July 17-18, 2001International Aircraft Systems FireProtection.ppt

AAR-422 Fire Safety RD* Scale Model Inerting Testing ___________________________________ July 17-18, 2001International Aircraft Systems FireProtection Working GroupWilson, NC Scale Model InertingTesting with 1/4 Scale Boeing 747 SP Fuel Tank Background Inconsistent Comparisons of Test Data Created Questions of NEA Required to Inert an Aircraft Center Wing Tank Focus of the Testing is to Better Determine the Best Method to Inert a Compartmentalized Fuel Tank Study Equal NEA Distribution and Localized NEA Deposit Study Cross-Vented and Single Vent Configurations Develop Methods to Make Fair Comparisons. Test Article Quarter Scale Model of Boeing 747 SP CWT was Built from Plywood By Scaling Drawings from Shepherd Report 24% length Scale (1.2% Volume) Scaled all Bay-Bay Penetrations “Variable Manifold” Allows for Depositing NEA in Any and All Bays of the Tank at Different Rates to Support Inerting Times as Low as 10 Minutes Oxygen Sensor in Each Bay and in One Vent Channel Scale Model Bay Convention Dry Bay 1 2 3 4 5 6 Preliminary Balanced Data Inerted Tank Several Times with NEA 95% and NEA 98% with the Goal of Balancing the Flow into Inert Each Bay “Equally” for Standard Cross-Venting Configuration Acquired Data with a Stop Watch (1 reading per minute) Developed a Volumetric Average to Make Comparisons with Other Inerting Runs Results As Expected and Consistent with Previous Testing but New Numbers Point Toward a VTE of 1.6 for 95% NEA VTE Very Sensitive to O2 Concentration at 8% for 95% NEA Preliminary Balanced Inerting Data Preliminary Balanced Weighted Average Data Preliminary Unbalanced Data Inerted Tank Several Times with NEA 95% with the Goal of Minimizing the Volume Required to Inert the Tank with Standard Cross-Venting Configuration Acquired Data with a Stop Watch (1 reading per minute) Used the Volumetric Average Developed to Make Fair Comparisons with Other Inerting Runs Results Illustrated Very Little Improvement in VTE Required, but Al