A320 Family / A330 / A340 Operational Liaison Meeting - Bangkok 2000

Engine
Tailpipe Fire

presented by
Michel DOCUS
Tailpipe Fire
 Tailpipe Fire Description

 Use of Fire Extinguishing Bottles

 Use of the ENG FIRE Pushbutton

 Use of an External Pneumatic Power

 Use of JP4 on CFM 56 B engines

Tailpipe Fire 2
Tailpipe Fire - Description
 Typically occurs at ENGINE START or SHUTDOWN
– Results from excess fuel in the combustion chamber.
– Results from an oil leak in the LP turbine race.

LP Turbine
Race

Combustion
Chamber

Tailpipe Fire 3
Tailpipe Fire - Description
 Excess fuel in the combustor is usually due to:
– Engine control unit (FADEC) over-fueling
– Rotating stall, with continuous supply of fuel
– Malfunction of the ignition system
– Second engine start (residual fuel pooled in turbine)
– Cracking fuel nozzles
lower extent
– Severe case of fuel in oil

 Fuel ignites in the combustor, with the engine not

rotating, or rotating below idle:
– Engine unable to utilize energy released in thrust
production.
Tailpipe Fire 4
Tailpipe Fire - Description
 Internal Fire
– Fire within the engine core
– Fuel burn in the aft LP turbine race Combustion Chamber

Engine Nozzle

HP and LP Turbines

 No sensitive area affected

– No flammable fluid pipe
 Fire contained within the engine
– Should not develop in an engine fire
Tailpipe Fire 5
Tailpipe Fire - Description
 Internal Oil Leak
If the engine is not run at idle for a sufficiently
long time, causing the shutdown to be hot, the
oil lights and burns a "lazy fire" in the aft LP
turbine race.

– Obviously, depending on its size, this lazy fire (or

evaporating oil) neither represents a hazard for the
engine nor the aircraft, but develops a considerable
amount of dense smoke (black when burning, white
when evaporating).

Tailpipe Fire 6
Tailpipe Fire - Description

In case of oil leak,

Fire in the aft

LP race

Tailpipe Fire 7
 Tailpipe Fire - The Procedure
Tailpipe
Rapid EGT rise Fire

VISUAL REPORT
Tailpipe Fire 8
Tailpipe Fire - The Procedure
 3 IMPORTANT RULES must be followed:

1. Shutdown the engine.

2. Do not press the engine fire pushbutton.

3. Crank the engine, using either the opposite bleed

or the APU bleed or an external pneumatic power.

Tailpipe Fire 9
Use of the Fire Extinguishing Bottles
 Several QUESTIONS arise from this procedure:

– Why does Airbus recommend not using

the engine fire bottles?

– Why does Airbus recommend not stopping the

engine by using the ENG FIRE pushbutton?

– What about a tailpipe fire after the last engine

shutdown, without any bleed pressure?

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Engine Fire Protection

Each engine is equipped with 2 fire

bottles. The discharge of the bottles
is controlled by an associated pb.

The pbs are located on the FIRE panel

of the overhead panel.

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Use of the Fire Extinguishing Bottles...
 When the DISCH pushbutton is pressed:

Tailpipe Fire 12
Use of the Fire Extinguishing Bottles...
 Agent is sprayed on the hot engine section of
the nacelle compartment, to extinguish the fire.

 Agent does not penetrate the engine itself.

Tailpipe Fire 13
Use of the Fire Extinguishing Bottles...
Why not use the fire extinguishing bottles ?
 The fire is INTERNAL
– The extinguishing system is designed to
extinguish fire in the nacelle compartment.
 During the extinguishing procedure, the
agent is sprayed around the engine core
without penetrating the engine itself.
– Will not extinguish a fire within the combustor/turbine.
– LP turbine does not receive agent.
 Fire agent (Halon) has no negative impact on engine
parts, but is of no benefit to internal fire.
PRIORITY : ENGINE VENTILATION
Tailpipe Fire 14
Use of the ENG FIRE Pushbutton
Why doesn’t AIRBUS recommend stopping the
engine by using the ENG FIRE pushbutton?

