Icon Aerospace Technology, based in Retford, UK, has spent eight years investigating multiple modern materials and design processes to develop jet engine fire seals, which can withstand extreme temperatures of more than 1,093ºC, and as low as -60 ºC.
The seals have already consistently passed a series of industry standard tests, including ISO/TR 2685 and AC20-125 where the seal is exposed to a flame at 1,100 ºC, for 15 minutes, whilst being subjected to vibration, airflow and pressure deltas.
Key to the breakthrough of this material composition is Icon’s ‘Face 2 Face’ working philosophy. The company has invested time in its network of fire testing facilities and its customers to listen and respond to their challenges, working together to overcome them. The result is a product which has passed 11 fire tests first time for major aerospace OEM Rolls Royce. Across the industry it is typically up to three tests per seal that are required to achieve compliance.
Dan Bailey, commercial director at Icon, commented: “We have spent a lot of time with our network to really understand in detail, the application of fire seals, to ensure we are capable of designing a product which is highly effective when in use. By understanding everything from the external forces affecting the seals, to the air flow interacting with them, we have been able to design a product which has a very high success rate for passing fire tests.”
The fire seals are designed and manufactured in the UK by Icon, and even the rigs used to perform the tests are designed in the \uk to ensure they truly replicate insitu conditions. The testing phase for the seals saw Icon conduct 26 individual fire tests, with every seal successfully concluding a comprehensive test programme.
These products play a vital role on aircraft, containing fire within localised areas to prevent flame spread. This is particularly important when applied to engines and auxiliary power units, where the seal acts as a barrier between the flame and the rest of the aircraft. Icon’s fire seal components are also used in the main fans of aircraft, as well as inside fuel systems.
