Aircraft nitrogen generation and oxygen distribution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10040567-B2
Application number	US-201514866619-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2015
Priority date	Sep 25, 2015
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods provide for a nitrogen generation and oxygen distribution system. According to one aspect, the system includes an NGS and an oxygen distribution processor coupled to the NGS. The NGS creates nitrogen enriched air as the primary product for fuel tank use, and oxygen enriched air as a secondary product. The oxygen distribution processor is operative to determine a number of flight parameters, and from those parameters, provide an oxygen distribution command to an oxygen distribution valve in order to prevent the oxygen enriched air from being distributed, to route the oxygen enriched air to the ambient environment, or to route the oxygen enriched air to an aircraft engine to increase combustion efficiency.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A nitrogen generation and oxygen distribution system, comprising:
a nitrogen generation system (NGS) operative to
create nitrogen enriched air as a primary product and oxygen enriched air as a secondary product, and
route the nitrogen enriched air to a fuel tank of an aircraft;

an oxygen distribution valve communicatively coupled to the NGS to receive the oxygen enriched air therefrom and selectively positionable to prevent any distribution of the oxygen enriched air from the NGS, to direct the oxygen enriched air from the NGS to an ambient environment surrounding the aircraft, or to direct the oxygen enriched air from the NGS to an engine of the aircraft; and
an oxygen distribution processor communicatively coupled to the NGS and to the oxygen distribution valve, and operative to
determine a plurality of flight parameters;
determine from the plurality of flight parameters, a selection of an oxygen distribution configuration associated with the NGS, the oxygen distribution configuration comprising a first oxygen distribution configuration, a second oxygen distribution configuration, and a third oxygen distribution configuration;
in response to determining the selection of the first oxygen distribution configuration, transmitting signals to the oxygen distribution valve to cause the oxygen distribution valve to route the oxygen enriched air from the NGS to the ambient environment surrounding the aircraft;
in response to determining the selection of the second oxygen distribution configuration, transmitting signals to the oxygen distribution valve to cause the oxygen distribution valve to route the oxygen enriched air from the NGS to the engine of the aircraft; and
in response to determining the selection of the third oxygen distribution configuration, transmitting signals to the oxygen distribution valve to cause the oxygen distribution valve to close the oxygen distribution valve to prevent distribution of the oxygen enriched air to either the ambient environment or the engine of the aircraft.

2. The nitrogen generation and oxygen distribution system of claim 1 , wherein determining the plurality of flight parameters comprises determining a plurality of real-time aircraft or environmental characteristics measured during a phase of flight.

3. The nitrogen generation and oxygen distribution system of claim 2 , wherein determining the plurality of flight parameters comprises determining at least a current altitude, an ambient air pressure, and an ambient air temperature.

4. The nitrogen generation and oxygen distribution system of claim 2 , wherein the first oxygen distribution configuration comprises a configuration in which a maximum quantity of nitrogen enriched air is provided to the fuel tank of the aircraft.

5. The nitrogen generation and oxygen distribution system of claim 4 , wherein the phase of flight comprises a descent phase or climb phase of flight.

6. The nitrogen generation and oxygen distribution system of claim 4 , wherein routing the oxygen enriched air from the NGS to the ambient environment surrounding the aircraft comprises positioning the oxygen distribution valve to prevent the oxygen enriched air from entering the engine of the aircraft and allow the oxygen enriched air to flow to the ambient environment.

7. The nitrogen generation and oxygen distribution system of claim 2 , wherein the second oxygen distribution configuration comprises a configuration in which less than a maximum quantity of nitrogen enriched air is provided to the fuel tank of the aircraft.

8. The nitrogen generation and oxygen distribution system of claim 7 , wherein the phase of flight comprises a cruise phase of flight.

9. The nitrogen generation and oxygen distribution system of claim 7 , wherein routing the oxygen enriched air from the NGS to the engine of the aircraft comprises positioning the oxygen distribution valve to allow the oxygen enriched air to enter the engine of the aircraft and prevent the oxygen enriched air to flow to the ambient environment.

10. The nitrogen generation and oxygen distribution system of claim 9 , wherein the oxygen enriched air is provided directly to a compressor of the engine.

11. The nitrogen generation and oxygen distribution system of claim 9 , wherein the oxygen enriched air is provided directly to a combustion chamber of the engine.

12. The nitrogen generation and oxygen distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen distribution processor is further operative to:
in response to determining the selection of the third oxygen distribution configuration, transmitting signals to the oxygen distribution valve to cause the oxygen distribution valve to close output paths between the NGS and the ambient environment and between the NGS and the engine.

13. A nitrogen generation and oxygen distribution computer system, comprising:
a nitrogen generation system (NGS) operative to create nitrogen enriched air as a primary product and oxygen enriched air as a secondary product, and to route the nitrogen enriched air to a fuel tank of an aircraft;
an oxygen distribution valve communicatively coupled to the NGS to receive the oxygen enriched air therefrom and selectively positionable to prevent any distribution of the oxygen enriched air from the NGS, to direct the oxygen enriched air from the NGS to an ambient environment surrounding the aircraft, or to direct the oxygen enriched air from the NGS to an engine of the aircraft;
an oxygen distribution processor communicatively coupled to the NGS and the oxygen distribution valve;
a memory communicatively coupled to the oxygen distribution processor; and
an oxygen distribution application (i) which executes in the oxygen distribution processor and (ii) which, when executed by the oxygen distribution processor, causes the nitrogen generation and oxygen distribution computer system to
determine a plurality of flight parameters;
determine from the plurality of flight parameters, a selection of an oxygen distribution configuration associated with the NGS, the oxygen distribution configuration comprising a first oxygen distribution configuration, a second oxygen distribution configuration, and a third oxygen distribution configuration;
in response to determining the selection of the first oxygen distribution configuration, transmitting signals from the oxygen distribution processor to the oxygen distribution valve to cause the oxygen distribution valve to route the oxygen enriched air from the NGS to the ambient environment surrounding the aircraft;
in response to determining the selection of the second oxygen distribution configuration, transmitting signals from the oxygen distribution processor to the oxygen distribution valve to cause the oxygen distribution valve to route the oxygen enriched air from the NGS to the engine of the aircraft, and
in response to determining the selection of the third oxygen distribution configuration, transmitting signals from the oxygen distribution processor to the oxygen distribution valve to cause the oxygen distribution valve to close the oxygen distribution valve to prevent distribution of the oxygen enriched air to either the ambient environment or the engine of the aircraft.

14. The nitrogen generation and oxygen distribution computer system of claim 13 , wherein causing the nitrogen generation and oxygen distribution computer system to determine the plurality of flight parameters comprises causing the nitrogen generation and oxygen distribution computer system to determine a plurality of real-time aircraft or environmental characteristics measured during a phase of flight.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Loftis Richard J
• Armatorio Andrew L
• Hart Colin W

Classifications

• B64D13/02

  the air being pressurised · CPC title

• B64D2013/0677

  comprising on board oxygen generator systems · CPC title

• B64D37/34

  Conditioning fuel, e.g. heating (during filling B64D37/18) · CPC title

• B64D33/02 Primary

  of combustion air intakes · CPC title

• B64D13/06

  the air being conditioned (pressurising B64D13/02) · CPC title