# Presentation: 344091

## Relation between active and passive Fire Protection Means by the example of Aircraft Lavatories 

***THE FOURTH***
***AIRCRAFT FIRE AND CABIN SAFETY RESEARCH CONFERENCE***
***Lisbon, Portugal***
***November 15-18 2004***

- Presented by
**Dr. André Freiling**
**Fire Protection Systems**
**Airbus GmbH**
**28199 Bremen / Germany**
**Tel.: +49 (0) 421 – 538 2762**
**Fax: +49 (0) 421 – 538 5031**
**E-mail: andre.freiling@airbus.com**

- AIRCRAFT FIRE AND CABIN SAFETY RESEARCH CONFERENCE 2004 - Dr. A. Freiling - Ref. X26PR0407223 - Issue 1

## Fire Protection Means in Lavatories

**Active Fire Protection Means:**
- Smoke Detector
- Automatic receptacle fire extinguisher

**Passive Fire Protection Means**
- Materials, linings

- AIRCRAFT FIRE AND CABIN SAFETY RESEARCH CONFERENCE 2004 - Dr. A. Freiling - Ref. X26PR0407223 - Issue 1

- November 2004

## Criticality assumptions

**Is an undetected Lavatory Fire to be regarded to have a **
**HAZARDOUS**** **
- allowed probability p=10E-7/FH –> passenger injuries
**or **
**CATASTROPHIC**** **
- allowed probability p=10E-9/FH –> fatalities / loss of aircraft
- shall not result from a single failure
**impact on the aircraft?**

**System Layout of the Fire / Smoke Detection system **
**depends on the risk to be protected**

- AIRCRAFT FIRE AND CABIN SAFETY RESEARCH CONFERENCE 2004 - Dr. A. Freiling - Ref. X26PR0407223 - Issue 1

- November 2004

## Design requirements

**Top Level Requirements for Lavatory Design**

- The Materials used shall have high burnthrough resistance
- A fire shall be contained within the lavatory compartment
- Small amounts of Smoke may be leaking out of the lavatory, so that the Crew / Pax get aware of the situation

- AIRCRAFT FIRE AND CABIN SAFETY RESEARCH CONFERENCE 2004 - Dr. A. Freiling - Ref. X26PR0407223 - Issue 1

- November 2004

## Assumptions

**Assumptions for criticality determination**

- Worst case conditions:
- The waste bin fire extinguisher and the smoke detector are out of function
- The waste bin is the fire source
- The flap is open (Newspaper stuck inside)
- A fire in the waste bin ignites also the towel dispenser (Newspaper could act as fire bridge).

- AIRCRAFT FIRE AND CABIN SAFETY RESEARCH CONFERENCE 2004 - Dr. A. Freiling - Ref. X26PR0407223 - Issue 1

- November 2004

## Test setup

- The receptacle was filled with paper towels according to MPS „Lavatory Disposal Receptacle Built-In Extinguisher Minimum Performance Standard“
- An A320 lavatory was used for the test
- The layout of the lavatory was such that the dispenser was located directly above the receptacle (worst case)
- The flap of the receptacle was opened and fixed by means of a metal device to assure that it would not close during the test
- The towel dispensers were totally filled
- A Newspaper was arranged in a way that it dealt as fire bridge between the waste bin and the dispenser

**Test setup **

- AIRCRAFT FIRE AND CABIN SAFETY RESEARCH CONFERENCE 2004 - Dr. A. Freiling - Ref. X26PR0407223 - Issue 1

- November 2004

## Test setup

- Filled receptacle

- Fire Bridge

- AIRCRAFT FIRE AND CABIN SAFETY RESEARCH CONFERENCE 2004 - Dr. A. Freiling - Ref. X26PR0407223 - Issue 1

- November 2004

## Data Recording

- 2 b/w video cameras inside the lavatory
- 1 b/w video camera outside the lavatory
- 1 infrared thermal imaging camera outside the lavatory (monitoring of waste bin area)

