Meggitt Safety Systems has developed an engine fire-detection system that is also a diagnostic engineering tool - and has been selected by Airbus for the A380. The device can identify the precise location of fire, smoke or heat in an engine rather than just identifying which engine has the problem.
California-based Meggitt supplies conventional fire-detection systems for existing Airbus types. The new equipment is based on a controller area network (CAN) for each engine, which is a unit linked to multiple sensors that can pinpoint which of the sensors has detected heat, and store the information. Airbus refers to it as a diagnostic zone technique, and says it will be a maintenance aid in detecting problems before they become serious. Meggitt says there will be five-sensor CANs for each engine in Rolls-Royce-powered A380s, three-sensor units in the Engine Alliance power units, eight-sensor CANs in the landing gear, and two-sensor units in the auxiliary power unit.
Airbus says there are more supplier and system decisions yet to be made for the complex A380 fire detection system, but it is enthusiastic about the diagnostic zone principle. Meggitt says its first A380 CAN systems will be delivered next August for mounting in the "iron bird" test rig. Meanwhile, Airbus is using CAN modules in the A318 smoke detection system.
Source: Flight International
