GB2203829A - Aircraft fire-emergency method and apparatus and aircraft equipped therewith - Google Patents
Aircraft fire-emergency method and apparatus and aircraft equipped therewith Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2203829A GB2203829A GB08709512A GB8709512A GB2203829A GB 2203829 A GB2203829 A GB 2203829A GB 08709512 A GB08709512 A GB 08709512A GB 8709512 A GB8709512 A GB 8709512A GB 2203829 A GB2203829 A GB 2203829A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- aircraft
- air
- passageway
- bulkhead
- smoke
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Pending
Links
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 22
- 230000006378 damage Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 18
- 239000000779 smoke Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 17
- 239000003517 fume Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 15
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 15
- 230000001473 noxious effect Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 15
- 208000027418 Wounds and injury Diseases 0.000 claims abstract description 9
- 208000014674 injury Diseases 0.000 claims abstract description 9
- 238000007599 discharging Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 8
- 230000034994 death Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 6
- 230000005611 electricity Effects 0.000 claims description 2
- 230000002401 inhibitory effect Effects 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000000605 extraction Methods 0.000 abstract description 8
- 239000003595 mist Substances 0.000 description 3
- 230000004888 barrier function Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000009970 fire resistant effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 206010000369 Accident Diseases 0.000 description 1
- 241001101077 Crex Species 0.000 description 1
- 102100029203 F-box only protein 8 Human genes 0.000 description 1
- 101100334493 Homo sapiens FBXO8 gene Proteins 0.000 description 1
- 230000001154 acute effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000003466 anti-cipated effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000903 blocking effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- -1 fire Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000009413 insulation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012216 screening Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000391 smoking effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000002341 toxic gas Substances 0.000 description 1
- ZSDSQXJSNMTJDA-UHFFFAOYSA-N trifluralin Chemical compound CCCN(CCC)C1=C([N+]([O-])=O)C=C(C(F)(F)F)C=C1[N+]([O-])=O ZSDSQXJSNMTJDA-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000009423 ventilation Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
- B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
- B64D25/00—Emergency apparatus or devices, not otherwise provided for
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A62—LIFE-SAVING; FIRE-FIGHTING
- A62C—FIRE-FIGHTING
- A62C3/00—Fire prevention, containment or extinguishing specially adapted for particular objects or places
- A62C3/07—Fire prevention, containment or extinguishing specially adapted for particular objects or places in vehicles, e.g. in road vehicles
- A62C3/08—Fire prevention, containment or extinguishing specially adapted for particular objects or places in vehicles, e.g. in road vehicles in aircraft
Landscapes
- Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
- Emergency Management (AREA)
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Public Health (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
- Respiratory Apparatuses And Protective Means (AREA)
Abstract
A method of preventing or reducing injury to, or loss of life of, passengers and crew in an aircraft which is provided with internal bulkheads having passageways therethrough, and preventing reducing or delaying damage to the aircraft, in an emergency in which there is risk of damage, injury or death resulting from a fuel fire, comprises operably connecting to the aircraft a means for supplying air under pressure to the aircraft and conducting said air in ducting 4 to the bulkhead and discharging said air via a discharging tube 5 with orifices 6 into the passageway so as to inhibit passage of fire, smoke, fumes and noxious gases through the passageway. Extraction means in the form of a tube 7 with orifices 8 can be provided at the passageway. <IMAGE>
Description
AIRCRAFT FIRE-EMERGENCY METHOD AND APPARATUS
AND AIRCRAFT EQUIPPED THEREWITH
The present invention relates to aircraft fire-emergency method and apparatus and in particular to a method and apparatus for preventing or reducing injury and loss of life of passengers and crew of aircraft and preventing, reducing or delaying damage to the aircraft, in an emergency such as that following an accident to the aircraft and involving risk from fuel fire.
The term aircraft as used in this specification includes both civil and military aircraft, including aeroplanes and helicopters and also includes hovercraft.
The present invention is particularly, although not exclusively, applicable to large passenger transport aircraft, particularly those aircraft which are now commonly referred to as "wide-bodied", such as Boeing 747, Douglas DC10 and Lockheed Tristar aircraft types.
