Aircraft are equipped with fire suppression systems in case of emergency situations and ITT Aerospace Controls pressure switches are made to fit into extinguisher bottles to ensure they are properly pressurized and thus will function properly if the need should unfortunately arise. A fully functioning fire suppression system operates from either control being handled manually from the cockpit and crew or from an automated system which detects differences in heat or presence of fumes/smoke to then operate and extinguish flames.
Typically these systems rely on the pressure switch to monitor
pressure within the bottle so that the crew can take necessary actions to ensure the fire has been effectively extinguished. If the bottle were to lose pressure, our switch would “snap” to the on position and alert the pilots that the faulty bottle needed to be replaced, without this warning, a fire emergency could grow out of control due to the malfunctioning bottle and loss of pressure to the fire extinguishing system and components.
In many cases the bottles can have a dual purpose especially when it applies to aircraft with more than one engine. In these circumstances the bottles can supply suppression chemicals to both engines from both bottles as needed both fore and aft. In the diagram below you can see where the function of each system although separate from each other can in fact protect both engines.
The ITT Aerospace Controls Pressure switch allows the crew precise control over the entire system ensuring that all safety requirements are being met for passengers and crew and that the proper pressure in the system is being maintained. Our pressure switches can also be used in other critical areas of the aircraft that have bottle extinguishers such as the APU (Auxiliary Power Units) or cargo areas of the aircraft. These areas are typically not serviceable while in flight, so cockpit control or automatic systems are critical to deploying these suppression agents in the event of a fire while still maintaining the proper functionality and reporting of pressures to the crew to ensure all safety measures are being met. Contact us today to learn more!