1. Field of the Invention
The present invention calibrates a fire extinguisher monitoring system, dynamically controls, adjusts and measures the flow and distribution of a fire suppression agent, determines an optimal testing time period during a flight operation, and provides direct read-out of concentration amounts in substantially real time.
2. Description of Related Art
The Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) has required the use of fire suppression equipment in at least engines, auxiliary power units and cargo holds of aircrafts. A number of different fire suppression agents are available for discharge including but not limited to Halon 1301, Halon 1211, HFC-125, NOVEC 1230 and FM 200. The present invention is directed to addressing at least the following deficiencies and needs in the art:
Current available equipment in the field is capable of utilizing only 100% gas concentration for calibration in the field. There is a need in the art to calibrate a fire extinguisher monitoring system and verify a plurality of concentration amounts at a plurality of detection locations, respectively, using critical and precise concentration amounts or moles of the fire suppression agent (e.g., concentration amounts of 6%-18%) at a test site on the ground and/or during a flight operation before the fire suppression agent is discharged. Throughout the application herein, references to a “test site on the ground” or the like is not limited to a testing facility, and they may refer to any testing location (e.g., any airport) in which an aircraft and/or a fire extinguisher monitoring system may be stationed. As such, more particularly, there is a need in the art to perform the preceding calibration and verification using a calibration module capable of operating in a variety of testing sites on the ground and/or during on-flight testing.
There is yet a further need in the art to take into consideration and tare out characteristics of a surrounding environment (e.g., an airflow) at a test site on the ground or during on-flight testing given that the surrounding environment varies from a first testing operation to another, thereby causing inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the testing operations. As such, more specifically, there is yet a further need in the art to determine a measurement baseline for each of a plurality of detectors utilized to monitor the fire suppression agent discharge.
There is yet a further need to coordinate discharges of a fire suppression agent and monitoring its concentration at a plurality of detection locations with a flight operation during on-flight testing, and determine an optimal testing time period for discharging and monitoring the fire suppression agent.
There is yet a further need in the art to provide a direct read-out of the plurality of concentration amounts in substantially real time to allow dynamic adjustment of testing on the ground or during a flight operation.
There is yet a further need in the art to remotely control (e.g., from the ground) a discharge of a fire suppression agent and monitoring its concentration amount at a plurality of detection locations in a flying pilotless aircraft.