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QTR_04.10

AEROQTR_04.10
AnsweringService
Requests
SafeWinterOperations
FireProtection:Engines
andAuxiliaryPower
Units
787Dreamliner:
UpdatingAirplane
SoftwareConfigurations

Theenginesandauxiliarypowerunits(APUs)onBoeing
airplanesincorporateextensivemeasuresforfire
protection,includingfiredetectionandextinguishing
systems.

NewServiceRequests
Application
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ByShamHariram,TechnicalFellow,BoeingPropulsionEngineering
PaulPhilipp,SeniorPropulsionEngineer,BoeingPropulsionEngineeringand
DaveDummeyer,AssociateTechnicalFellow,BoeingPropulsionEngineering

Becauseoftheimportanceof
enginestosafeflight,itis
criticalthattheyincorporate
extensiveandreliablefire
protectionsystems.
Thisarticleisthefirstinaseriesexploringtheimplementationoffireprotectionontransportcategoryairplanes.
FireprotectionisgivenoneofthehighestconsiderationsatBoeinginairplanedesign,testing,andcertification.
Indesigninganairplanesfireprotectionsystems,Boeingusestheprinciplesofseparation,isolation,and
control.Theseprinciplesinvolveseparatingthethreeessentialsforcreatingafire(i.e.,fuel,ignitionsource,
andoxygen),isolatingpotentialfiresfromspreadingtootherpartsoftheairplane,andcontrollingafireshould
oneoccur.
Toeffectthisseparation,isolation,andcontrol,Boeingusesbothpassiveandactivesystems.Passivesystems
includetheuseofnoncombustibleorselfextinguishingmaterialsseparationbyrouting,compartmentation,
isolation,ventilation,anddrainageandbondingandgrounding.Activesystemsincludefireandoverheat
detectionsystems,fireextinguishingsystems,temperaturesensing,airandfuelshutoffmeans,andautomatic
shutdownofnonflightcriticalsystems.FireprotectionsystemsonBoeingairplanesmeetallaviationregulatory
requirementsaswellasinternalBoeingdesignrequirements.
Becauseoftheimportanceofenginestosafeflight,itiscriticalthattheyincorporateextensiveandreliablefire
protectionsystems.TheAPUutilizessimilarsystems.ThisarticledescribeshowBoeingprovidesfire
protectionfortheenginepods,alsotermedengines,andforAPUs.Anenginepodconsistsoftheengine,the
inlet,thenacelle,thethrustreverser,theexhaustsection,andthestrutorpylon.

PASSIVEFIREPROTECTIONSYSTEMS

Enginezones.TheenginesandstrutorpylonstructuresonBoeingairplanesformcompartments,eachof
whichisisolatedbybasicstructureandancillarysurfaces.Eachenginenacelleorstrutcompartmentis
designatedasazone,suchasfirezone,flammablefluidleakagezone,ordrybayzone,accordingtothe
potentialforthepresenceofflammablefluidsandignitionsources(seefig.1).
Figure1:Compartmentationinatypicalenginepod
Enginepodsincorporatezonesdesignedtominimizetheprobabilityofafireandtoisolateafire,shouldoneoccur.

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Onlythecompartmentsthatcontainignitionsourcesandthepotentialforflammablefluidleakageareclassified
asfirezones.Examplesaretheenginecasearoundthecompressor,combustor,andturbinesectionsofthe
engine.Thegearboxanditsaccessoriesarealsoconsideredpotentialignitionsourcesduringfailureconditions
thatcouldcausetemperaturestoexceedtheautoignitiontemperaturesoffluidsthatmaybepresentinthe
compartment.Theareasadjacenttotheenginefirezonesuchastheenginefancompartment,strutor
pylon,andstrutheatshieldareisolatedbyfirewalls.Othercompartmentsareisolatedbybulkheadsand
vaporbarriers.Boeingmitigatesfirehazardsinengineandnacellecompartmentsby:
Minimizingthepotentialforignition.
Usingcompartmentationandisolation.
Routingflammablefluidcarryinglinesawayfromelectricalwiresandhotpneumaticducts.
Usingnonflammableconstructionmaterials.
Utilizingfirewalls.
Providingameansfordetectingandextinguishingfiresinfirezones.
Providingashutoffmeansforflammablefluidsintoandoutofthefirezone.
Minimizingtheaccumulationofflammablefluidsandvaporsthroughtheuseofdrainageandventilation.
APUcompartment.TheAPUcompartmentisbydefinitionafirezone(seefig.2).Itisisolatedfromtherestof
theairplanebyafirewall.TheAPUinstallationusesthesamefirehazardmitigationprinciplesastheengines
listedabove,plus:
AutomaticshutdownoftheAPU.
Automaticshutoffofairsource.
Figure2:AtypicalAPUcompartment
TheAPUcompartmentfirewallisolatestheAPUfromtherestoftheairplane.

