ENGINE FIRE

PROTECTION SYSTEMS
The chapter on fire protection systems describes the different types of fire detection and extinguishing systems used
in aircraft powerplants. In addition, it includes information on the inspection, servicing, troubleshooting, and repair of
these systems. The FAA exam questions taken from this chapter include:

8310. I01 8310. Answer C. AC 65-12A

Which of the following fire detectors are commonly A typical fire detection system used in reciprocating
used in the power section of an engine nacelle? engine aircraft incorporates a thermocouple system
that uses a series of rate-of-temperature-rise detec-
A - CO detectors. tors. With this type of system a warning will not
B - Smoke detectors. sound when an engine warms up slowly or when a
C - Rate-of-temperature-rise detectors. short circuit develops. However, if temperatures in
the engine compartment should rise rapidly, such as
when a fire exists, the detectors will sound a warn-
ing horn in the cockpit. Answers (A) and (B) are
incorrect because neither a CO detector nor a
smoke detector is used in engine nacelles.

8311. I01 8311. Answer B. AC 65-12A

What is the function of a fire detection system? The function of a fire detection system is to activate a
warning device in the event of a powerplant fire. It is
A - To discharge the powerplant fire-extinguishing important to remember that a fire detection system
system at the origin of the fire. only warns the pilot of a fire, it does not pinpoint a fire's
B - To activate a warning device in the event of a location (answer C) or try to extinguish it (answer A).
powerplant fire.
C - To identify the location of a powerplant fire.
5-2 Engine Fire Protection Systems

8312. I01 8312. Answer C. AC 65-12A

(Refer to figure 2.) Determine the fire-extinguisher con- Since the question specifies a temperature of 75°C
tainer pressure limits when the temperature is 75 O F . you must interpolate between the minimum and maxi-
mum limits for both 70°F and 80°F. To interpolate find
A - 326 minimum and 415 maximum. the difference between the two readings, divide the dif-
B - 330 minimum and 419 maximum. ference by two and add the quotient to the lower pres-
C - 338 minimum and 424 maximum. sure. The minimum container pressure at 70°F is 319
psig and 356 psig at 80°F. Therefore, the minimum
pressure at 75°F is 338 psig (356 - 319 = 37 t 2 =
18.5 + 319 = 337.5). The maximum pressure at 70°F is
405 psig and 443 psig at 80°F. Therefore, the maxi-
mum pressure at 75°F is 424 psig (443 - 405 = 38 + 2
= 19+405=424).

CONTAINER PRESSURE VERSUS TEMPERATURE

CONTAINER PRESSURE (PSIG)
TEMPERATURE O F MINIMUM I MAXIMUM

Figure 2.- Fire Extinguisher Pressure Chart.

I01 8313. Answer A. AC 65-12A

How are most aircraft turbine engine fire-extinguishing In a turbine engine powered aircraft, the fire extin-
systems activated? guishing portion of a fire protection system typically
includes a cylinder of extinguishing agent for each
A - Electrically discharged cartridges. engine and nacelle area. The container of agent is nor-
B - Manual remote control valve. mally equipped with two discharge valves that are
C - Pushrod assembly. operated by electrically discharged cartridges. The
electrical current needed to discharge the cartridges is
released by the fire handles in the cockpit. Answers (B)
and (C) are incorrect because a high rate discharge
extinguishing system used on turbine engines requires
an explosive detonator that cannot be triggered manu-
ally.
Engine Fire Protection Systems

8314. I01 8314. Answer A. AC 65-12A

How does carbon dioxide (C02) extinguish an aircraft When liquid CO, leaves the fire extinguisher nozzle
engine fire? under pressure, it converts into a gas that extinguishes
flame by displacing the oxygen around the flame and
A - Contact with the air converts the liquid into snow smothering it. Answers (B) and (C) are wrong because
and gas which smothers the flame. a CO, extinguisher cannot cool a fire sufficiently to
B - By lowering the temperature to a point where extinguish it or simply blow a fire out.
combustion will not take place.
C - The high pressure spray lowers the temperature
and blows out the fire.

8315. I01 8315. Answer A. AC 65-12A

What retains the nitrogen charge and fire-extinguish- The nitrogen charge within a typical high rate of dis-
ing agent in a high rate of discharge (HRD) con- charge container is retained, or held in by a discharge
tainer? plug and a safety discharge connection. The discharge
plug is sealed with a breakable disk combined with an
A - Breakable disk and fusible disk. explosive charge that is electrically detonated to dis-
B - Pressure switch and check tee valve. charge the contents of the bottle. The safety discharge
C - Pressure gauge and cartridge. connection, or fusible disk, is capped at the inboard
side of the engine strut with a red indication disk. If the
temperature rises beyond a predetermined safe value,
the disk will rupture, dumping the agent overboard.