As explained in my co-pending Patent
Application No. 8526240, it has been recognised for some years that the risk to life as a result of fuel fire in an aircraft accident in which some or all of the passengers and crew of the aircraft have survived, is a serious problem, which has become more acute with larger numbers of passengers being capable of bein-g carried, particularly in the wide-bodied jet transport aircraft referred to above. A high proportion of accidents occur at or near airports and therefore within reach of fire and rescue services but nevertheless one of the limiting factors affecting the survivability of passengers and creX within the aircraft is the very small amount of time available before fire, smoke, fumes and toxic gases make the interior of the aircraft unsurvivable to human life.
In my co-pending Patent Application No 8526240
I have explained how the above-mentioned problem may be alleviated by measures taken within the aircraft itself and also how more effective use can be'made of the presence of airport rescue services. The most immediate danger to passengers and crew after a survivable accident is that arising from smoke, fumes and noxious gases resulting from fuel fire. Thehazards are further increased by the risk of a firefront (flashover). In my co-pending Patent
Application I have described how these hazards can be reduced, at least temporarily, with a view to producing a very significant increase in the available escape time.
In accordance with the invention described and claimed in my co-pending Patent Application No.
8526240 there is provided a method of preventing or reducing injury to, or loss of life of, passengers and crew in an aircraft and preventing, reducing or delaying damage to the aircraft, in an emergency in which there is risk of damage, injury and death resulting from a fuel fire, which method comprises operab-ly connecting to the aircraft a means of supplying air under pressure to the aircraft, which aircraft is adapted to receive air supply from said supply means, and to conduct said air to the interior of the aircraft to improve ventilation.Also provided by that invention is apparatus for use in the method comprising means accessible from outside the aircraft to provide operable connection with a source of air under pressure, and ducting means in the aircraft for conveying said air under pressure from outside the aircraft to the aircraft interior, and aircraft whenever equipped with such apparatus.
As explained in my earlier Application at least part of the air supplied to the interior of the aircraft may be in the form of water as fine droplets i.e. as a water mist.
Large transport- aircraft are designed to provide facilities for passengers, which include galleys which are often situated within the cabin rather than at either end. Additionally there are toilets, and compartments to hang clothes, store equipment and for other purposes. In order to do this in a well-designed configuration and making maximum use of space, bulkheads are constructed within the aircraft. These bulkheads may have the additional function of dividing the aircraft by class or numbers of the same class, for example no smoking areas, as well as providing a means for permanently carrying a cinema/video screen, and also conveniently screening galleys where these exist.
Such bulkheads potentially provide some hindrance to the progress of fire hazards through the interior of an aircraft in the event of a fuel fire, which otherwise are likely to spread quickly through the aircraft fuselage. However, of necessity, such bulkheads contain openings for communicating passageways between adjacent areas of the aircraft and smoke, fumes and noxious gases are therefore able to pass through these openings.
It has been proposed to provide means for physically blocking off passageways through bulkheads so as to prevent or slow down the spread of-fire hazards through the aircraft, in a manner similar to the use of fire and flood compartments and bulkheads in ships. However, it will be appreciated that such means may inhibit escape of passengers and crew from the aircraft and may therefore be self-defeating.
According to the present invention there is provided a method of preventing or reducing injury to, or loss of life of, passengers and crew in an aircraft which is provided with internal bulkheads having passageways therethrough, and preventing, reducing or delaying damage to the aircraft, in an emergency in which there is risk of damage, injury or death resulting from a fuel fire, which method comprises operably connecting to the aircraft a means of supplying air under pressure to the aircraft, which aircraft is- adapted to receive air supply from said supply means and to conduct said air in ducting provided in the aircraft structure to the bulkhead and discharging said air into the passageway in the bulkhead so as to inhibitepassage of fire, smoke, fumes and noxious gases through the passageway.
It is anticipated that the invention may also reduce the risk of a firefront (flashover).
It is particularly preferred that air extracting means are also provided in the vicinity of the passageway for extracting air and also smoke, fumes and noxious gases which reach the passageway.
As in my co-pending Patent Application No.
