Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Optimal Detector Placement for Fire Smoke Detection in Ventilated Aircraft Cargo Compartment

  • Published:
Fire Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Detector placement design is a key technical problem in the design of fire smoke detection system of aircraft cargo compartment to fulfill the one-minute rule. Previous studies already revealed that ventilation has a remarkable effect on the transmission and detection of fire smoke in the aircraft cargo compartment, but the optimal detector placement in ventilated aircraft cargo compartment still needs a more detailed attempt. In this paper, first, a CFD numerical model of fire smoke of DC-10 ventilated aircraft cargo compartment is built, the CFD model is validated using FAA experimental data, and simulation and experiment are conducted based on a full-scale cargo compartment mock-up with a single vent to reveal the fire smoke spreading and the optimal detector placement under ventilation condition in detail. Results show that ventilation will substantially inhibit the vertical upward diffusion of fire smoke, thus delaying the time for smoke to reach the ceiling of the cargo compartment. The fire source beneath the vent is the most unfavorable position of fire source in the detection system design. For the full-scale cargo compartment mock-up, the optimal detector placement is to place four detectors in the four corners of the cargo compartment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12
Figure 13
Figure 14
Figure 15
Figure 16
Figure 17
Figure 18
Figure 19
Figure 20
Figure 21

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Blake D (2000) Aircraft cargo compartment smoke detector alarm incidents on usregistered aircraft, 1974–1999. Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  2. Federal Aviation Administration (2014) Airworthiness standards: transport category airplanes part 25.858. GPO’s Federal Digital System, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  3. Advisory Circular: AC 25-9A (1994) Smoke detection, penetration evacuation tests and related flight manual emergency procedures. Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  4. Blake D, Suo-Anttila J (2008) Aircraft cargo compartment fire detection and smoke transport modeling. Fire Saf J 43(8):576–582

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Oztekin ES, Blake D, Lyon RE (2013) Fire induced flow behavior in a ventilated aircraft cargo compartment. In: 13th International Conference and Exhibition on Fire and Materials 2013. Interscience Communications Ltd, San Francisco. Accessed 28–30 Jan 2013

  6. Oztekin ES (2014) Heat and mass transfer due to a small-fire in an aircraft cargo compartment. Int J Heat Mass Transf 73(1):562–573

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Girdhari A (2008) Aircraft cargo compartment multi sensor smoke detection algorithm development, DOT/FAA/AR-07/58. Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  8. Suo-Anttila J, Gill W, Gallegos C, Nelsen J (2003) Computational fluid dynamics code for smoke transport during an aircraft cargo compartment fire: transport solver, graphical user interface, and preliminary baseline validation, DOT/FAA/AR-03/49. Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  9. Suo-Anttila J, Gill W, Gallegos C, Nelsen J (2007) Cargo compartment smoke transport computational fluid dynamics code validation. Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  10. Lu KH, Mao SH, Wang J, Lu S (2017) Numerical simulation of the ventilation effect on fire characteristics and detections in an aircraft cargo compartment. Appl Therm Eng 124(1):1441–1446

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Wang J, Pan YY, Lu S, Lu K, Chen WS (2017) CO concentration decay profile and ceiling jet entrainment in aircraft cargo compartment fires at reduced pressures. Appl Therm Eng 110(1):772–778

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Wang J, Lu S, Guan Y, Lo SM, Zhang HP (2015) Experiment investigation on the influence of low pressure on ceiling temperature profile in aircraft cargo compartment fires. Appl Therm Eng 89(1):526–533

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Wang J, Lu S, Hu Y, Zhang HP, Lo SM (2015) Early stage of elevated fires in an aircraft cargo compartment: a full scale experimental investigation. Fire Technol 51(1):1129–1147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Behle K (2006) Determination of smoke quantities to be used for smoke detection performance ground and flight tests. In: 25th Congress of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences 2006. Curran Associates Inc., Hamburg. Accessed 3–8 Sept 2006

  15. Blake D (2006) Development of a standardized fire source for aircraft cargo compartment fire detection systems. Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  16. Chen X, Shao Z, Yang J (2020) Comparison between actual and simulated smoke for smoke detection certification in aircraft cargo compartments using the CFD method. Fire Technol 56(2):469–488

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Zhang Q, Wang YC, Soutis C et al (2021) Development of a fire detection and suppression system for a smart air cargo container. Aeronaut J 125(1283):205–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. McGrattan KB, McDermott R, Hostikka S, Floyd JE (2010) Dynamics simulator (version 5). User’s guide. NIST special publication 1019-5, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg

  19. Mulholland GW, Croarkin C (2000) Specific extinction coefficient of flame generated smoke. Fire Mater 24(1):227–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Krishnan SS, Lin KC, Faeth GM (2001) Extinction and scattering properties of soot emitted from buoyant turbulent diffusion flames. J Heat Transf 123(1):331

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the scientific research project of Tianjin Education Commission of China under Project Number 2020KJ034.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Safety Science and Engineering, Civil Aviation University of China, Jinbei Road 2898, Dongli District, Tianjin, 30030, China

    Xiyuan Chen, Jingpeng Ouyang & Jianzhong Yang

Authors
  1. Xiyuan Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jingpeng Ouyang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jianzhong Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiyuan Chen.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chen, X., Ouyang, J. & Yang, J. Optimal Detector Placement for Fire Smoke Detection in Ventilated Aircraft Cargo Compartment. Fire Technol 58, 2251–2281 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-022-01259-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-022-01259-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation