Honeywell has received US Federal Aviation Administration certification for its nitrogen generation system (NGS) for the Boeing 737. The US manufacturer recently received similar approval for its inerting system on the Boeing 747.The NGS reduces aircraft fuel tank flammability by injecting nitrogen-enriched air into it. Using micro fibres, nitrogen-enriched air is produced by separating oxygen from conditioned engine-bleed air through components supplied by Parker Aerospace.
The nitrogen displaces the oxygen in the fuel tank, so reducing the risk of an explosion or fire.
There have been three known fuel tank explosions over the past 14 years, including the 1996 747-100 TWA 800 accident. Together they have resulted in 346 fatalities.
Tim Mahoney, president, air transport and regional, Honeywell Aerospace, says: “Honeywell is committed to providing innovative products for commercial aviation.
“One of our highest business priorities is ensuring the safety of customers who use our products. It’s a natural extension of our expertise in thermal management and systems integration to develop an inerting system for use in the fuel tanks of a variety of aircraft.
Eric Wendling, NGS programme manager, adds: “We have completed flight testing of the nitrogen generation system with outstanding results and have entered full-scale production.
“We are performing an in-service evaluation with the NGS System installed in four commercial airplanes currently in service. Our next steps will be to pursue certification for additional applications.”
In November the FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that will require all narrowbody and widebody aircraft operating in US airspace to be fitted with a fuel inerting system.
Source: Flight Daily News
