Aircraft engine assembly for controlling engine oil flow during fire conditions and method for using same

A method for controlling an oil flow rate for an oil system of an auxiliary power unit (APU) for an aircraft, the method comprising:

• identifying a fire condition within a compartment, and the APU is disposed within the compartment;
• identifying a fire position of an intake door of the aircraft in response to identification of the fire condition;
• and
• controlling the oil flow rate through the oil system by controlling a door actuator to position the intake door in the fire position to direct ambient air to the APU to drive rotation of a rotational assembly of the APU, driving an oil pump of the oil system with the rotational assembly, and directing oil through the oil system with the oil pump.

An assembly for an aircraft, the assembly comprising:

• an aircraft housing forming a compartment within the aircraft housing, the aircraft housing includes an intake door, and the intake door is movable between a closed position, an open position, and intermediate positions between the closed position and the open position;
• an engine disposed within the compartment, and the engine includes an air inlet and a rotational assembly, the air inlet is fluidly connected to the intake door, the intake door in the closed position blocks airflow to the air inlet, and the intake door in the open position and the intermediate positions allows airflow to pass to the air inlet;
• an oil system including an oil pump, the oil pump is operatively connected to the rotational assembly to be driven by rotation of the rotational assembly to pump oil through the oil system;
• a fire detection system including at least one fire-detection sensor within the compartment;
• an air intake system including a door actuator operatively connected to the intake door, the door actuator is operable to position the intake door in the closed position, the open position, and the intermediate positions to control an ambient air flow to the air inlet;
• and
• a controller operatively connected i to the door actuator and the at least one fire-detection sensor, and the controller includes a processor in communication with a non-transitory memory storing instructions, which instructions when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• identify a fire condition within the compartment using the at least one fire-detection sensor;
• and
• control the door actuator to position the intake door in a fire position in response to identification of the fire condition, and the fire position is one of the open position or the intermediate positions.