– When the ENG FIRE pushbutton is pressed,

the FADEC is automatically de-energized.

The MODE selector in the CRANK position

does not launch the crank sequence.

FCOM NOTE:
Do not press the engine fire pushbutton, since
this will cut off the FADEC power supply which
will hinder the motoring sequence.

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Use of External Pneumatic Power
What about a tailpipe fire after the 2nd engine
shutdown, with no bleed pressure available from a/c?

 Tailpipe fire probability is very remote.

 Experience shows that relevant
damage is quite minimal.
 Systematic GPU connection
is an important burden.
– Balance the burden with the
probability of fire occurrence.

No need to request systematic GPU

connection in prevention of a tailpipe fire.

Tailpipe Fire 16
Use of External Pneumatic Power ...
What about a tailpipe fire after the 2nd engine shutdown,
with no bleed pressure available from aircraft ?
 No requirement for GPU installation.
 If no bleed is available, a ground fire
extinguisher is to be used as a last resort:
– Dry chemical powder, or chemical foam fire
extinguishing agents.
– Serious corrosive damage to the engine.
– Removal of the engine for disassembly,
inspection and cleaning.

Tailpipe Fire 17
Use of External Pneumatic Power ...
 FCOM procedure requests:

• AIR BLEED PRESS……………………………………..ESTABLISH

– Select APU or opposite BLEED to motor the engine.
– If APU BLEED is not available and opposite engine
shutdown, connect an external pneumatic power
(if readily available).

Tailpipe Fire 18
Use of JP4: CFM 56-B Engines
 Two tailpipe fire events during a hot
weather flight test campaign:
– JP4 fuel was used.
– Ambient temperature was around 38°C.

 Studies have been conducted:

– JP4 fuel is more volatile than other fuel types.
– The fuel vapor pressure may exceed the fuel
nozzle cracking pressure when above 10°C.

Tailpipe Fire 19
Use of JP4: CFM 56-B Engines ...
 A dry motoring must be done after engine
shutdown to prevent tailpipe fire, when
in hot conditions.

– The duration of this dry motoring

should be 2 minutes.

– This dry motoring should start 90 seconds

after the master lever is selected OFF.

Tailpipe Fire 20
Use of JP4: CFM 56-B Engines ...
 A note is introduced in the SOP:

CAUTION:

– If JP4 fuel is used at an ambient temperature

higher than 10°C, dry motor the engines for
two minutes after engine shutdown.

– This dry motor period should start

approximately 90 seconds after the
master lever is selected OFF.

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Conclusion

 The FCOM Engine

Tailpipe Procedure
is as follows:

Tailpipe Fire 22
Engine Tailpipe Fire: The Procedure
• Internal engine fire may be encountered during engine start or
engine shutdown. It may be seen by the ground crew or the EGT
may fail to decrease after the MASTER switch is turned OFF.

CAUTION
• External fire agents can cause severe corrosive damage and,
therefore, should only be considered after having applied the
following procedure.

- MAN START (if manual start performed) ..…………………OFF

- ENG MASTER (affected) ………………………………………OFF

Note: Do not press the ENG FIRE pushbutton, since this

will cut off the FADEC power supply which will
prevent the motoring sequence.

Tailpipe Fire 23
Engine Tailpipe Fire: The Procedure ...
- AIR BLEED PRESS …….………………………….……. ESTABLISH
Select APU or opposite BLEED to motor the engine.
• If APU BLEED not available and opposite engine shutdown,
connect an external pneumatic power (if readily available).

- ENG MODE SEL ………………………….…………….……... CRANK

- MAN START ………………………………………………..………... ON

• The start valve automatically reopens when N2 is below 20%.

• When burning has stopped.

- MAN START ………………………….…….……………….……... OFF

- ENG MODE SEL ……………………….…………………...…... NORM

• Maintenance action is due.

Tailpipe Fire 24
Engine Tailpipe Fire

Tailpipe Fire 25