8316. I01 8316. Answer B. AC 65-12A

A continuous-loop fire detector is what type of detec- A continuous-loop fire detection system consists of a
tor? loop of one or two conductors installed around an
engine compartment that, when overheated, sends
A - Spot detector. electrical current to a warning indicator in the cockpit.
B - Overheat detector. Answer (A) is wrong because a spot detector only
C - Rate-of-temperature-rise detector. senses in one spot, whereas a continuous-loop acts as
a detector along its entire length. Answer (C) is incor-
rect because a continuous-loop system does not
detect the rate of temperature rise.

8317. I01 8317. Answer C. AC 65-12A

What is the operating principle of the spot detector Spot detector fire detection systems consist of a
sensor in a fire detection system? bimetallic thermoswitch installed between two loops of
wire. When the thermoswitch is heated to a predeter-
A - Resistant core material that prevents current flow mined temperature, the switch closes and completes
at normal temperatures. the circuit between the two wire loops. With the circuit
B - A conventional thermocouple that produces a cur- completed, electrical current flows to the fire warning
rent flow. horn in the cockpit. Answers (A) and (B) are incorrect
C - A bimetallic thermoswitch that closes when because a spot detector contains neither resistant core
heated to a high temperature. material nor a thermocouple.

8318. I01 8318. Answer C. AC 65-12A

How is the fire-extinguishing agent distributed in the In a typical engine fire extinguishing system, the extin-
engine section? guishing agent is distributed through spray nozzles and
perforated tubing. The perforated tubing distribution
A - Spray nozzles and fluid pumps. system is more common with reciprocating engines,
B - Nitrogen pressure and slinger rings. while spray nozzles are typically used with turbine
C - Spray nozzles and perforated tubing. engines. Answer (A) is incorrect because virtually all
extinguisher systems use a compressed gas to spray
the extinguishing agent onto a fire and answer (B) is
wrong because a slinger ring distributes deicing fluid
on propellers and has nothing to do with fire extinguishers.
 Engine Fire Protection Systems

8319. I01 8319. Answer C. AC 65-1 5A

Which of the following is the safest fire-extinguishing Bromotrifluoromethane (Halon 1301) is one of the
agent to use from a standpoint of toxicity and corro- most effective fire extinguishing agents. In addition,
sion hazards? it is non-toxic and non-corrosive. Both answers (A)
and (B) are wrong because Halon 1202 and Halon
A - Dibromodifluoromethane (Halon 1202). 1211 are more toxic than Halon 1301. Furthermore, .
B - Bromochlorodifluoromethane (Halon 1211). Halon 1202 can be corrosive.
C - Bromotrifluoromethane (Halon 1301).

8320. I01 8320. Answer A. AC 65-12A

Which of the following is NOT used to detect fires in Some of the common devices used to detect fires on
reciprocating engine nacelles? reciprocating engine aircraft include: overheat detec-
tors, rate-of-temperature-risedetectors, flame detec-
A - Smoke detectors. tors, and observation by crewmembers. Smoke
B - Rate-of-temperature-rise detectors. detectors, on the other hand, are only effective in rela-
C - Flame detectors. tively still air where materials burn slowly or smolder
and, therefore, are not used in reciprocating engine
nacelles.

8321. I01 8321. Answer B. AC 65-12A

What is the principle of operation of the continuous- In a continuous-loop fire detection system, an electrical
loop fire detector system sensor? wire or wires are surrounded by a material with a resis-
tance value that prevents the flow of current at normal
A - Fuse material which melts at high temperatures. temperatures. However, when the material is heated,
B - Core resistance material which prevents current the resistance decreases and allows current within the
flow at normal temperatures. wires to find a path to ground. This completes the cir-
C - A bimetallic thermoswitch which closes when cuit and allows current to flow to the warning horn in
heated to a high temperature. the cockpit. Answer (A) is wrong because continuous-
loop fire detectors contain no fusible elements and
answer (C) is wrong because spot detectors, not loop
detectors, utilize bimetallic thermoswitches.

