Falcon 7X-Fire Protection
Falcon 7X-Fire Protection
Falcon 7X-Fire Protection
ACRONYMS
INTRODUCTION
The fire protection system is designed to warn the crew in case of fire, overheat or smoke in
certain aircraft zones.
The system allows the discharge or fire extinguisher in some of these zones.
The following table lists the concerned zones as well as related protection and extinguishing
capabilities.
Rear Yes
Yes
compartment Yes
Baggage
Yes Yes
compartment
Main Landing
Gear wheel Yes
wells
CONTROLS
Crew control of fire protection system is performed via the Fire Control Panel (FCP) on the
Overhead Panel. Aural alerts can be interrupted with the Master warning or SIL
pushbuttons.
INDICATIONS
GENERAL
1. DETECTION
2. EXTINCTION OF FIRE
For each engine: when the crew pushes the corresponding “FIRE” button of the Fire Control
Panel:
- The corresponding Hydraulic and Fuel Shut Off Valves are closed,
- The corresponding generator is disconnected, (used for emergency landing procedure
as, in other conditions, the engine will have been shut off first),
In addition, for engine 2:
- The Air Turbine Starter Valve (ATSV) is automatically closed,
- The Thrust Reverser is inhibited.
PNEUMATIC DETECTORS
General
A pneumatic fire detector is a tube containing an inert gas and a hydrogen saturated wire.
The pressure within the tube will vary in case of overheat, which will trigger an alert for
the crew.
SMOKE DETECTOR
The smoke detector is of a "photoelectric" type which allows differentiating dust from smoke
to avoid false alarms.
A smoke detector is installed in the baggage compartment.
FIRE EXTINCTION
Four built-in fire extinguishers are located in the aft fuselage and provide fire protection for
each engine, the APU, the rear and baggage compartments:
- Each engine is protected by two of the extinguishers,
- The APU, rear and baggage compartments are only protected by one extinguisher.
The built-in fire extinguishers should be used for the baggage compartment only if the fire is
detected during a depressurization, Take Off or Landing. Otherwise, the crew should
attempt extinguishing the fire with portable extinguishers.
The built-in extinguishers have two (or three) discharge head, which allows the protection of
two (or three) zones by each extinguisher. However, each extinguisher is fully discharged
after any discharge.
There is no extinction device available in the wheel well. The crew will only extend the gears
to allow cooling of the area.
Three portable Halon extinguishers are available in the aircraft in the event the crew has to
extinguish a fire in the cabin or in the baggage compartment:
- One of the three portable extinguishers is installed in the cockpit,
- Two other extinguishers are located in the forward and aft cabin.
Exact location of the portable extinguishers will vary from one aircraft to the other depending
on the interior layout.
Two of the portable extinguishers contain 2.5 lbs of Halon 1211 while the third portable
extinguisher contains 9 lbs of Halon 1211.
DESIGN PRINCIPLES
The fire and overheat protection system was designed considering the following design
principles:
- With regard to the technology:
o Pneumatic detectors of well proven technology were selected,
o A photoelectric type smoke detection system was selected, in order to avoid untimely
alerts,
o Built in extinguishers of "all welded" type were selected for their robustness to leaks.
- With regard to the architecture:
o Two extinguishers are provided per engine,
o The bottle sharing is define such that at least one shoot for each engine remains
available after a first fire.
LOCATION OF EQUIPMENT
NOTE
The forward and aft lavatory, as well as the aft lounge
can also be equipped with a smoke detector.
The following paragraph describes the power supply and the electrical protections of the
different equipment of the fire protection system.
The electrical protection is provided:
- Either by Solid State Power Controllers (SSPC),
- Or by Circuit Breakers (CB).
¾ Refer to ATA 24 – ELECTRICAL POWER for additional information.
