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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ORDER FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION 8150.4 National Policy Effective Date: 8/29/07 SUBJ: Certification of Cargo Containers With Self-Contained Temperatu re Co ntrol Systems (Active ULDs) 1. Purpose of this Order. This order will show you how to approve cargo containers that have a self -contained temp erature control system for the container contents. We call cargo containers "unit loa d devices," or ULDs. Cargo containers with self-contained temperature control systems are call ed active ULDs .
2. Audienc e. Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) aircraft ce1tification office (ACO) staffs.
3. Wh er e Can I find th is Ord er. You can find this order in the FAA Directive Management System at MyF AA employees website: bttps://employees.faa.gov/tools resources/orders notices/ or on the Regulatory and Gui.dance Library (RGL) website: http://rgl.faa. gov .
4. Deviations. Fo llo w this order when approving active ULDs. If you want to dev ia te from this orde r, you must coordinate with the Aircraft Engineering Division (AIR- 100). We must approve t he devia ti on.
Substan t iate, document, and get conct u-r ence from your manage r to deviate be fore submitting it to AIR 100.
S. Requiremen t5.
a. Active ULDs must folly mee t al l the requirements in the latest revision of FAA technical standard order (TSO) -C90, Cargo Pallets, Nets, and Containers. If you're approving a TSO application for an active ULD, yo u must also us e current FAA policy on non-TSO function(s) integrated with a TSO article to evaluate the active ULD tem perature control system. Req uir e app licants to perfo rm a system safety assess m ent referring to practices in SAE ARP 4761 and furnish to the FAA a F uncti onal Hazard Assessment (f"HA) and Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for the active ULD (including temperature control system) according to the la test revis ion of advisory circular (AC) 25. 1309 - 1, System Design and Analysis .
b. Data that we accept under current policy (on non-TSO 11.mctions) must addres s al l the aspects lis ted in appen d ix 1 of this order. Identify more aspects as appropr iate, based on the specific design and l imit a ti ons of the active ULD. You may accept foreign applications, if there is an appl ica ble bilateral agreement with provisions for accepting all of the following: ( I) Appliance approvals (TSO), (2) No n-TSO functions, and (3) Transport category aircraft design data.
Distr ib ution: A-W(IR/FS) - 2; A-X(CD/FS)-2; A-FAC-0 (L TD): Ini tiated By: AIR-100 A-FFS-1, 2, 3. 5, 7, 8 (LTD) 8150.4 08/29/07 Check t he applicab le bilateral to verify specific provision lang1.1age a nd limit atio ns to determine if a foreign applicatio n c an be accep t ed.
c. Curre nt non -TSO functions pol icy gives you a means for collecting da ta su pporti ng the add iti ona l functions wit hin a TSO article . Whe n approving the TSO artic le (the basic ULD o nly ), you eva l uate and accep t the data collected fo r the non-TSO functio n ( the e nv iro nmen tal con tr ol system). Accepting the data means t ha t we co nsider it va lid. Approving the data for showing compl iance to the applica ble requirements is done during the install at ion. Generally for ULDs, the app licable instal l ation re qu irements are operatio na l regu la tions . In t hi s case, we approve act i ve UL Ds unde r Title 14 of the Code of F ederal Regulations (14 CFR) § 2 l.305( d) . The requiremen ts in thi s order define a " . .. manner accepta ble to the admin istra to r''.
d. We don 't usually require an ins ta ll atio n approval u nder a type ce rt i fica te or su pplementa l type certi ficat e (TC or STC), because U LD s are generally no t part of the aircraft type design . How e ver, if a UL D is defined in the aircraft type design, then in ste ad of using J 4 CFR § 21 .30 5( d) , we evaluate the da ta va li da ted under tl 1e non - TSO functi ons policy fur installati . on approval under t he TC/STC pr ocess.
e. Inform appli ca nts that air carriers wanting to use active UL Ds approved to 14 CFR § 21.305(d) mus t consult with their FAA Cer tificate Manag em ent Office (CMO) on operationa l requ i reme nts specific to the ir organiz at ion .
f. In fo1m applicants that ai r carrie rs who offer, ac cept, or cany the ULD in transpo11ation must a lso comply wi ih a ll app li cable requireme nts of the US Departm ent of Transportation (DOT) Hazar dous Materials Regulatio ns , 49 CF R, parts I 00 - 185 .
g. Since active ULDs are genera ll y no t a ddressed in the aircraft design and certifica ti on, and th ere is currently no TSO that addresses all th e safety aspects of act ive ULD s in transport category air craft, we mu st ap pl y carefu l scrutiny duri ng t he initial appr oval of the act i ve ULD.
