Fire extinguishing for crashed aircraft by water being sprayed into cabin by automatic means.?

Question

The system was trialled and recieved publicity a few years ago but I have heard nothing since ! can anyone tell me what happened to this system as it seemed capable of saving many lives where fatalities were mostly burn victims ?

Methinks it was to use before fire started and the water was either or both injected from outside aircraft and also carriede in tanks, it was if I remember just a fine mist. I saw it on Tv maybe 10 years ago, someone will remember it !!!

Thanks todvango, the crashes were the wholly surviveable ones where fire has broken out before arrival of fire engines and usually on the runway !!, I am suprised that no one remembers the articles on TV !.

Answer 1

Watermist systems can be an effective firefighting tool for enclosed spaces, even when flammable fuels are present do the nature of the way the system works. It's not like sprinklers dumping water onto the fire, it creates a micro-fine mist that has a high heat absorbtion rate.

I don't see how this would help if an airplane crashed, seeings how the integrity of the enclosure would be compromised, not to mention damage to the distribution equipment, but who knows?

Here are a couple of companies that have developed some of the technology...

http://www.fike.com/why_micromist_products.html

http://www.chemetron.com/utcfs/Templates/Pages/Template-53/0,8062,pageId%3D1167%26siteId%3D374,00.html

Answer 2

Most airliners have fire extinguishing agents for engine and bag bin fires. Some are equipped for wheel well fires. Right now there is an AD to upgrade interior insulation (we have a 767 getting fitted with this STC now). I haven't heard of anything in the works about upper cabin systems yet. Airflow in the upper cabin (and throughout the pressurized envelope) moves from front to back and out the outflow valve. This airflow would have to be stopped in order for a water vapor system to work. Perhaps this is still on the drawing boards since it hasn't reached the industry yet.

Answer 3

Never heard of such a thing. # 1 you never put water on a flammable liquid fire. # 2 where would this extinguishihg substance come from ?? Can't carry it on plane, use too much space & weight.