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Flammablefluiddrainage.TheenginenacelleandAPUinstallationsaredesignedtodrainflammablefluids
overboard.Thesedrainageprovisionsincludedrainholes,hoses,andtubingforcapturingandsafely
dischargingflammablefluidleakageoverboard.
Ventilation.Intheenginepod,ventilationairisprovidedinfireandflammablefluidleakagezonestominimize
theaccumulationofflammablevapor.Allventilationflowisdesignedtoexitsafelywithoutbeingreingested.In
theenginecorefirezone,controlledcoolingflowprovidesasourceofcoreventilation.Someinstallationshave
dedicatedventilationinlets.TheAPUcompartmentsareventilatedbyeitheramechanicallydrivenfanora
passiveeductioncoolingsystem.Anyflammablevaporsareforcedoutthroughventopeningsorthroughthe
eductionexhaustsystem.Theairflowdrivenbyeitherofthesetwosystemspreventstheaccumulationof
flammablevaporsandprovidescoolingforhotsurfaces.
Firewalls.Thestrutandnacelleareasadjacenttotheenginefirezonesareisolatedbyafirewallextending
fromtheenginefanframetotheexhaustnozzle(seefig.3).Forengineswithfancompartmentmounted
gearboxandaccessories,theentirefancowlandthrustreverserinnercowlingaredesignedtobefireprooffor
inflightconditions.Theupperquadrantofthefirezonecompartment(typically+/45degreesoftheengine
corecompartment)willpreventburnthroughtotheadjoiningstrutandwingstructuresforthegroundcondition.
Inaddition,fireprooffeedthroughs,boots,seals,andsealantsareusedtosealpenetrationsandgapson
firewallsandbarrierstopreventflammablefluid,vapor,orthepropagationoffiretoadjacentzones.
Figure3:Atypicalstrutorpylon
Strutstructuresincorporatenumerousfirewallsofvariousmaterialstoisolatestrutandwingareasadjacenttoenginefirezones.

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MostAPUinstallationsarelocatedintheairplanetailconeoutsideofthepressurevesselorpassenger
compartment.Thisprovidesahighlevelofisolation.TheAPUcompartmentisfurtherisolatedfromtheforward
sectionsoftheairplanebyafireproofcompartmentfirewall.OtherAPUinstallationsnotlocatedintheairplane
tailconeareinselfcontainedcompartmentswithfirewallstructuresurroundingthemonallexposedsideswithin
theairplane.
Bondingandgrounding.AllBoeingairplanesincorporateelectricalbondingorgroundingprovisionsfor
electricalsystemcomponentsandstructuretoprotectagainststaticelectricity,sparking,orthearcingthat
occursbetweensurfacesresultingfromelectricalsystemfaultsorlightningstrikes.Thebondingorgrounding
preventsconditionsthatcouldigniteflammablevapors.
Explosionproofing.Electricalcomponentsinstalledinthefireorflammablefluidleakagezonesarerequiredto
beexplosionproof.Intheeventthatflammablefluidorvaporseepsintoacavityofthecomponent,itis
requiredtocontainthefireshouldtheflammablefluidignite.Thecomponentsarealsorequirednottooverheat
andbecomeanignitionsource.Eachcomponenttypeistestedinalaboratoryenvironmenttodemonstratethat
itmeetstheserequirements.

ACTIVEFIREPROTECTIONSYSTEMS

Enginefiredetection.Thetypicalenginefiredetectionsystemincludesbothfireandoverheatdetectors(see
fig.4).Eachdetectorlocationhastwoheatsensingelementsalongwithassociatedsupporttubes,brackets,
andelectricalconnectors.Sufficientareacoverageisrequiredtoensurepromptdetectionofafirewithinthe
firezone.Thedetectorelementsofthefireoroverheatdetectionsystemareconfiguredtoformtworedundant

loops,witheachdetectorloopmonitoredbyaseparatecontrolcardoracontroller.Signalsfromthedetectors
areprocessedthroughanautomaticfireandoverheatlogicandtestsystemtogenerateflightdeckdisplays
andauralwarningstoalertthecrewintheeventofanenginefire.Alertsaredisplayedintheformoflights(i.e.,
aredMASTERWARNINGforfireandanamberCAUTIONforoverheat),togetherwiththesimultaneous
illuminationoftheassociatedenginefirehandleandfuelshutoffswitchforanenginefire.Onairplaneswith
engineindicationandcrewalertingsystem(EICAS)capability,EICASmessagesareshownontheintegrated
flightdeckdisplays.AnEICASmessagealsoappearsintheeventofadetectorsystemfailure.
Figure4:Typicalenginefireandoverheatdetectorlocations
Nacellecompartmentscontainmultiplefireoroverheatdetectorelements.

