REFLECTOR:Secondary fire detection

[Scott Derrick]

I wonder about fire detection equipment.

You don't want false positives, that could be as bad or worse than a 
real fire.  If I thought I was on fire I'm throwing the gear out, the 
speed brake, at cruise speed, pulling the engine back to idle and shock 
cooling that mother on the way down at one knot under VNE!  TO find out 
later that you put your gear doors through the prop and then landed off 
field and removed the rest of the gear because of a false alarm... not good.

I keep hearing ideas about multiple sensors, multiple cameras, MUX boxes 
and what not. My cynical nature says "Boy these folks have never owned 
and maintained a flying airplane before."  It takes a major amount of 
time and money to keep a standard radio stack alive and well, now you 
want to add more?

I realize that an engine fire is not as apparent in a pusher, but 
exactly how many airplanes have gone down because of a fire where people 
died?  Would money and time be better spent on really clean and secure 
engine installations?

Scott



Fred Marconi wrote:
> SOME TYPE OF TEMPERATURE MEASURING DEVICE WOULD BE THE SIMPLEST WITH A
> WARNING SIGNAL WHEN THE TEMPERATURE GETS ABOVE A CERTAIN LEVEL.  at THAT
> POINT NO QUESTIONS ASKED CONSIDER THE HIGH TEMPERATURE A SIGN OF FIRE AND
> LAND.
> 
> FRED
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Hiroo Umeno" <humeno@microsoft.com>
> To: <reflector@tvbf.org>
> Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2003 2:45 PM
> Subject: RE: REFLECTOR:Secondary fire detection
> 
> 
> 
>>Pat,
>>
>>CCDs are quite vulnerable to heat.  You need to look at the data sheets
>>for the operating temperature range.  The heat inside the engine
>>compartment is likely to far exceed the allowable heat rating of most
>>low-cost CCDs.
>>
>>As for switcher, I am currently designing a 4:1 video mux based on
>>LT1204 device and a PIC.  I am intending to put this in the same housing
>>with the LCD so that there are four buttons that corresponds to each
>>cams I can switch through.  The cool thing about using the PIC is that I
>>can set it to "scan" every so often as well.
>>
>>I am thinking of mounting cams on the following locations.  Co-pilot
>>side bottom winglet (180 degree pan), under nose looking forward-down,
>>overhead duct capturing panel.
>>
>>For supplies of LCD panels, Earth Computing (www.earthlcd.com) usually
>>has some good selection of them.  You can also scour some of the surplus
>>electronics outlet and get a fairly good deal if you are not particular
>>about specific device you are looking for.
>>
>>Hiroo
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: reflector-admin@tvbf.org [mailto:reflector-admin@tvbf.org] On
>>Behalf Of Pat Shea
>>Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2003 11:23 AM
>>To: reflector@tvbf.org
>>Subject: RE: REFLECTOR:Secondary fire detection
>>
>>Hiroo,
>>
>>I'm leaning towards keeping the small CCD cams in the
>>engine compartment primarily for fire detection. It
>>looks like it's going to take two to get full coverage
>>of the critical areas. There may also be some benefit,
>>at least during the tweaking stage, of being able to
>>see/record what's going on inside the cowl during
>>flight (tuft testing?). Two cams either means an A/B
>>switch, two monitors, or a split screen. I was able to
>>find a company that sells a color, waterproof,
>>"helmet" cam w/ a cool aluminum protective mount:
>>www.helmetcamera.com. I haven't had a chance to look
>>at LCD monitors yet (or the ability to split the
>>screen) - any leads on a good source for these??
>>
>>Pat
>>
>>--- Hiroo Umeno <humeno@microsoft.com> wrote:
>>
>>>One idea may be to install the "wingtip cam".  I
>>>have been researching
>>>this but one could install a small CCD camera on the
>>>wingtip (perhaps on
>>>the lower winglet) that can be panned.  Not only it
>>>would offer a way to
>>>"see" if your cowl is blowing smoke / fire but it
>>>will also serve as
>>>"rear-view mirror" when starting engine, and offer a
>>>feed for your
>>>in-flight footage.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>The cameras can be had for less than $100 these
>>>days, and a small LCD
>>>monitors can be had for about the same.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Hiroo
>>
>>
>>
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