Oxygen and Breathing System

Oxygen System:
Supplemental oxygen for the flight deck is always gaseous and stored in cylinders.
Supplemental passenger oxygen is usually chemically generated (with exceptions on some aircraft that
use cylinders of gas).
For medical purposes the first aid oxygen is in portable bottles.
Oxygen control valves should be operated slowly and contact with grease must be avoided as it results in
a chemical reaction that can lead to a spontaneous fire or explosion.

Gaseous Oxygen:
It is stored in steel cylinders (European cylinders are painted black with a white shoulder and neck.
American are all green).
Pressure of 1800 psi in the cylinder is reduced to an intermediate pressure of 80-100 psi.
Mask pressure is 8-10 psi.
A thermal compensator adjusts the charging pressure to even out the temperature of the gas flowing into
a cylinder.
If pressure exceeds in the cylinder a safety disc (green) will rupture allowing the contents to escape to
atmosphere.
A red bowl is visible when green safety disc is not in its place.
Oxygen can be filled from outside the pressure hull.
Flow of oxygen can be regulated, it can be turned off.
It has a larger capacity.
Disadvantage is the extra weight.

Continuous Flow Systems:
Normally used in light aircraft for flights above 10,000 ft.
When oxygen supply is on there is a continuous flow into each plugged in mask.

Diluter Demand Regulators:
Fitted at flight crew stations of larger aircraft.
Diluter - Because they mix air with oxygen in differing proportions, depending on cabin altitude.
Demand - Because they only supply oxygen on demand i.e. when the wearer of the mask breathes in.
The system can supply a mix of air and oxygen up to a cabin altitude of 32,000ft. After this 100% oxygen is
supplied.
The system can supply 100% oxygen on demand.
The system can supply 100% oxygen under continuous flow.

Mode of Operation:
The main unit is the pressure regulator.
It is made up of a chamber and a demand valve.
The chamber is split in two sections by a diaphragm.
One section is vented to cabin pressure.
The other section is where the oxygen comes from (via a demand valve). This section is also linked to the
user's mask.
During inhalation a partial vacuum is created in the chamber.
Differential pressure (due to creation of vaccum on one side) deflects the diaphragm.
This lifts the demand valve off its seat.
Oxygen flows in.
As pressure rises in the chamber, diaphragm is moved back to its original position.
Demand valve closes.
Oxygen flow stops.

Normal Operation - 100% Selected Off:
Inhalation during breathing will cause a partial vacuum in the chamber.
This will allow oxygen into the chamber (as discussed above).
This will also draw in cabin ambient air via the air metering valve.
Thus breathing air is cabin air enriched with oxygen.
As cabin altitude increases, the barometric capsule progressively closes the air inlet and opens the oxygen
port, increasing the oxygen supply.
At 32,000ft the air-metering valve will completely close the air supply.
Note: At 33,000 ft, sea level conditions can be maintained by breathing 100% oxygen.

Normal Operation - 100% Selected On:
Normal operation below 32,000 is a mix of cabin air and oxygen.
Incase of smoke contamination the user will get smoke contaminated air and oxygen.
To avoid this the air inlet port is closed by selecting 100% oxygen.
A supplementary oxygen valve opens to meet the demand because the air metering valve will still be
reacting to the lower cabin altitude.

Emergency Selection:
Emergency selection at any altitude forces the diaphragm to move which displaces the demand valve.
Thus supply will be 100% continuous flow of oxygen (higher pressure than normal).

Mask Test:
It operates at a higher pressure than the emergency selection (painful to breathe).

Portable Oxygen:
These cylinders contain 120 litres of oxygen at 1800 psi.
They can have 2 or 3 flow rates.
The flow rates can be:
- 2 Litres per minute for 60 mins.
- 4 Litres per minute for 30 mins.
- 10 Litres per minute for 12 mins.

Chemical Oxygen Generators:
Located in the Personal Service Units (PSU) above the passengers heads.
They contain a solid charge block made of Sodium Chlorate and Iron Powder mixed together.
Pulling the mask down from a half-hung position pulls a lanyard which electrically fires an igniter.
Mask release and igniter use 28 Volts DC from the battery vital services busbar.
Once ignited the charge block will burn continuously for 15 minutes.
It will produce more oxygen than it needs for its own combustion.
This excess of oxygen is supplied to the user's mask after its filtered (at a temperature not more than 10
deg C above ambient).
To save wasting oxygen and allow for cooling, a reservoir bag is fitted before the mask.
A white heat sensitive painted strip around the generator turns black when the unit is ignited.
The generators have a shelf life of five years.
JAA requires 10% more masks than seats fitted.
Advantages of this system are:
- Inexpensive
- Lightweight
- Requires no maintenance
- Lower risk of explosion than gaseous oxygen.
Disadvantages are:
- Due to mixture of oxygen and cabin air, there is no smoke protection.

Toilet Masks: There are two masks in each toilet supplied by chemical generators.

Gaseous Passenger Oxygen System:
Masks are released by oxygen pressure when it is turned on, either automatically or by the pilot, and not
28V DC.

First Aid Oxygen:
Approx discharge rate is 3 litres a minute.
JAA requirement:
At least 2 bottles, enough oxygen for 2% of the passengers for the time above 8,000 feet.


Protective Breathing Equipment:
Minimum endurance specified by JAR OPS for cabin crew protective breathing equipment is 15 minutes.
A typical smoke hood oxygen supply lasts for 15 minutes.