AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS AND FLIGHTS


HEATING SYSTEMS


Where Does Your Cabin Heat Really Come From - American FlyersAmerican Flyers


On this week’s blog I will be talking to you about Aircraft systems, and to be more specific the Environmental system. This to me has to be one of the most important system in the aircraft. No one wants to be in an extremely cold aircraft with no heat or vice versa. There are mainly two mainly two controls; Heat control and cabin air control. Let’s talk more about the heat control system. Different aircrafts have different types of heating systems. When this systems fail they have a lot of impact to not only the aircraft but the people inside.

The most common failure is a leak in the muffler. Al mufflers eventually suffer from internal corrosion and heat distortion simply due to the extreme temps and corrosive element in the exhaust. In addition, some muffler systems include studs to increase the surface area available to the passing air and, therefore, increase the efficiency of the heat exchange process. These studs are another area of concern for potential leakage. (Simon 2014) Some of this failure can be caused by the technicians failing to thoroughly inspect the system, the technicians not being aware of the rate of exhaust deteriorating. The risk of operating an aircraft with detective exhaust heating system include carbon monoxide poisoning, a decrease in engine performance and an increased potential for fire. (PHAK 2016) Other heaters like the Fuel Fired heaters have even more extreme impacts that may cause death. Combustion by product of this heater include soot, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. (PHAK 2016)

Some ways this failure can be mitigated is ensuring inspection is done prior to every seasonal use. Next is completely taking apart the muffler shroud to look for any signs of exhaust dust and heat distress. The last way is making you sure you test the system before any flight to make sure that you use a good carbon monoxide detector with an alarm installed.

Heat is very important in an aircraft and also can be very dangerous, make sure to be safe and thoroughly INSPECT everything. Get someone to do a quality assurance. You can never be too sure!

 

Reference

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). (2016). Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK). Retrieved https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/phak/

Simon, J (2014, November 12) AOPA your freedom to fly. Aircraft Maintenance: Heater Health for your Single.https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2014/november/12/aircraft-maintenance-single-engine-cabin-heaters

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