8526240 it is also preferred that at least part of the air supplied under pressure is in the form of admixture with water as fine droplets.
A preferred arrangement for the air supply and extraction means is for air to be supplied from one side of the passageway and to be extracted from the other side of the passageway so as to form a continuously moving curtain inhibiting flow of smoke, fumes and noxious gases through the passageway.
The means for discharging air into and extracting air from the passageway preferably includes one or more grilles or vents located in the bulkhead.
The extracting means preferably includes means for providing a reduced air pressure and this can be in the form of a venturi device operated by the air supply from the exterior of the aircraft, or may for example be a fan driven by the air supply from the exterior of the aircraft or by electricity.
In addition to exhaustion being carried out in the passageway itself there may specially be provided a vent or grille near the top of the bulkhead in one or both of the sides of the bulkhead facing the adjacent compartments of the aircraft to provide additional means for exhausting smoke, fumes and noxious gases.
Also provided by the present invention is apparatus for use in the method described which comprises means adapted to be accessible from outside the aircraft to provide operable connection with a source of air-under pressure, ducting means in the aircraft to convey said air under pressure from outside the aircraft to a bulkhead in the aircraft, and means for discharging air into the passageway through the bulkhead. Such apparatus may also comprise means for extracting air, smoke and noxious fumes and gases from the vicinity of the passageway through the bulkhead.
Aircraft having internal bulkheads whenever equipped with such apparatus are also within the scope of the present invention.
It will be understood that the concept of the present invention resides in making better use of bulkheads within aircraft so that they can act as more effective barriers against the progress of fire and associated hazards through the fuselage of an aircraft. It is desirable therefore that such bulkheads themselves should be made more fire resistant than hitherto, by the use of suitable insulation and fire resistant materials.
A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a simplified view partly in perspective and partly in section of the interior of part of a wide-bodied aircraft fuselage.
Referring- to the drawing a galley or toilet bulkhead 1 has an access opening 2 and may carry a cinema or video screen 3. Underfloor supply ducting 4 is provided to supply, in a fire emergency, air or water mist to an upright nozzle discharge tube 5 situated on one side of the access opening 2 and having a series of discharge orifices 6 along its length. Situated on the other side of the opening is an-upright extraction tube 7 having a series of extraction orifices 8 along its length, the extraction tube being connected to a horizontal conduit 9 located at the top of the bulkhead and containing louvres for smoke extraction. The conduit 9 is connected to extraction ducting 10 in the ceiling of the cabin.
In a fire emergency the equipment shown in the drawing would be brought into use by connecting the supply ducting and the extraction ducting to means exterior to the aircraft respectively for supplying air or water mist and for extracting air, smoke and noxious gases from the aircraft, thus providing an effective barrier against passage of smoke, fire, fumes and noxious gases through the opening in the bulkhead.
Claims (13)
1. A method of preventing or reducing injury to, or loss of life of, passengers and crew in an aircraft which is provided with internal bulkheads having passageways therethrough, and preventing, reducing or -delaying damage to the aircraft, in an emergency in which there is risk of damage, injury or death resulting from a fuel fire, which method comprises operably connecting to the aircraft a means of supplying air under pressure to the aircraft, which aircraft is adapted to receive air supply from said supply means and to conduct said air in ducting provided in the aircraft structure to the bulkhead and discharging said air into the passageway in the bulkhead so as to inhibit passage of fire, smoke, fumes and noxious gases through the passageway.
2. A method as claimed in Claim 1 wherein air extracting means are also provided in the vicinity of the passageway for extracting air and also smoke, fumes and noxious gases which reach the passageway.
3. A method as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein at least part of the air supplied under pressure is in the form of admixture with water as fine droplets.
4. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein air is supplied from one side of the passageway and is-extracted from the opposite side of the passageway so as to form a continuously moving curtain inhibiting flow of smoke, fumes and noxious gases through the passageway.
5. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 4 wherein the means for discharging air into and extracting air from, the passageway include one or more grilles or vents located in the bulkhead.
6. A method-as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 5 wherein the extracting means includes means for providing a reduced air pressure.
7. A method as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the said extracting means includes a venturi device operated by the air supply from the exterior of the aircraft.
