A Review of the History of Fire Suppression of U.S. DOD Aircraft

Published

January 1, 2006

Author(s)

Donald Bein

Abstract

A review of the history of fire suppression on U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) aircraft is presented to provide a context against which the findings of the Next Generation Fire Suppression Technology Program (NGP) can be assessed. These findings are to be published later this year (2006) in the NGP final report. Aircraft fire suppression applications reviewed are powerplant compartments, which include engine nacelles and auxiliary power unit (APU) compartments, dry bay compartments, and fuel tank ullage (wet bays). The evolution of engine nacelle fire suppression system designs are presented, from “conventional” systems design to current high-rate discharge systems. Nacelle/APU fire occurrence and suppression system discharge is presented relative to altitude and temperature. Pilot response and system effectiveness are also discussed. The evolution of active dry bay fire suppression is also presented, though active systems dedicated purely to dry bay fire protection have not been fielded until the advent of the Live Fire Test legislation. Technologies and methods implemented previously and currently for fuel tank ullage fire suppression are then discussed.

Citation

Special Publication (NIST SP) - 984-4

Report Number

984-4

NIST Pub Series

Special Publication (NIST SP)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

Local Download

Citation

Bein, D. (2006), A Review of the History of Fire Suppression of U.S. DOD Aircraft, Special Publication (NIST SP), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=909197 (Accessed October 15, 2024)