The senior safety officer of your plant is chairing the meeting and explaining hazards and suitable safety precautions that should be taken.
On the very first verification the potential problems the liners could have caused with fuel cooling, heat distribution in the fuel, fuel flow between tanks, fuel flow into the engines and the aircraft's centre of gravity, were not seen. On subsequent tests the results were confirmed paving the way for other aircraft in both the BA and Air France fleets to go though the multi-million pound modification programme:
· It was decided that the main cause of the accident was the ignition of the kerosene flowing from a massive rupture in a fuel tank caused by debris hitting the underside of the tank. After researching the possibilities for shielding the tanks the best source of protection was found to be lining the insides of certain tanks with kevlar-rubber panels. The Kevlar-rubber panels have been designedto match the density of the fuel. The installation of these panels would displace some fuel, thus reducing very slightly the overall range of the aircraft, but should not significantly alter the centre of gravity and balance calculations.
· The fitment of Kevlar lining to key fuel tanks - this will reduce the flow of fuel from any leak which may occur, which together with the removal of electrical ignition sources will make sustained fire impossible.
· The use of the new aircraft tire technology on all eight main wheels - these tyres are designed to be more resilient to damage by foreign objects and only in extreme cases can smaller, lighter tread pieces be released, giving a much lower level of energy on impact than that which occurred at Gonesse.
· The armouring of electrical wiring in the undercarriage bay – the investigators believe that the fire may have been ignitedby an electrical spark in the undercarriage bay, and that protecting this area eliminates that risk.
· The water deflector retention cable must be removed and there is a slight reprofiling of the deflector to accommodate the new tyre.
· The antiskid protocols are changed. This is necessary because of the tyre change. (The anti-skid system is common to most airliners. If an aircraft is about to skid it automatically releases the brakes, for a short time, to prevent a skid developing.)
· The flat tyre detection and warning system must be working on departure.
· The electrical power to the brake cooling fans is switched off before take off and landing.
b)Make notes of the potential problems andthe advantages of the modifications. Complete the chart below. In pairs, discuss the main precautions you think should be taken by Concorde’s manufacturers with regard to the existing hazards.
| Potential problems | Causes | Modifications | Advantages |
C) Mind the use of highlighted language in the text.
d) You are engineers of the design team. Evaluate the project and discuss the advantages of the modifications above. Use the following expressions:
| from an environmental and safety standpoint… The main danger/hazard is… certainly it’s clear that… the most important/key factor/way to improve… the ideal/perfect/the best solution for especially good for… -ing To be safe, they’ll have to take care that (they’ll need to…) |
E) Student A is a safety officer. Student B is an engineering manager. In pairs, discuss suitable safety precautions and engineering works that should be carried out at several plants to made Concorde safe for the skies. Swap roles and practices again. Use the words and expressions in the box.
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Unit 6 Air traffic control system
Because they were few, underpowered, and