8. A method as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the extracting means includes a fan driven by the air supply from the exterior of the aircraft or by electricity.
9. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 8 wherein there is additionally provided a vent or grille near the top of the bulkhead in one or both of the sides of the bulkhead facing the adjacent compartments of the aircraft to provide additional means for extracting smoke, fumes and noxious gases.
10. A method as claimed in Claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described.
11. Apparatus for use in the method as claimed in Claim 1 comprising means adapted to be accessible from outside the aircraft to provide operable connection with a source of air under pressure, ducting means in the aircraft to convey said air under pressure from outside the aircraft to a bulkhead in the aircraft, and means for discharging air into the passageway through the bulkhead.
12. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 11 said apparatus also comprising means for exhausting air, smoke and noxious fumes and gases from the vicinity of the passageway through the bulkhead.
13. Aircraft having internal bulkhead whenever equipped with apparatus as claimed in Claim 11 or
Claim 12.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08709512A GB2203829A (en) | 1987-04-22 | 1987-04-22 | Aircraft fire-emergency method and apparatus and aircraft equipped therewith |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08709512A GB2203829A (en) | 1987-04-22 | 1987-04-22 | Aircraft fire-emergency method and apparatus and aircraft equipped therewith |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB8709512D0 GB8709512D0 (en) | 1987-05-28 |
| GB2203829A true GB2203829A (en) | 1988-10-26 |
Family
ID=10616164
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08709512A Pending GB2203829A (en) | 1987-04-22 | 1987-04-22 | Aircraft fire-emergency method and apparatus and aircraft equipped therewith |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2203829A (en) |
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4989675A (en) * | 1989-03-14 | 1991-02-05 | British Petroleum Company P.L.C. | Spray nozzle for fire control |
| US5014790A (en) * | 1987-10-24 | 1991-05-14 | The British Petroleum Company Plc | Method and apparatus for fire control |
| US6161623A (en) * | 1996-04-25 | 2000-12-19 | Shin; Dong-Won | Method and apparatus for controlling fire and smoke |
| US6547685B2 (en) | 1999-01-22 | 2003-04-15 | Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd. | Transaxle apparatus |
Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4054084A (en) * | 1975-11-18 | 1977-10-18 | William Francis Palmer | Fire and smoke free system for high rise building stairways |
| US4074620A (en) * | 1975-11-06 | 1978-02-21 | Bror Ingvar Erling Jansson | Device for preventing the flow of air through an opening between two rooms or spaces |
| GB2118037A (en) * | 1982-04-07 | 1983-10-26 | Secr Defence | Aircraft fire protection apparatus |
| GB2181050A (en) * | 1985-10-05 | 1987-04-15 | Thomas Cassie Faulds | Aircraft fire control |
-
1987
- 1987-04-22 GB GB08709512A patent/GB2203829A/en active Pending
Patent Citations (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4074620A (en) * | 1975-11-06 | 1978-02-21 | Bror Ingvar Erling Jansson | Device for preventing the flow of air through an opening between two rooms or spaces |
| US4054084A (en) * | 1975-11-18 | 1977-10-18 | William Francis Palmer | Fire and smoke free system for high rise building stairways |
| GB2118037A (en) * | 1982-04-07 | 1983-10-26 | Secr Defence | Aircraft fire protection apparatus |
| GB2181050A (en) * | 1985-10-05 | 1987-04-15 | Thomas Cassie Faulds | Aircraft fire control |
Cited By (4)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5014790A (en) * | 1987-10-24 | 1991-05-14 | The British Petroleum Company Plc | Method and apparatus for fire control |
| US4989675A (en) * | 1989-03-14 | 1991-02-05 | British Petroleum Company P.L.C. | Spray nozzle for fire control |
| US6161623A (en) * | 1996-04-25 | 2000-12-19 | Shin; Dong-Won | Method and apparatus for controlling fire and smoke |
| US6547685B2 (en) | 1999-01-22 | 2003-04-15 | Kanzaki Kokyukoki Mfg. Co., Ltd. | Transaxle apparatus |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB8709512D0 (en) | 1987-05-28 |
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