RH Essential
Hydraulic SOV CB
Battery 1
Throttle lamp Powered by FCP CB
Ext. 1 RH Essential CB
Ext. 4 Battery 1 CB
Pneumatic detector Powered by FCP Section 2 CB
LH Essential
Fuel SOV CB
Battery 2
ENGINE 2
LH Essential
Hydraulic SOV CB
Battery 2
RH Essential
Hydraulic SOV CB
Battery 1
LH Essential
Ext. 2 CB
Battery 2
COMPARTMENT
RH Essential
Ext.3 CB
Battery 1
RH Essential
Ext. 4 CB
Battery 1
EXTINGUISHERS DISCHARGES
FIRE DETECTOR
The integrity switch is used to monitor the validity of the sensor. It is normally closed.
In the closed position, the integrity switch shows that inert gas pressure does not drop
below the integrity check pressure.
In case of a gas leak:
- The tube pressure decreases an opens the integrity switch,
- A CAS message is displayed indicating that the detector is failed.
SMOKE DETECTOR
Each smoke detector is of a photoelectric type that operates on the dual light scattering
principle.
The smoke chamber contains two light sources, which transmit a beam of light. Oriented
away from the path of this light beam is a photosensitive device that reacts when light
impinges upon it.
The open area detector relies on the free convection of airflow within the protected zone to
obtain its own air samples for smoke monitoring.
When smoke particles enter in the chamber and cross the light beam, they cause a random
reflection and scattering of the light, which is sensed by the photosensitive device.
This changes the electrical characteristics of the device in proportion to the amount of
smoke in the chamber. When the characteristics of the device reach a preset level, an alarm
signal is generated.
In order to avoid the false alarm due to dust, the smoke detector light is pulsed on two
different wave lengths (blue light and infrared light). The blue /IR light allows detecting if the
particle in the detection chamber are smoke particles (0.1 microns) or dust particles
(10 microns).
BUILT-IN EXTINGUISHERS
NUMBER OF
BUILT-IN EXTINGUISHER WEIGHT DISCHARGE
HEADS
2
Extinguisher 1 1.36 kg
2
Extinguisher 2 1.36 kg
2
Extinguisher 3 3.5 kg
3
Extinguisher 4 3.8 kg
The baggage compartment is fitted with a smoke detector. A liner will avoid fire spreading
from the baggage compartment toward the avionics and electrical components of the
baggage compartment.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Fire Control Panel located in the upper portion of the overhead panel provides
indication as well as controls for Fire, Smoke and overheat protection.
The Fire Control Panel includes:
- "FIRE 1, 2 and 3" guarded pushbuttons which:
o Indicate the engine for which a fire is detected,
o Allow controlling the closure of engine Fuel and Hydraulic Shut-Off Valves so that fuel
and hydraulic flow is cut off, and the disconnection of generator.
- Amber indicators "closed" above the "FIRE 1, 2, 3" pushbuttons which indicate that the
Fuel shut off valve and hydraulic shut off valves of the relevant engine are closed.
- "DISCH 1, 2" guarded pushbuttons which:
o Provide decision help in case one extinguisher is not available,
o Allow discharging the relevant engine extinguishers, one at a time,
o Indicate when and extinguisher is discharged,
- "FIRE APU" guarded pushbutton which:
o Indicates that a fire is detected in the APU zone,
o Allows discharging the APU extinguisher,
- Amber indicator "closed" above the "FIRE APU" pushbutton which indicates that the
Fuel shut off valve of the APU is closed in case of fire
- "FIRE REAR COMP" guarded pushbutton which:
o Indicates that a fire is detected in the rear compartment zone,
o Allows discharging the rear compartment extinguisher,
- "FIRE BAG COMP" guarded pushbutton which:
o Indicates that smoke is detected in the baggage compartment zone,
o Allows discharging the baggage compartment extinguisher (to be used if the alarm is
triggered during a depressurization, Take Off or Landing -otherwise, the portable
extinguisher would be used).
- DISCH indicators below the "FIRE APU", and above the "FIRE REAR COMP" and
"FIRE BAG COMP" pushbuttons which indicate that the corresponding extinguisher is
discharged,
- A FIRE TEST button to trigger the Fire Protection system test.
