fire suppression on DoD aircraft to provide a context against which the findings of the NGP can be assessed. The following aircraft fire suppression applications are reviewed: (1) power plant compartments, which include engine nacelles and auxiliary power unit (APU) compartments; (2) dry bay compartments; and (3) fuel tank ullage (wet bays). The following topics are discussed: the evolution of engine nacelle fire suppression system designs, from "conventional" systems design to current high-rate discharge systems; nacelle/APU fire occurrence and suppression discharge relative to altitude and outside air temperature; pilot response and system effectiveness; the evolution of active dry bay fire suppression; and technologies and methods for fuel tank ullage fire suppression.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 13, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA467847
Entities
People
- Donald P. Bein
Organizations
- Naval Air Systems Command