Ground Based Fuel Tank Inerting

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Ground Based Inerting Proof of Concept Flight
Test in Conjunction with the Boeing Company
December 11th-12th, 2000International Aircraft
Systems FireProtection Working Group
2
Outline

• Background
• System
• Status

3
Background

• Focus of the testing is to determine if the
  Existing Fleet Vented Fuel Tanks Will Maintain
  NEA Benefit for a Significant Amount of Time
• Boeing Offered Use a Boeing B-737NG as the Test
  Aircraft
• Air Liquide Provided a NEA Generator with
  Delivery Regulator at Low Cost
• Boeing to Provide Aircraft NEA Manifold, Support
  Personnel, Data Acquisition, and Some
  Instrumentation.
• Tech Center to Provide Oxygen Analysis Equipment

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Oxygen Analysis System

• System to Provide 8 Channels of Continuous Oxygen
  Concentration Data at 8 Different Fuel Tank
  Locations
• Actively Controls Sample Inlet and Outlet
  Pressure.
• Flow Through Sensor Design
• Fluid Traps, Ejector/Evacuator, Flame Suppressors
  for Safety
• Safety Analysis Must Be Completed and Accepted at
  the Readiness Review
• FMECA Done
• Fault Tree Failure Mode Analysis Done
• Failure Rate Data Still Incomplete

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System Block Diagram
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OBOAS Photo
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Status

• Aircraft Identified as B-737-900 Approximate Date
  of Aircraft Modification Start 2/1/2001
• OBOAS Has Been Shipped to Boeing Field
• System to Undergo EMI Testing on December 18th
  2000
• Safety Analysis Must Be Completed and Accepted at
  the Readiness Review Date TBD
• Approximate Start of Testing Date 2/15/2001