6. Background.
n. Historically, airlines hav e carr ied car go in ULDs, which were containers or pal let-and-net combinat i ons. Over the las t year, ULD manufacturers have asked us to approve cargo conta iners t ha t include a self -contained temperature control system for th e cont ents-- an active ULD. Active U LD temperature con trol syst ems can h eat, cool , (or both) the con tainers to mai nta in a specific tem perature .
The te mperature control syst ems are battery- powered, so active UL Ds do no t inteiface witl1 any airCl'aft systems for powe r. The goal for ULD manufacture rs is for air lines to use active ULDs just as they currently use ULD s without tem p erature con trol sys tem s.
b. In genera l, we ap prove ULDs to TSO· C90, which pr escribes perfonnance stan da rds for structural in t erface wi th the aircraft and flamma bility c har ac te rist ics . TSO - C90 ci te s the Aerospace In d ustties Association of America 's National Aerospace St andard {NAS) 3610, Cargo Unit Load D evice s Specificatum For, yet TSO-C90 (and NAS3610) l ack perfonnance stand ar ds fo r the te m pernture c ontrol systems in active ULDs , or for that system's in terac ti on w ith cri t ical ai rcr aft systems . TSO -C90cand N AS3610 are not sufficient to fully address all certificatio n r equiremen ts of ac tiv e ULDs.
8150.4 08/29/07 c. ULD design is generally not inclu d ed in the a irc raft's approved tyPe design. ULD use is contro ll ed by aircraft weight and balance manua ls . Those manuals typi cally allow ULDs meeting the requirements ofTSO-C90 /.NAS36 IO but don't cover, or restrict, using active ULDs. We have been certifying transpo rt aircraft based on the assumption that ULDs wi thout temperature control systems will be canied in the cargo compartment as in ert containers.
7. Di strib u tio n. Disnibute this order to tl 1.e divisio n leve l in the Aircraft Certification Service and Flight Standards Service in Washington headquarteis; to the b ranch l evel in the Aircraft Certification directorates and regional Flight Standards Service; to a ll aircraft cert ificatio n and flight standards di strict offices.
8. Suggestions for Improvement. If you find any deficiencies, nee d clarification, or want to suggest improvements to this directive, send a copy off AA Form 1320-19, Directive Feedback lnfo1mation (wiitten or electronically) to the Aircraft Certification Service, Planning and Financial Resow-ces Management Bra nch, AIR-530, Attention: Directives Man agem e nt Officer. You may also send a copy to the Airc raft Engineering Division, AIR-I 00, A tt ention: Comments to Order 8150.4 . If you urgeotly need an in terpre tation, contact the Technical Programs and Continued Airwo 11hines s Branch, AIR - 120, at (202 267- 9557. Always use FAA.fonn 1320-19 to follow up each verbal c onversation.
9. Re cords Manag ement_ Refer to Orders 0000.t, FAA Standard Subject Classification System; 1 350. 14, Records Management; and 1350.15, Records, Organization, Transfer, and Destruction Standards; or your office Records Management Officer or D ir ectives Management Officer for guidance regar di ng retention or disposition of records.
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David W. Hempe Manager, Ai rcraft Enginee 1 ing Division Aircraft Certification Service 8150.4 08/29/07 Appendix I. Aspects to Ad dr ess ACOs must require applicants to address the fo ll owing aspects when they seek certification of active ULDs. We require ACOs to coordit1ate with the Transport Airplane Di r ectorate standards staff on developing and approving specific methods of comp lia nce (MOC) fur lit hiu m batteries and substantiating the effect of the active ULD on aircraft fire detection/suppression sys t ems . We encourage ACOs to coordinate with the Tra nsport Airplane Directorate standards staff on developing and approving specific MOC to the other requirements in this appendix.
• FHA and FMEA submitted by applicant per la test revision of AC 25. l 309-J.
• Electromagnetic interference (EMI) (see latest revision of RTCA, Inc. document RTCA/DO-160, Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures.for Airborne EquipmenJ,. Section 21 Cat H is required - no aircraft test ing necessary.
• How the applicant will address Hazmat (For example, lit hium ba tt eries, refrige ra nt, etc .) .
• Aircraft fire detec tion /suppression system : Evaluate the effect of airflow changes produced by the active ULO on the aircraft tire detection/suppression system performance and system integrity including multiple ULDs , in multiple configurations, on multiple aircraft. Both nounal dispatch and master minimum equipment li st (MtvIBL) dispatch conditions must be addressed . ACOs must coo rdinate speci fic requirements and m etho ds of comp liance with t he Transport Airplane Directorate.
• Affect on smo ke containment (penetration) characteristics: Evalua te the effect of airflow ch anges pr oduced by the active ULD on smoke containment characteristics of the cargo compartment including multiple ULDs, in multiple configurations, on multiple aircraft.
• Behavior of the ULD in a cargo com partment fire -- for examp l e: o Exp lo sion potential.
o Potential for signi ficant contribution to the fire .
o Potential for release of toxic or fl.a01Jllable gasses .