- AIRCRAFT FIRE AND CABIN SAFETY RESEARCH CONFERENCE 2004 - Dr. A. Freiling - Ref. X26PR0407223 - Issue 1

- November 2004

## Screenshot / Video

- Smoke Generation inside the lavatory
- Receptacle is getting hot

- AIRCRAFT FIRE AND CABIN SAFETY RESEARCH CONFERENCE 2004 - Dr. A. Freiling - Ref. X26PR0407223 - Issue 1

- November 2004

- Screenshot / Video

- Camera above the receptacle broken
- Open fire inside the lavatory
- Dispenser has caught fire

- AIRCRAFT FIRE AND CABIN SAFETY RESEARCH CONFERENCE 2004 - Dr. A. Freiling - Ref. X26PR0407223 - Issue 1

- November 2004

- Screenshot / Video

- ...after the test
- The outside wall temperature exceeded 274°C (max thermal imaging camera temperature range)

- AIRCRAFT FIRE AND CABIN SAFETY RESEARCH CONFERENCE 2004 - Dr. A. Freiling - Ref. X26PR0407223 - Issue 1

- November 2004

## Events during the test

**Time****	****Event**
- 0min	Test Start
- 5min40sec	On the image of the Thermal Camera, the position where the receptacle is located becomes visible on the outer wall (Temperature slightly above room temperature)
- 8min	First smoke becomes visible (inside the lavatory)
- 13min	Smoke emerges visibly out of the lavatory door
- 14min30sec	Open flames from the receptacle
- 25min	The main fire scenario is over, some Elastomers from the dispenser are still burning with a small flame on the basin
- 30min	The fire has extinguished itself

- AIRCRAFT FIRE AND CABIN SAFETY RESEARCH CONFERENCE 2004 - Dr. A. Freiling - Ref. X26PR0407223 - Issue 1

- November 2004

## Test results

**Floor**: No obvious damages (Dispense fell off the wall)
**Walls**: No burnthrough occurred. On the outside, a small color damage was noted (30x30cm)
**Ceiling**: No severe damage, just burn marks occurred.
**Receptacle**: The flap showed burn marks but did not start to melt.
**Installations**: The mirror broke due to thermal stress. The basin area had some burn marks but did not start to melt.
**Air extraction duct** (intake): The thermoplast of the air intake grid was deformed, but the outlet opening was partially still intact, so that air extraction was assured until the end of the test.

**Test Results **

- AIRCRAFT FIRE AND CABIN SAFETY RESEARCH CONFERENCE 2004 - Dr. A. Freiling - Ref. X26PR0407223 - Issue 1

- November 2004

## Conclusions

**The test was performed with inoperative extinguishing and fire/smoke detection system**
**Lavatory integrity was still given after the fire test due to properties of the lining materials**
**If the lavatory lining materials and layout assure that an undetected fire has a HAZARDOUS impact, the fire/smoke detection system design can be simplified compared to fulfilment of requirements for CATASTROPHIC failure conditions (e.g. no redundancy necessary). **

**Conclusions **

- AIRCRAFT FIRE AND CABIN SAFETY RESEARCH CONFERENCE 2004 - Dr. A. Freiling - Ref. X26PR0407223 - Issue 1

- November 2004

## Questions

**Thank you.**

- AIRCRAFT FIRE AND CABIN SAFETY RESEARCH CONFERENCE 2004 - Dr. A. Freiling - Ref. X26PR0407223 - Issue 1

- November 2004

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*The statements made herein do not constitute an offer. They are based on the mentioned assumptions  and are expressed in good faith. Where the supporting grounds for these statements are not shown, AIRBUS **DEUTSCHLAND GmbH ** will be pleased to explain the basis thereof.*

- AIRCRAFT FIRE AND CABIN SAFETY RESEARCH CONFERENCE 2004 - Dr. A. Freiling - Ref. X26PR0407223 - Issue 1

- November 2004