System and method of suppressing an unexpected combustion event

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10086947-B2
Application number	US-201615133440-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2016
Priority date	Apr 20, 2016
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

An aircraft that includes an outer skin having an opening formed therein, and a cargo compartment including a plurality of side walls that define an interior of the cargo compartment. The plurality of side walls are positioned such that the interior is in flow communication with the opening. The aircraft further includes a hinged panel coupled to the outer skin. The hinged panel is operable between a closed position for covering the opening and an open position for exposing the interior to an ambient environment outside the aircraft. A release device is configured to retain the hinged panel in the closed position, and configured to release the hinged panel for movement into the open position when an unexpected combustion event forms in the interior.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft comprising:
an outer skin having an opening formed therein;
a cargo compartment comprising a plurality of side walls that define an interior of said cargo compartment, said plurality of side walls positioned such that said interior is in flow communication with said opening;
a hinged panel coupled to said outer skin, said hinged panel operable between a closed position for covering said opening and an open position for exposing said interior to an ambient environment outside the aircraft; and
a release device configured to retain said hinged panel in the closed position, and configured to automatically release said hinged panel for movement into the open position when an unexpected combustion event forms in said interior and when a temperature within said interior is greater than a threshold.

2. The aircraft in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said plurality of side walls are at least partially formed from fire-resistant material.

3. The aircraft in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a porous support structure coupled within said cargo compartment, said porous support structure configured to restrict cargo from falling through said opening when said hinged panel is in the open position.

4. The aircraft in accordance with claim 3 , wherein said porous support structure extends across said opening such that the cargo is positioned directly over said opening.

5. The aircraft in accordance with claim 3 , wherein said porous support structure comprises a plurality of through holes defined therein sized to permit airflow therethrough.

6. The aircraft in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said release device is fabricated from temperature-sensitive material having a melting point, wherein said release device is configured to fail when a temperature within said interior is greater than the melting point such that said hinged panel is automatically released.

7. The aircraft in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the melting point of the temperature-sensitive material is defined within a range between about 350° F. (176.7° C.) and about 600° F. (315.6° C.).

8. The aircraft in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said release device comprises at least one of a fastener or a layer of adhesive.

9. The aircraft in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a splice plate coupled within said cargo compartment and extending about a periphery of said opening in said outer skin, wherein said release device is coupled between said hinged panel and said splice plate.

10. The aircraft in accordance with claim 9 , wherein said splice plate is coupled to said outer skin with a plurality of fasteners fabricated from material having a higher melting point than material used to fabricate said release device.

11. A method of suppressing an unexpected combustion event within a cargo compartment of an aircraft, said method comprising:
sealing an interior of the cargo compartment with a hinged panel in a closed position, the hinged panel selectively operable between the closed position and an open position; and
automatically releasing the hinged panel for movement into the open position when a temperature within the interior of the cargo compartment is greater than a threshold, the hinged panel released such that the interior is exposed to an ambient environment outside the aircraft, and such that products of the unexpected combustion event are vented to the ambient environment.

12. The method in accordance with claim 11 further comprising operating the aircraft at a speed such that airflow is channeled into the interior of the cargo compartment from the ambient environment.

13. The method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein releasing the hinged panel comprises:
retaining the hinged panel in the closed position with a release device fabricated from temperature-sensitive material; and
automatically releasing the hinged panel when the temperature within the interior of the cargo compartment is greater than a melting point of the temperature-sensitive material.

14. The method in accordance with claim 13 , wherein sealing an interior of the cargo compartment comprises creating a pressure differential between the interior of the cargo compartment and the ambient environment, the pressure differential for inducing the hinged panel to swing into the open position.

15. The method in accordance with claim 11 further comprising restricting cargo from falling through an opening vacated by the hinged panel with a porous support structure, wherein the porous support structure includes a plurality of through holes defined therein sized to permit airflow therethrough.

16. A method of assembling an aircraft, said method comprising:
forming an opening in an outer skin of the aircraft;
coupling an interior of a cargo compartment in flow communication with the opening;
coupling a hinged panel to the outer skin, wherein the hinged panel is operable between a closed position for covering the opening and an open position for exposing the interior to an ambient environment outside the aircraft; and
coupling a release device between the outer skin and the hinged panel, the release device configured to retain the hinged panel in the closed position, and configured to automatically release the hinged panel for movement into the open position when an unexpected combustion event forms in the interior and when a temperature within said interior is greater than a threshold.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16 further comprising coupling a porous support structure within the cargo compartment, the porous support structure configured to restrict cargo from falling through the opening when the hinged panel is in the open position.

18. The method in accordance with claim 16 further comprising fabricating the release device from temperature-sensitive material having a melting point, wherein the release device is configured to fail when a temperature within the interior is greater than the melting point such that said hinged panel is automatically released.

19. The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein coupling a release device comprises coupling at least one of a fastener or a layer of adhesive between the outer skin and the hinged panel.

20. The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein coupling a release device comprises:
coupling a splice plate within the cargo compartment, the splice plate extending about a periphery of the opening in the outer skin; and
coupling the release device between the hinged panel and the splice plate.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Chengalva Mahesh Krishna

Classifications

• B64C1/20

  specially adapted for freight · CPC title

• B64D25/00 Primary

  Emergency apparatus or devices, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• A62C3/08 Primary

  in aircraft {(A62C3/0207 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B64C1/1407

  Doors; surrounding frames · CPC title

• A62C3/07

  in vehicles, e.g. in road vehicles · CPC title