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CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. RECORDING AND STORAGE TECHNIQUE
A. MAGNETIC TAPE
B. SOLID STATE TECHNOLOGY
3. COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER
4. FLIGHT DATA RECORDER
5. CONSTRUCTION
6. TESTING OF CSMU
7. AFTER CRASH
8. RETRIEVING INFORMATION
9. APPLICATION
10. REFERENCE
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ABSTRACT:
As the technology progressing, the speed of traveling is also increased. The source to
destination became so closer to each others. The main advancement in the field of the air
traveling system with the help of airplane. This is the major discovery of technology. But as the
speed increases , the horror of air crash also introduced. Because at a height of 2000m and
above if a plane crashes ,it will be a terror for any body. So to take the feed back of the various
activities happens in the plane and record them engineers need a mechanism to record such
activities .
With any airplane crash, there are many unanswered questions as to what brought the
plane down. Investigators turn to the airplane's flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice
recorder (CVR), also known as "black boxes," for answers. In Flight 261, the FDR contained
48 parameters of flight data, and the CVR recorded a little more than 30 minutes of
conversation and other audible cockpit noises.
Introduction of Black-Box
In almost every commercial aircraft, there are several microphones built into the cockpit to
track the conversations of the flight crew. These microphones are also designed to track
any ambient noise in the cockpit, such as switches being thrown or any knocks or thuds.
There may be up to four microphones in the plane's cockpit, each connected to the cockpit
voice recorder (CVR).
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INTRODUCTION
If any airplane crash, there are many unanswered questions as to what brought the plane
down. Investigators turn to the airplane's flight data recorder (FDR) and cockpit voice recorder
(CVR), also known as "black boxes," for answers. In Flight 261, the FDR contained 48
parameters of flight data, and the CVR recorded a little more than 30 minutes of conversation
and other audible cockpit noises.
These recording devices, which cost between $10,000 an $15,000 each, reveal details of the
events immediately preceding the accident. In this article, we will look at the two types of
black boxes, how they survive crashes, and how they are retrieved and analyzed.
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Data from both the CVR and FDR is stored on stacked memory boards inside the
crash-survivable memory unit (CSMU). The CSMU is a cylindrical compartment on the
recorder. The stacked memory boards are about 1.75 inches (4.45 cm) in diameter and 1 inch
(2.54 cm) tall.
The memory boards have enough digital storage space to accommodate two hours of
audio data for CVRs and 25 hours of flight data for FDRs.
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Pilot's headset
Co-pilot's headset
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Near the center of the cockpit, where it can pick up audio alerts and other sounds
Most magnetic-tape CVRs store the last 30 minutes of sound. They use a continuous
loop of tape that completes a cycle every 30 minutes. As new material is recorded, the oldest
material is replaced. CVRs that used solid-state storage can record two hours of audio. Similar
to the magnetic-tape recorders, solid-state recorders also record over old material.
FLIGHT DATA RECORDERS
The flight data recorder (FDR) is designed to record the operating data from the plane's
systems. There are sensors that are wired from various areas on the plane to the flight-data
acquisition unit, which is wired to the FDR. When a switch is turned on or off, that operation is
recorded by the FDR.
DAMAGED FDR
Magnetic-tape recorders have the potential to record up to 100 parameters. Solid-state
FDRs can record more than 700 parameters.
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Time
Pressure altitude
Airspeed
Vertical acceleration
Magnetic heading
Control-column position
Rudder-pedal position
Control-wheel position
Horizontal stabilizer
Fuel flow
Solid-state recorders can track more parameters than magnetic tape because they allow
for a faster data flow. Solid-state FDRs can store up to 25 hours of flight data. Each additional
parameter that is recorded by the FDR gives investigators one more clue about the cause of an
accident.
BUILT TO SURVIVE
In many airline accidents, the only devices that survive are the crash-survivable
memory units (CSMUs) of the flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders. Typically, the
rest of the recorders' chassis and inner components are mangled. The CSMU is a large cylinder
that bolts onto the flat portion of the recorder. This device is engineered to withstand extreme
heat, violent crashes and tons of pressure. In older magnetic-tape recorders, the CSMU is
inside a rectangular box.
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Aluminum housing - There is a thin layer of aluminum around the stack of memory
cards.
High-temperature insulation - This dry-silica material is 1 inch (2.54 cm) thick and
provides high-temperature thermal protection. This is what keeps the memory boards
safe during post-accident fires.
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TESTING A CSMU
To ensure the quality and survivability of black boxes, manufacturers thoroughly test
the CSMUs. Remember, only the CSMU has to survive a crash -- if accident investigators have
that, they can retrieve the information they need.
There are several tests that make up the crash-survival sequence
Crash impact - . This impact force is equal to or in excess of what a recorder might
experience in an actual crash.
Pin drop - To test the unit's penetration resistance, researchers drop a 500-pound (227kg) weight with a 0.25-inch steel pin protruding from the bottom onto the CSMU from
a height of 10 feet (3 m). This pin, with 500-pounds behind it, impacts the CSMU
cylinder's most vulnerable axis.
Fire test - Researchers place the unit into a propane-source fireball, cooking it using
three burners. .
Deep-sea submersion - The CSMU is placed into a pressurized tank of salt water for
24 hours.
Salt-water submersion - The CSMU must survive in a salt water tank for 30 days.
Fluid immersion - Various CSMU components are placed into a variety of aviation
fluids, including jet fuel, lubricants and fire-extinguisher chemicals.
Black boxes are usually sold directly to and installed by the airplane manufacturers.
Both black boxes are installed in the tail of the plane -- putting them in the back of the aircraft
increases their chances of survival. The precise location of the recorders depends on the
individual plane. Sometimes they are located in the ceiling of the galley, in the aft cargo hold
or in the tail cone that covers the rear of the aircraft.
"Typically, the tail of the aircraft is the last portion of the aircraft to impact," Doran
said. "The whole front portion of the airplane provides a crush zone, which assists in the
deceleration of tail components, including the recorders, and enhances the likelihood that the
crash-protected memory of the recorder will survive.
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supply the NTSB with the readout systems and software needed to do a full analysis of the
recorders' stored data.
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CONCLUSION
So, black box technology has moved from airplanes to automobiles -- where is it
headed next?
There are improvements on the horizon for black box technology. Reportedly, some form of
cockpit video recorder will be developed. Such a recorder would be able to store video images
in solid-state memory.
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