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APUfiredetection.ThetypicalAPUfiredetectionsystemconsistsoftwoorthreedetectorsconnectedinseries
byairplanewiring,eachwitharedundantdetectorelement(referredtoasadetectorloop)withbothends
connectedtothecontrolcard.TheAPUdetectionsystemusesthesametypeofdetectorelements,circuitry,
operation,testingmethods,andcertificationproceduresastheenginefiredetectionsystem.Thefiredetection
systemwillautomaticallyshutdowntheAPUwhenafireisdetected.Thefiredetectorassembliesare
containedentirelywithintheAPUcompartmentinlocationsselectedtoprovidemaximumcoverageofthe
compartmentwherefirecouldoccurandtoensurepromptfiredetection.
APUfiredetectiondisplaysandcontrolsarelocatedontheflightdeck.Whenafireisdetected,theAPUfire
handleilluminates,theMASTERWARNINGlightsilluminate,warningandstatusmessagesaredisplayedon
EICAS,andtheauralwarningisactivated.AnexternalAPUfirehornthatisresettablefromtheflightdeck(or
fromtheAPUfire/shutdownpanelnearthewheelwellorawayfromtheAPU)isalsoprovided.
Enginefireextinguishing.Enginefireextinguishingsystemsconsistofextinguishingagenthighpressure
bottles,distributiontubing,nozzles,andflightdeckcontrolsanddisplays.Twofireextinguishingagentbottles
containingHalon1301andinterconnectingtubingareinstalledinalocationwheretheycanservetwoengines,
althoughthereareairplanemodelsthathavetwoindependentbottlesservingeachengine.
Onsomeairplanemodels,thebottlesareinstalledintheleftandrightwingleadingedge(seefig.5).Onother
models,theyaremountedinthefuselageorinthestrutorpylon.Eachenginefirezoneisrequiredtobe
protectedbytwoindependentextinguishingagentbottles,eachcapableofextinguishingafirewithinthezone.
Figure5:Enginefireextinguishingsystem
Onthisairplanemodel,twofireextinguishingagentbottlesandassociatedtubingareinstalledintheleadingedgeofeachsideof
thewing.

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APUfireextinguishing.TheAPUfireextinguishingsystemlocatedintheaftfuselageisasingleshotsystem
providedtoextinguishafireintheAPUcompartment.Thesystemconsistsoftheextinguishingagentbottle,
distributiontubing,dischargenozzle,andnecessaryflightdeckcontrolsanddisplays.Thefireextinguishing
agentbottleislocatedontheforwardsideoftheAPUfirewall.Thesingledischargelinedirectsagenttoa
nozzlelocatedintheAPUcompartment.
TheAPUextinguishingagentbottledesignissimilartothatoftheengine.However,theAPUbottlehasa
singledischargeoutletratherthantwo,andtheservicepressure,amountofagent,andsafetyreliefvalve
openingpressuresdiffer.SomeAPUinstallationshaveoptionsforasecondAPUbottle,forautomaticfire
extinguisherdischarge,andfortheuseofanenginebottleinplaceofthestandardAPUbottle.Thefire
extinguishingsystemsforboththeenginesandAPUarecontrolledfromtheflightdeck(seefig.6).
Figure6:Fireextinguishingcontrol
Controlsforallairplanefireextinguishingsystemsarelocatedontheflightdeck.Thiscontrolmoduleforthe747showscontrols
forallfourengines,theAPU,andthecargohold.Therespectivefirehandleilluminatesredifanenginefireconditionisdetected.
Pullingthefirehandlearmsthefireextinguishingsystemandshutsdowntheengine.Italsoshutsdownthefuelfurnishedtothat
engine,thepneumaticsystem,thehydraulicsystem,andtheelectricalsystemassociatedwiththatengine.Rotatingthefire
handledischargesextinguishingagentintotheengine.

TESTINGOFFIREPROTECTIONSYSTEMSANDCOMPONENTS

BoeingconductsairplanegroundandflighttestingofvariousaspectsoftheengineandAPUfireprotection
systems.Testingincludes:
Firedetectionsystem.
Fireextinguishingagentconcentration.
Fluiddrainage,bothongroundandinflight.
Temperaturemarginverificationforfiredetectors.
Laboratoryqualificationofallsystemcomponents.
Laboratoryfiretestsforfirewalls,feedthroughs,fireseals,installationcomponents,andflammablefluid
carryingcomponents,insimulatedinstalledconditions.

SUMMARY

Boeingplacesthehighestimportanceondesigningandcertifyingfireprotectionsystemsonanairplane.The
enginesandAPUsincorporateextensivefireprotection,includingdetectionandextinguishingsystems.
Formoreinformation,pleasecontactShamHariram.
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