8322. I01 8322. Answer A. AC 65-9A

The most satisfactory extinguishing agent for a carbu- Carbon dioxide is the most satisfactory agent to use for
retor or intake fire is a carburetor or intake fire and, when used properly, will
not damage the engine. Dry chemical (answer B) and
A - carbon dioxide. methyl bromide (answer C), on the other hand, can
B - dry chemical. cause damage when used to extinguish intake fires.
C - methyl bromide.
8323. Answer A. AC 65-15A
8323. I01 The service life of fire extinguisher discharge car-
The explosive cartridge in the discharge valve of a fire- tridges is specified by the manufacturer and stated in
extinguisher container is hours. The service life of a typical discharge cartridge
is 5,000 hours. Since discharge cartridges are life-
A - a life-dated unit. dated units, answer (6) is incorrect. Furthermore,
B - not a life-dated unit. answer (C) is wrong because discharge cartridges are
C - mechanically fired. fired electrically, not mechanically.
Engine Fire Protection Systems 5-5

8324. I01 8324. Answer C. AC 65-12A

Why does one type of Fenwal fire detection system The Fenwal fire-detection system utilizes spot detec-
use spot detectors wired in parallel between two tors that are wired in parallel between two separate
separate circuits? circuits so that a short or fault in either leg of the
system will not cause a false fire warning. The sys-
A - To provide an installation that is equal to two tem is wired so that one leg of the circuit supplies
separate systems: a primary system and a sec- current to the detectors while the other leg serves as
ondary, or back-up system. a path to ground. If the ground leg should develop a
B - So that a double fault may exist in the system short, a false fire warning will not occur because this
without sounding a false alarm. portion of the circuit is already grounded. If the pow-
C - So that a single fault may exist in the system ered leg shorts, the rapid increase in current flow will
without sounding a false alarm. trip a relay which causes the powered leg to become
the ground and the grounded leg to become pow-
ered. Answer (A) is incorrect because the purpose of
the Fenwal system is to prevent false alarms, not to
provide a back-up system. Answer (B) is wrong
because a double fault renders the fire detection
system inoperative.

8325. I01 8325. Answer A. AC 65-12A

Which of the following fire detection systems mea- The thermocouple fire warning system senses the rate
sures temperature rise compared to a reference temper- of temperature rise and, therefore, only provides a warn-
ature? ing when the temperature increases rapidly. In each
thermocouple, there is a cold, or reference junction that
A - Thermocouple. is enclosed in an insulated air space and a hot junction
B - Thermal switch. which is installed in an uninsulated space. If both of
C - Lindberg continuous element. these junctions heat up at the same rate, no fire warning
is given regardless of the temperature. However, if the
hot junction should be exposed to an extreme amount of
heat, a temperature imbalance between the two junc-
tions will exist causing current to flow to the warning
horn. Answers (B) and (C) are incorrect because ther-
mal switches and Lindberg continuous element detec-
tors are activated when temperatures reach a maximum
level and do not measure a temperature rise.

8326. I01 8326. Answer B. AC 65-12A

The pulling out (or down) of an illuminated fire handle When the pilot pulls the fire handle it arms the fire
in a typical large jet aircraft fire protection system extinguisher system, disconnects the generator field
commonly accomplishes what events? relay, and shuts off the fuel and hydraulics to the
engine. Answer (A) is wrong because pulling the fire
A - Closes all firewall shutoff valves, disconnects the handle arms the fire bottle but does not fire it, while
generator, and discharges a fire bottle. answer (C) is wrong because the fire handle is not
B - Closes fuel shutoff, closes hydraulic shutoff, dis- connected to an oxygen shutoff.
connects the generator field, and arms the fire-
extinguishing system.
C - Closes fuel shutoff, closes hydraulic shutoff,
closes the oxygen shutoff, disconnects the genera-
tor field, and arms the fire-extinguishing system.
5-6 Engine Fire Protection Systems

8327. I01 8327. Answer 6. AC 65-15A

A fire detection system operates on the principle of a The Lindberg continuous-element fire detection system
buildup of gas pressure within a tube proportional to is a continuous-element type detector consisting of a
temperature. Which of the following systems does this stainless steel tube filled with an inert gas, typically
statement define? helium. The principle of operation is based on the fact
that if the volume of the gas is held constant, its pres-
A - Kidde continuous-loop system. sure will increase as temperature increases. Thus the
B - Lindberg continuous-element system. helium within the enclosed tube will exert a pressure
C - Thermal switch system. proportional to the temperature along the entire length
of the tube. If the pressure within the tube becomes
excessive, it mechanically actuates a diaphragm in a
responder unit which sets off the fire alarm. The Kidde
continuous-loop system (answer A) uses two conduc-
tors embedded in a ceramic core; when the ceramic
core becomes hot, its resistance changes and current
flows between the two conductors. A thermal switch
(answer C) uses a bimetallic spring that expands to
complete a warning circuit when heated.

