APU 131-9A / White Smoke from the APU

Exhaust

ATA: 49-80 FIN: 4005KM Ref: 49.80.00.002

A/C Type: A318 Potential Operational First Issue Date: 03-SEP-2015
A319 Impact: Reliability
A320 Line
A321 Maintenance
Part Number: 3800708-1 Key Information: Last Publication 10-DEC-2015
Date:
Supplier: Solution Maintenance
Benefit: Cost
Operational
Reliability
Linked Articles: Linked Status: Open
Documentation:
Linked FAIR-ISP:

Engineering Support
Fault Code/ECAM First Issue Date: 03-SEP-2015
Warning:
Model: Last Publication Date: 10-DEC-2015
Manufacturer:
Status: Open
Applicability:
A320 family aircraft fitted with Honeywell APU 131-9A.

Reference / Documentation:
Airbus TSM Task 49-00-81-810-889-A.

Description
Several Operators have contacted Honeywell in relation to events of white
smoke from the exhaust upon APU shutdown.
Smoke from the APU exhaust is covered by the Airbus TSM under task Ref.
49-00-81-810-889-A. This troubleshooting procedure focuses on the air/oil
separator and recommends to replace the APU in case the issue cannot be
fixed by replacing the separator.
Detailed testing and investigation carried out in the Honeywell approved
repair shops on APU returned with reports of white smoke revealed a
severe obstruction of the gearbox vent tube by coked oil deposits.
The obstruction of the tube results in an increase of the gearbox pressure
beyond normal operating levels. This is believed to cause a reduction of the
efficiency of the scavenge pump and eventually in oil leakage thru the
turbine seal during shutdown.
Oil leaking into the APU exhaust will burn due to the elevated temperatures
and cause the white smoke observed.

Consequence
Obstruction of the gearbox vent tube may go unnoticed during the
troubleshooting as per the current TSM task. This may eventually result in
APU removal.

Investigation Status
The obstruction of the gearbox vent tube is caused by the presence of
excess oil in the tube which eventually cokes due to the elevated exhaust
temperatures. The failure mode responsible for the presence of oil in the
vent tube is not fully understood at this time.
Further investigations are currently underway to determine the root cause
and to identify the relevant solution to the issue.

Mitigation / Interim Plan

As a mitigation and before APU removal is considered, Airbus and
Honeywell have devised a procedure to remove and clean the gearbox vent
tube and fitting.
This procedure would allow to remove the coked oil deposits and to restore
the balance of pressure in the APU gearbox without the need to remove
the APU from the aircraft.
The procedure will be included in the relevant aircraft
documentation (AMM and TSM) next revision, and in the meantime,
an advance copy can be provided on request to our Technical
Publications department.

Maintenance Information
In case white smoke from the exhaust is noted upon APU shutdown, Airbus
recommends initially following the current TSM procedure in task 49-00-
81-810-889-A.
If the troubleshooting procedures provided in the TSM cannot fix the issue,
Airbus recommends all Operators to submit a query in TechRequest to our
Technical Publications department requesting an advance copy of
the removal, installation and cleaning procedures for the vent tube
and fitting BEFORE proceeding with the replacement of the APU.

Repercussions on A/C Operations

Aircraft experiencing white smoke from the APU exhaust may be
dispatched under MEL with the APU inoperative. The alternative procedure
to remove and clean the gearbox vent tube may significantly reduce the
time during which the APU is kept inoperative.

Permanent Solution
A final fix to the issue of smoke from the APU exhaust depends on the
result of the root cause investigation.
Currently, Airbus expects the root cause investigation to be completed
within Q2 2016.
Further information will be made available by means of regular updates to
the present TFU article.

Airbus SAS, 2015. All rights reserved. Confidential and proprietary document.The technical
information provided in this article is for convenience and information purposes only. It shall in
no case replace the official Airbus technical or Flight Operations data which shall remain the sole
basis for aircraft maintenance and operation. These recommendations and information do not
constitute a contractual commitment, warranty or guarantee whatsoever. They shall not
supersede the Airbus technical nor operational documentation; should any deviation appear
between this article and the Airbus or airline's official manuals, the operator must ensure to
cover it with the appropriate document such as TA, FCD, RAS. Access to WISE is supplied by
Airbus under the express condition that Airbus hereby disclaims any and all liability for the use
made by the user of the information contained in WISE. It shall be used for the user's own
purposes only and shall not be reproduced or disclosed to any third party without the prior
consent of Airbus.