Aircraft Oxygen Bottle Removal and Replacement
Why Aircraft Bottles are removed and replaced
This paper explores the maintenance task of an aircraft oxygen bottle, including the removal and replacement of the same. Human beings need oxygen to breath and therefore stay alive. It is therefore necessary that in most machinery used by human beings, oxygen needs to be carries so as to ensure that I can be used when needed. In aircraft, oxygen bottles are needed in case they are required by passengers, patients or the flight crew while the plane is airborne. This oxygen may come in handy in instances where oxygen runs out unexpectedly. At Certain high altitudes pilots and passengers may be vulnerable to an oxygen shortage due to changing pressure in the aircraft. This oxygen is usually used in such cases.
It is necessary to ensure that the oxygen bottles are well kept and maintained to ensure safety for passengers and the aircraft. Oxygen bottles and cylinders must therefore be regularly inspected and this requires certain laid out procedures. This is because handing pressurised oxygen can be particularly hazardous .usually; bottles are tested to make sure of their structural integrity every few years. The amount of time oxygen may stay in the bottles also needs to be changed after a certain period to ensure that it is safe for users. It is for this reason that the bottles need to be removed and replaced from time to time.
System Components
The system mainly contains of the oxygen bottle or cylinder within which the oxygen is stored. The bottle is tightly kept closed at airtight levels with a valve. This is what ensures that the contents o f the bottle remain within it and do not get contaminated. It also keeps the oxygen in the bottle from escaping and causing a lot of damage to the aircraft. The bottle is held in place by two panels that are attached to the plane. These are usually secured with screw drives or bolts and serve to hold the bottle in place. The bottle is usually attached to a number of pipes that allow the oxygen to flow to wherever it may be needed. The opening and closing of the pipes is easily controllable through different switches .usually the oxygen bottles will contain an approval stamp from the department of transportation to ensue that the integrity of the bottle is sure. The oxygen servicing valves have got filters which ensure that the oxygen that eventually get s used is very pure and devoid of contaminants (Wiggins, 2012). Finally, the system also connects to oxygen masks which may be used to directly access oxygen so as to breath.
Whenever there is a need for supplementary oxygen on the aircraft, either by a patient or by any other person, the oxygen mask which is usually positioned close to the person is accessed and put over the person’s nose and mouth (Martin, 2006). Once this is done, the valves that release the oxygen and open through as with or a lever on the plane. The valves contain filters that purify the oxygen and allow it to flow to the recipient. The valves contain regulators that regulate the amount of oxygen that enters the oxygen mask. The user is hen able to breath freely. When the use of the oxygen is not further required, the switch is turned ff and oxygen flow into the mask stops.
Maintenance Task
In a routine maintenance task of the oxygen bottle in an aircraft, the first thing I did was to make sure that I had the required clothing that was comfortable and protective. I than accessed the bottled from the aircraft by releasing the panels that were holding it secure. To make sure that is was necessary to replace the bottles, I checked the date the bottles were last serviced which was near the top of the bottle. I ensured that I followed the manual for the specific aircraft while closing off the seal of the bottles to make sure that oxygen would not escape and then I lifted out the bottles gently. I then ensured that valves leading oxygen into the aircraft were closed. The procedure was done gently so as not to expose the bottles to any violent shaking. After ensuring that the bottles had been refilled, by trained professionals, I followed the instructional manuals to replace the bottles. I ensured that the bottles were tightly sealed. I then connected then secured it on the plane with bolts. I then connected the valves that transport he oxygen and ensured that the connection was airtight. I did a manual check to ensure that the bottles were well placed ion the plane and that oxygen was flowing into the oxygen masks and that the filters in the valves were working ( ). The date of the check was stamped on the bottles for future reference.
In this undertaking I followed an instructional manual that outlined all the steps to be taken in removal and replacement of the oxygen bottles in reference to the particular aircraft I was working with. The maintenance requirements are contained in a manual published by the Federal Aviation Administration chapter 57 entitled Maintenance requirements for high pressure cylinders installed in registered aircrafts in any category ( USFAA, 2007). I used a screw driver to unscrew some of the screws that held the panels which held the bottles secures. I then used a wrench to release the bottles from where they were secured on the aircraft.
Safety precautions included dressing in the right attire in case of a fire or an explosion (Martin, 2006 ) . I also took precaution in the handling of the bottles to make sure that no violent shaking was done to the bottles ( USFAA, 2007 ).Precautions were also taken to avoid contact with grease and any fuel as this would have lead to a violent eruption ( Stewart, Beeson &Smith, 2007).
References
Wiggins, E. ( 2012). How to Service Aviation Oxygen Bottles.Reterieved on November 22, 2012
.http://www.ehow.com/how_8624269_service-aviation-oxygen-bottles.html
United States Federal Aviation Administration -USFAA. (2007). Pilot’s Encyclopedia of
Aeronautical Knowledge: Federal Aviation Administration. New York: Sky Horse
Publishing Inc.
Stewart, W. F., Beeson, H. D & Smith, S. R. (2007). Safe Use of Oxygen and Oxygen Systems:
Handbook for Oxygen System Design, Operation, and Maintenance. MA:ASTM
International.
Martin , T. (2006). Aero medical Transportation: A Clinical Guide. Burlington: Ash gate Publishing
Company.
.
