- Author
-
Fox, D. G.
- Title
- Development of Feasibility Demonstration Hardware for an Integrated Fire and Overheat Detection System. Final Report. June 1970-December 1971.
- Coporate
- Air Force Aero Propulsion Lab., Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
- Report
-
AFAPL-TR-72-105,
May 1973,
31 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
-
aircraft engines
|
nacelle fires
|
fire detection
|
fire detectors
|
flight tests
- Identifiers
- detection systems
- Abstract
- This report summarizes the results of an in-house effort to develop and demonstrate the feasibility of an integrated fire and overheat detection system for an aircraft engine nacelle. The integrated system was conceived in 1965 as a means of decreasing the number of nondetected engine nacelle fires and the incidence of false fire warnings on operational Air Force aircraft. Analysis of the reported engine nacelle fires and fire warnings shows that approximately 50 percent of the fires were not detected by the fire or overheat detection system during the six-year period 1965-1970, and 83 percent of the fire and overheat warnings were false. Two integrated systems were developed to demonstrate total system feasibility and these systems were further evaluated on flight test aircraft. This report presents the results of this evaluation. The integrated system uses ultraviolet and infrared radiation sensors to detect engine nacelle fires and continuous-elemen t temperature sensors to detect nacelle overheat. A computer control is used for signal processing and crew warning. Redundant sensors and self-checking electronics are included ot increase system reliability and eliminate false warnings. The concept has proven to be reasible with state-of-the-art sensors and electronics. A prototype system will be developed to optimize performance and reduce size and weight of components.