Plan New Experimental Method
Plan cycle [21]
To plan a new experimental method to test extinguishing systems for aircraft in order to fix some of the faults with the current testing system is the ultimate goal of the thesis. The new experimental method will be based on the findings of the discussion and analysis section and will later be carried out using a water mist extinguishing system in the Edinburgh University fire lab. As this is only a thesis the experiment shall have a low budget whilst the planning section will try to take this into account it may be appropriate to include things which could be done without such financial restraints which could be used in industry. Very little else is known about the experimental plan at this stage, however there are a few details which should be considered:
- Risk assessment form must be completed for this.
- The plan will be written with the intention of using a water mist extinguishing system; however it should be applicable to any extinguishing system.
- The plan should make conscious efforts to improve on faults in current methods found in the analysis section.
- If no obvious faults are found in the current methods then extra efforts shall be made to improve the experimental method in some way. If it does not and just copies the method used, then it may increase the chances of finding a problem with the method, though the aim would have failed.
- The test has to meet several qualities: economically viable, comprehensive and considerate of all systems possible, efficient, thorough (can apply to all areas of an aircraft), adaptable if new challenges should arise (like change in fuel types), considers environment of an aircraft, safe, provides identifiable comparisons between systems, and doable on a lab scale.
- There may also be a planning method devised for a full scale test, as this will not be carried out it shall be a low priority, though it would be interesting.