• Battery safety: o Eval u ate the safety of all battery types under the environmental and load conditio11S that the ULD will be ex pos ed. Address dead short testing, corrosive chemical conta i nment, flammabil i ty, vibration testing, th ermal runaway, taxi flight -landing loads, gro u nding and bonding, and any other conditions identified in theFMEA.
o Fo r lead acid or Nickel Cadmium batteries see la test revision ofRTCNDO-293 Minimum Operational Performance Sta11dards for Nickel-Cadmium and Lead Acid Batteries.
Al-1 8150.4 08/29/07 Ap1>endix 1. Aspects to Address o ACOs must coordinate specific requirements and methods of compliance with the Transport Ai!Jllane Directorate for battery types not covered by RTCA /DO 293.
o Lithium batteries requ ir e additional substantiation, including, but not limited to , Hazinat and United Nations testing requirements. ACOs nmst coordinate specific requirements and methods of comp li ance with the Transport Airplane Directorate.
o Address the requirements for batteties in 14 CFR § 25.1353 • Decompression testing (6,000 to 45,000 ft in l second). See In ternation al Air Transport Association (IA TA) ULD Technical Manual I 9u , edition, May 2004).
• Software (dependent on hazard)--see latest revision of RTCA/DO -1 78, Software Considerations in Airborne Systems and Equipment CertificaJu;m .
• Environmental conditio ns , including, but not l imi t ed to, vibration, temperature, humi di ty, a lt itude, shock, salt spray, and flu ids susceptib ility. See latest revision ofRTCA/DO-160.
• Other issues identified in app li can t 's FMEA analysis. NOTE: U LD tracking systems tha t include a transmission device must be coordinated with the Transport Au- plane Directorate st andard s sta ff.
• Operating instructions for both the ULD and 1he temperature control system.
• Instrnctions for continued ai1wo1thiness (!CA) (inclu des ICA fo r temperature control system).
• Marking requirements o Placard for TSO and 14 CFR § 2!.305(d) app roval (see appendix 2), or mark as required under TC/STC process if applicable.
o Safety iufonnati on req uired for proper use, operation and l im itations.
• ULDs approved under 14 CFR § 21.305(d) in conjiu1ction with TSO-C90c ap proval must have a quality system that meets 14 CFR § 21.143 for both TSO and Non-TSO aspect s: o For TS OA: MIDO must review and approve the production and quality control system.
o Fo r LODA : Applicable bilateral agreement must provide for oversight of applicant's tro l and production/quality control of the non-TSO functions.
desigo con Al -2 8150.4 08/29 / 07 Appendix 2. Additional Marking on Containers ACOs ensu re tha t ma nufacturers ad here to the fo ll ow ing marking r eq ui rement s: a. Attach a label next to the TSO l abel , or as a completely separate section of the TSO label , with th e following additional info ,mation: (1) Name of manufacturer (2) "FAA Approved 14 CFR§21 .305( d)" or, " FAA Approved TC/STC "inse rt TC/STC munber"' (3) FM - approved data (such as tli e master drawing list) used to s ub stantiate the a dd i tional eq uipment (4) Ins tructions for con tin ue d airw orthiness (!CA) required: Iist F AA-approved I CA document(s) (5) Any additional li mitati o ns or infonna ti on needed by user to sa fely transport ULD b. Affix the markingsh011/!I in appe nd ix 3, on the upper part of each vertical face (four l ocations) of the UL D: o Marking is a ppro xima te ly 5 in c hes wide and 7 inches long o Upper arrow in the figure is col ored red and the lower a n- ow is blue o Te xt must be black and approximately 0.5 inc hes high A2-l 8150.4 08(29/07 Appendix 3. Required Markin g La bel
ACTIVE
TEMPERATURE
CONTROL SYSTEM
A3 -l 81 50.4 08/29/07 Appendix 4. Sa mple Directive Feedback In fo r m ation, FAA For m 1320-19 U.S. Departme nt of Tr ansportation Federal Av ia ti on Admini stra t i on Di re ctive Feedback Information Please submit any writt en comments or recommendations for improvi ng this directive, or suggest n ew items or subjects to be added to it. Al so , if you find an error, please te ll us about i t.
Subject: Order To: Directive Management Office r, AIR-530 (Please check all appropriate line items) D An error (procedural or typographical) has been noted in paragraph __ _ on page __ _ D Recommend paragraph ___ on page ___ be changed as follows: (attach separate sheet if necessary) D In a future change to this di rective, please include coverage on t he following subject (briefly describe what you want added): D Other comments: D I wo uld like to discuss the above. Please contact me.
Sub mitted by: _______________ Date: ___ __ _ _ FTS Te lephone Number: _______ Routing Symbol: ______ _ FAA Fonn 1320-19 (8-89X R epresentation ) A4 - I