SYNTHETIC TABLE
Guarded
Indicates fire
on one
Engine
Activates
closure of the
corresponding
engine Fuel Engine 1 fire
and Hydraulic occurs
Shut-Off NOTE
Valves
Light goes out
when fire is
extinguished
Disconnects
contactor of
corresponding Guard raised
generator and FIRE 1
pushed to
command The
Additionally, closure of indication flashes
for engine 2: FSOV and during Shut-Off
HYD SOV Valves operation.
Closes the (and
ATSV and disconnection
inhibits of generator)
Thrust
Fuel Shut-Off and
Reverser
Hydraulic Valves are
after landing FSOV and
closed when
HYD SOV are
indication
closed
is steadily
illuminated.
If a discrepancy
between pushbutton
control and Fuel
Shut-Off Valves is
detected, the
status
light flashes
Safety guarded,
FIRE
pushbutton not
pushed yet
Indicates
extinguisher
available and illuminate
Fire detected steady white if both
and extinguishers are
Discharges FIRE available. Otherwise,
extinguishing pushbutton the light illuminates
agent pushed on only for the available
from built-in extinguisher.
extinguisher(s)
to the
detected
engine fire
Safety
guarded
Fire APU
occurs
NOTE
light goes out
Indicates fire in when APU
the APU fire zone fire is
extinguished
Discharges
extinguishing FCP The
agent from built-in automatically light flashes during
extinguisher in the closes the Shut-Off Valve
APU fire zone. FSOV and operation, then
disconnection remains steady
of APU when valve is fully
generator closed.
Guard raised
and "FIRE
APU" pushed
to discharge
the
extinguisher
When extinguisher
is discharged, light
is on
Safety
guarded
A Rear
compartment
Indicates fire in fire occurs
the rear NOTE
compartment
light goes out
when fire is
extinguished
Discharges
extinguishing
agent from built-in
extinguisher in the
Guard raised
rear compartment
and "FIRE
REAR
COMP"
pushed to
discharge the
extinguisher
When extinguisher
is discharged, light
is on.
Safety
guarded
Indicates fire in
the rear
compartment
Discharges
extinguishing
agent from built-in
extinguisher in the
baggage
compartment. Fire in NOTE
baggage
compartment Light goes
occurs out when fire
NOTE is
extinguished
Used without and / or
attempting to smoke is no
extinguish fire longer
with manual detected.
extinguisher
only in case
of
depressurizati
on of the Guard raised
baggage and "FIRE
compartment BAG COMP"
or during pushed to
take-off or discharge the
landing extinguisher
phase.
When extinguisher
is discharged, light
is on.
INDICATIONS
GENERAL
In addition to indications on the Fire Control Panel, following indications are provided:
- Audio alerts system for all fire detections, and Smoke detection,
- CAS messages,
- Indications on the Fire Control Panel,
- Fire repeaters warning lights on the throttle levers.
NOTE
Aural alerts can be stopped by pressing on the Master Warning, or on the SIL pushbutton.
SYNTHESIS OF INDICATIONS
During the Fire Protection system test the following functions are verified:
- Integrity of electronic circuits of the Fire Control Panel,
- Integrity of pneumatics detectors,
- All the lights of the Fire Control Panel front panel are illuminated,
- Illumination of the throttle repeater,
- Communication between the FCP and the MAU.
If a failure appears on one function, the related light is not illuminated (i.e.: if the No 1 engine
fire detector monitoring is detected failed during the test, the light "FIRE" of the No 1 engine is
not illuminated), and the FIRE TEST FAIL CAS message is displayed.
ISSUE 2
INFORMATION DGT 97831
SYSTEM MONITORING
Condition of the fire protection system is continuously monitored for the following items:
- Fire and smoke detection system integrity,
- Built-in extinguishers pressure,
- Cartridge line continuity.
ACTIVE PROTECTIONS
Each built in fire extinguisher is protected against rupture by a pressure relief valve.
In case of an overpressure:
- The relief valve frangible disk bursts,
- Pressure is relieved by discharging the extinguishing agent.