Inflight Fire Protection with the PED Containment Bag
The aircraft is by far the safest means of transport. In 2016, there were over 40 million aircraft take-offs worldwide and millions of people reached their destinations safely (source: IATA). However, the main risk during a flight is not a technical defect or pilot error, but is potentially in the luggage of every passenger. The batteries of mobile electronic devices can suffer thermal runaways due to local short-circuiting of internal electrodes, causing their surroundings to heat up and fire (source: Golem).
This video captured a dramatic scene that took place in a Boeing 777-300 of China Southern Airlines. During boarding, a passenger placed his luggage, which contained a powerbank, in the luggage compartment. When the Powerbank suffered a thermal runaway, the whole luggage caught fire. A flight attendant and a passenger then tried to extinguish the fire with water and juice. Fortunately the fire was quickly extinguished and the damage was limited to the burnt luggage. The flight finally took off with a delay of three hours.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), there have been 171 such incidents in the last 20 years caused by defective batteries. To address this problem, our principal, Innovint Aircraft Interior GmbH, has developed the PED containment bag. This is designed to help the flight and cabin crew to ensure the safety of all passengers in the aircraft. The PED Containment Bag (Lithium-Ion Fire Prevention Bag) offers the possibility to better manage incidents caused by thermal runaways of lithium-ion batteries in portable electronic devices.
The PED containment bag consists of new materials with a temperature resistance of up to 1,000 degrees Celsius. Due to its robust workmanship, the bag can contain highly intensive thermal runaways from defective equipment and protect passengers, crew members and the entire flight cabin from fire. In addition, the PED containment bag enables the safe transport of the source of the fire within the cabin for cooling in a fire protected location.
The sale of machinery, industrial materials and spare parts in China has been a core business of Melchers for more than five decades. For more than ten years Melchers has been active in the aviation industry through its division Melchers Aviation Technical Service (MATS). MATS is the local representation of several well-known international aviation suppliers in China. The products range from aircraft parts and components, including cabin interiors, special tools for Airbus and Boeing repairs to ground support equipment (GSE) and IFS deliveries. The customer base consists mainly of aircraft manufacturers (OEMs), airlines, maintenance service companies (MROs), aircraft leasing companies and other aviation industry service providers in China.
To learn more, please contact us at [email protected].
