Eclipse Aerospace, Inc. has received FAA certification and approval for the newly redesigned canister to be used with the PhostrEx fire suppression system on the Eclipse Jet.
The new canister, an all-welded design, stores contents at a lower pressure, resolving leakage problems experienced by the original design, according to company officials. The improved PhostrEx canister was extensively tested and consistently met all design specifications, officials added.
The new canister has the same electrical requirements, geometry, and mounting features as the original design and can be upgraded into existing aircraft.
Eclipse Aerospace has placed a production order for the new canisters, which are expected to be available for purchase beginning in August.
PhostrEx was approved by the EPA and the FAA as a replacement for Halon on aircraft engines and is the only approved fire suppression system that meets the ecological standards of the Montreal Protocol, according to company officials.
PhostrEx is lighter in weight than Halon for a similar application (two teaspoons of the PhostrEx agent are equivalent to 2-1/2 cups of Halon). One Eclipse Jet turbine engine installation can be protected with an entire PhostrEx fire suppression system weighing as little as 0.7 pounds. The PhostrEx fire suppression system is designed to be maintenance-free for greater than eight years. After eight years, operators remove and replace the PhostrEx agent’s canister, company officials explained.
When the PhostrEx agent is released from its hermetically sealed canister, it works in less than one-tenth of a second, combining with moisture in the air and quickly becoming inert.
For more information: EclipseAerospace.net
