New Extinguishing Systems
Hanger suppression system [5]
As halon based extinguishing systems are being banned on aircraft there is now a need for new extinguishing systems to be designed and fitted to replace halons. These new systems will have more challenging requirements then extinguishing systems in almost any other scenario. They need to be: efficient, light weight, economically viable, environmentally friendly, non-toxic, non-corrosive, non-damaging to electrical equipment, reliable, able to reach all areas of an isolated compartment, and preferably not create a lingering smog in the aircraft. One of the most important qualities is that they need to be efficient. Halons have proven to be so effective because if there is a fire, it is almost a certainty that halon gas will successfully smother it, or be able to contain with short bursts of gas long enough for the plane to land. Unlike for example sprinklers which can prevent flashover, and in some cases extinguish a fire, but there is a chance that they sometimes just delay the fires growth. Whilst this is acceptable for a compartment in an office, it is not acceptable for an aircraft due to the fact that egress is not a possibility.
The problem is to determine if new systems being designed, or any currently used non-halon systems, are fit for purpose and capable of fulfilling the criteria required. This is crucial to the thesis, as only when this is done will it be possible to determine any faults which new extinguishing systems may have and to suggest how these faults could potentially be rectified.
The problem is to determine if new systems being designed, or any currently used non-halon systems, are fit for purpose and capable of fulfilling the criteria required. This is crucial to the thesis, as only when this is done will it be possible to determine any faults which new extinguishing systems may have and to suggest how these faults could potentially be rectified.