PATS has received US Federal Aviation Administration certification for a central, high-pressure oxygen system to replace oxygen-generating canisters in Boeing 737s. The first system has been installed in a 737 operated by ITT as a 50-passenger transport for two sports teams.
Columbia, Maryland-based PATS says the system is adaptable to other corporate airliners, such as Boeing 757s and McDonnell Douglas MD-80/90s. The 737 system consists of four bottles, each capable of delivering 3,200litres of oxygen, and its use avoids the problems of storing, handling and disposing of oxygen generators.
PATS says that canister generators typically provide oxygen only long enough for the aircraft to descend to 14,000ft (4,300m) or below in the event of depressurisation. The increased fuel consumption at the lower altitude could be a concern on long overwater flights, the company argues. PATS says that¹its system can provide sufficient oxygen to allow a flight to continue at an altitude where fuel consumption would permit the aircraft to reach a suitable airport.
Source: Flight International
