PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Pressurisation
Thread: Pressurisation
View Single Post
Old 14th August 2009 | 13:14
  #27 (permalink)  
SNS3Guppy
 
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,218
Likes: 2
From: USA
I don't know of any a/c where if you start a screaming descent at 10,000 ft per minute the cabin instantly follows you down (screamingly) at a high rate. Maybe I'm out of touch.
You're not out of touch. Excepting a massive breach of the pressure vessel (eg, missing door, hole in the fuselage, etc), even a rapid descent with bleeds off or power insufficient to provide adequate bleed, the cabin rate will not follow the aircraft rate. If it did, there's no way the aircraft could ever pass a leakdown test or be considered a pressure vessel..even with the dump valves open and/or negative pressure relief valves open.

Leakdown tests today are mostly performed on the ground, but certain older aircraft still use airborne leakdown tests at a specified altitude. With cabin pressure set to a known value, bleeds are shut off and the rate of cabin change timed. Even with the bleeds off, there's no instant dump. If there is, and if the pressure vessel is leaking so sufficiently as to allow the cabin to change rapidly (eg follow the aircraft rate of climb or descent), then there are serious problems with the sealing of the pressure vessel.
SNS3Guppy is offline  
Reply