8328. I01 8328. Answer A. AC 65-12A

The fire detection system that uses a single wire sur- The Fenwal fire detection system consists of an inconel
rounded by a continuous string of ceramic beads in a tube with one wire running through it. The wire carries
tube is the an electrical potential and the tube is the source to
ground. The potential and ground are separated by a
A - Fenwal system. core material which, when cold, acts as a resistor.
B - Kidde system. However, when the core material is heated to a speci-
C - thermocouple system. fied temperature, it acts as a conductor and allows the
potential to find a path to ground. When this circuit is
completed, it causes a fire alarm to sound. Answer (B)
is wrong because the Kidde fire detection system con-
sists of an inconel tube with two wires running through
it. Answer (C) is incorrect because a thermocouple fire
detection system consists of two dissimilar metal strips
joined at both ends that generate electricity when one
junction is hotter than the other.

8329. I01 8329. Answer C. AC 65-12A

The fire detection system that uses two wires imbed- The Kidde fire detection system consists of an inconel
ded in a ceramic core within a tube is the tube with two wires running through it. One of the wires
has a positive electrical potential while the other is a
A - Fenwal system. source to ground. The two wires are separated by a
B - Lindberg system. core material which, when cold, acts as a resistor.
C - Kidde system. However, when the core material is heated to a specific
temperature it acts as a conductor and allows the poten-
tial to find a path to ground. Answer (A) is wrong
because the Fenwal system consists of an inconel tube
with one wire running through it while answer (B) is
wrong because the Lindbergh fire detection system con-
sists of a stainless steel tube that is filled with an inert
gas.
8330. I01
A fuel or oil fire is defined as a 8330. Answer A. AC 65-15A
Class B fires involve combustible liquids such as gaso-
A - class B fire. line, engine oil, turbine fuel, hydraulic oil, and many
B - class A fire. solvents and paint thinners used in aviation mainte-
C - class C fire. nance. Answer (B) is incorrect because a class A fire
involves ordinary combustible materials such as wood
and paper while answer (C) is wrong because a class
C fire involves energized electrical equipment.
Engine Fire Protection Svstems 5-7

8331. I01 8331.Answer B. AC 65-12A

A fire detection system that operates on the rate-of- The thermocouple fire warning system senses the rate
temperature rise is a of temperature rise and, therefore, only provides a warn-
ing when the temperature increases rapidly. In each
A - continuous-loop system. thermocouple, there is a cold, or reference junction that
B - thermocouple system. is enclosed in an insulated air space and a hot junction
C - thermal switch system. which is installed in an uninsulated space. If both of
these junctions heat up at the same rate, no fire warning
is given regardless of the temperature. However, if the
hot junction should be exposed to an extreme amount of
heat, a temperature imbalance between the two junc-
tions will exist causing current to flow to the warning
horn. Answers (A) and (C) are incorrect because ther-
mal switches and Lindberg continuous element detec-
tors are activated when temperatures reach a maximum
level and do not measure a temperature rise.

8332. I01 8332. Answer C. AC 65-15A

A fire involving energized electrical equipment is Class C fires are those which involve electrical equip-
defined as a ment. When attempting to extinguish a class C fire,
special care must be exercised because of the dan-
A - class B fire. gers of electricity, as well as those from the fire itself.
B - class D fire. Answer (A) is wrong because a class B fire involves
C - class C fire. flammable liquids such as gasoline or oil and answer
(B) is incorrect because a class D fire involves flamma-
ble metals such as magnesium.

8333. I01 8333. Answer B. AC 65-15A

Two continuous-loop fire detection systems that will Both the Kidde and Fenwal systems are continuous-
not test due to a broken detector element are the loop fire detection systems that rely on a complete,
unbroken circuit to allow the press-to-test operation
A - Kidde system and the Lindberg system. to function. However, both systems can experience a
B - Kidde system and the Fenwal system. break and still give a fire warning.
C - thermocouple system and the Lindberg system.

