Aircraft Cargo Container Fire Suppression with Temperature-Activated Seal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional fire suppression systems for aircraft cargo containers often result in delayed fire suppression, leading to potential damage to the aircraft and cargo due to the need for total flooding of the cargo bay with a fire suppressant, which is not quick enough to prevent fire breaches from the container.
Innovation Solution
A fire suppressant system featuring a pressure vessel within the cargo container with a seal member and connection feature, where the connection feature, potentially an eutectic solder, releases the seal at a predetermined minimum temperature (e.g., 300 degrees Fahrenheit), allowing rapid release of a fire suppressant, such as Halon or HFC-227ea, through a fire suppressant-opening to extinguish fires within the container without flooding the cargo bay.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If total flooding of the cargo bay with fire suppressant is used, then fire suppression coverage is improved, but response time deteriorates and damage to aircraft and cargo increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the fire suppression function into two levels: individual container suppression (primary) and cargo bay flooding (backup). Each container is equipped with its own pressure vessel and suppressant system, enabling independent, immediate response to fires within specific containers without delaying for centralized system activation.
Solution Approach 2:
Pressure vessels pre-filled with fire suppressant are installed within each cargo container before deployment. This preliminary preparation ensures that suppressant is immediately available upon fire detection, eliminating delays associated with suppressant delivery from external sources and enabling instant containment of fires.
2Reliability
If total flooding of the cargo bay is implemented, then fire suppression effectiveness is improved, but loss of cargo and aircraft damage worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies fire suppression locally at the source of the fire within individual cargo containers rather than uniformly flooding the entire cargo bay. This localized approach confines suppressant application to only those containers experiencing fires, preserving cargo in unaffected containers and minimizing aircraft damage while maintaining effective fire suppression at the critical location.
3Device complexity
If delayed action suppression system is used, then system complexity is reduced, but fire suppression speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Each cargo container is equipped with an autonomous fire suppression system including a pressure vessel, seal member, and connection feature that operates independently without requiring external system activation. The connection feature automatically releases the seal member when exposed to fire conditions, triggering immediate suppressant discharge directly from the container housing the fire, thereby achieving rapid response with minimal system complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables quick and targeted fire suppression within the cargo container, minimizing damage to the aircraft and cargo by releasing the fire suppressant only when needed, thereby protecting the container and preventing fire spread to other cargo.
Implementation Method 1
the connection feature is an eutectic solder
Implementation Method 2
the connection feature that releases the seal member when exposed to a predetermined minimum temperature
Implementation Method 3
the fire suppressant is compressed and is one of Halon, Novec 1230, CF3I, 2-BTP, HFC-227ea, HFC-125, and HFC-236fa
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a fire suppressant system for a cargo container, the system having: a pressure vessel disposed within the cargo container, an exterior surface of the pressure vessel defining a fire suppressant-opening; a seal member that covers the fire suppressant-opening; and a connection feature connects the seal member to the pressure vessel, wherein the connection feature that releases the seal member when exposed to a predetermined minimum temperature.