8334. I01 8334. Answer B. AC 65-15A

In a fixed fire-extinguishing system, there are two small In a typical fixed fire extinguishing system, a yellow
lines running from the system and exiting overboard. and a red colored disk are used to indicate the status
These line exit ports are covered with a blowout type of the extinguishing agent. The yellow disk blows when
indicator disc. Which of the following statements is true? the agent has been emptied by a normal discharge
(answer B) and the red disk blows when the agent is
A - When the red indicator disc is missing, it indi- blown overboard due to an over-temperature condition.
cates the fire-extinguishing system has been nor- Answer (A) is wrong because a missing red disk indi-
mally discharged. cates an overtemperature discharge and answer (C) is
B - When the yellow indicator disc is missing, it indi- wrong because green indicator disks are used as over-
cates the fire-extinguishing system has been nor- pressure indicators in oxygen systems.
mally discharged.
C - When the green indicator disc is missing, it indi-
cates the fire-extinguishing system has had a
thermal discharge.
5-8 Engine Fire Protection Systems

8335. I01 8335. Answer B. AC 65-15A

The most satisfactory extinguishing agent for an elec- Of the choices given, carbon dioxide is the most satisfac-
trical fire is tory extinguishing agent for fires involving electrical equip-
ment. However, halogenated hydrocarbon and dry
A - carbon tetrachloride. powder extinguishers may also be used. Answers (A) and
B - carbon dioxide. (C) are incorrect because carbon tetrachloride and methyl
C - methyl bromide. bromide are banned from use as extinguishingagents
because they become extremely toxic when exposed to
heat.

8336. I01 8336. Answer B. AC 65-15A

Which of the following fire detection systems will Both the Kidde and Fenwal systems are continuous-
detect a fire when an element is inoperative but will loop fire detection systems that rely on a complete,
not test when the test circuit is energized? unbroken circuit to allow the press-to-test operation to
function. However, both systems can experience a
A - The Kidde system and the thermocouple system. break and still give a fire warning.
B - The Kidde system and the Fenwal system.
C - The thermocouple system and the Lindberg system.

8337. I01 8337. Answer A. AC 65-15A

Which of the following fire detection systems uses When testing either the thermocouple or the Lindbergh
heat in the normal testing of the system? fire detection systems, heat must be applied to the
detectors to simulate a fire condition and sound the
A - The thermocouple system and the Lindberg system. warning horn in the cockpit. Answers (B) and (C) are
B - The Kidde system and the Fenwal system. incorrect because Kidde and Fenwal detectors must be
C - The thermocouple system and the Fenwal system. provided with a path to ground in order to be tested.

8338. I01 8338. Answer B. ITP-A2

After a fire is extinguished, or overheat condition The Systron-Donner fire detector system continuously
removed in aircraft equipped with a Systron-Donner monitors temperatures and automatically resets after
fire detector, the detection system an overheat condition is removed or the fire extin-
guished. Answer (A) is wrong since the Systron-
A - must be manually reset. Donner system automatically resets and answer (C) is
B - automatically resets. wrong because the sensing component is replaced
C - sensing component must be replaced. only when it malfunctions, not after every warning.

8339. I01 8339. Answer B. AC 65-9A

The use of water on class D fires A class D fire is one in which some metal, such as
magnesium, is burning. Class D fires are put out using
A - is most effective if sprayed in a fine mist. dry powder or halogenated extinguishers and under no
B - will cause the fire to burn more violently and can circumstances should water be used. The application
cause explosions. of water to a class D fire will cause the fire to burn
C - has no effect. more violently and can cause explosions.

8340. I01 8340. Answer B. AC 65-15A

For fire detection and extinguishing purposes, aircraft For fire detection and extinguishing purposes, aircraft
powerplant areas are divided into fire zones based on powerplant areas are divided into fire zones based on
the volume and smoothness of airflow passing through
A - hot and cold sections of the engine. the area (answer B). Answers (A) and (C) are incorrect
B - the volume and smoothness of the airflow because characteristics such as engine type and size,
through engine compartments. or whether an area is a hot or cold section have no
C - engine type and size. bearing on the ability of a fire to start and spread.
Engine Fire Protection Systems 5-9

-40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

TEMPERATURE ( O F )

Figure 3.- Fire Extinguisher Pressure Chart.

8341.
- - I01 8341. Answer C. AC 65-12A
(Refer to figure 3.) What are the fire-extinguisher con- To answer this question, begin by locating 50°F at the
tainer pressure limits when the temperature is 50 O F ? bottom of the chart. From here, follow the line up to
intersect the minimum gauge reading curve. From this
A - 425 - 575 PSIG. intersection, draw a horizontal line to the left that inter-
B - 435 - 605 PSIG. sects the pressure axis at 475 psig. Next, go back to
C - 475 - 625 PSIG. the 50°F line and follow it up to intersect the maximum
gauge reading curve. From this intersection, draw a
horizontal line to the left that intersects the pressure
axis at 625 psig. Based on this chart, the minimum and
maximum container pressure at 50°F is 475 psig and
625 psig respectively.
5-10 Engine Fire Protection Systems