Aircraft environmental control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10160547-B2
Application number	US-201514721603-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2015
Priority date	May 26, 2015
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

An environmental control system (ECS) pack is provided including a primary heat exchanger and a secondary heat exchanger. An air cycle machine is arranged in fluid communication with at least one of the primary and second heat exchanger. The air cycle machine includes a compressor and a plurality of turbines. Discharged cabin air is supplied to at least one of the plurality of turbines to operate the compressor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An environmental control system (ECS) pack, comprising:
a primary heat exchanger configured for thermal energy exchange between a flow of bleed air and a flow of ram air;
a secondary heat exchanger configured for thermal energy exchange between a flow of discharge cabin air and the flow of ram air;
an air cycle machine arranged in fluid communication with at least one of the primary heat exchanger and secondary heat exchanger, the air cycle machine includes a compressor and a plurality of turbines disposed at a first shaft, wherein the discharged cabin air is supplied to at least one of the plurality of turbines to operate the compressor of the air cycle machine; and
a fan and a fan turbine disposed at a second shaft, non coaxial with the first shaft, to urge the flow of ram air across the primary heat exchanger and the secondary heat exchanger, the fan turbine driven by the flow of bleed air routed through the primary heat exchanger upstream of the fan turbine, prior to the flow of bleed air being routed through a condensing heat exchanger, wherein the discharged cabin air is pressurized in the compressor of the air cycle machine, cooled in the secondary heat exchanger, and mixed with the flow of bleed air being routed though the condensing heat exchanger.

2. The ECS pack according to claim 1 , wherein the ECS pack is configured to condition air from at least one of an engine and an auxiliary power unit and provide the conditioned air to a cabin.

3. The ECS pack according to claim 2 , wherein the discharged cabin air is expelled to ambient from the at least one turbine.

4. The ECS pack according to claim 3 , wherein a pressure of the air provided to the ECS pack from the at least one of an engine and an auxiliary power unit is between a cabin pressure and up to 2.5 psi below the cabin pressure.

5. The ECS pack according to claim 2 , wherein a pressure of the air provided to the ECS pack from the at least one of an engine and an auxiliary power unit is between 1 psi above a cabin pressure and 3 psi above the cabin pressure.

6. The ECS pack according to claim 2 , wherein the air from the at least one of an engine and an auxiliary power unit is configured to flow through at least the primary heat exchanger and at least one of the plurality of turbines of the air cycle machine.

7. The ECS pack of claim 1 , wherein the flow of bleed air is supplied to at least two turbines of the plurality of turbines disposed at the first shaft after the flow of bleed air flows through the primary heat exchanger.

8. An environmental control system (ECS) of an aircraft, comprising:
at least one ECS pack configured to condition bleed air prior to providing the bleed air to a cabin of the aircraft, the at least one ECS pack includes a primary heat exchanger, a secondary heat exchanger, and an air cycle machine having a compressor and a plurality of turbines arranged on a first shaft in fluid communication with at least one of the primary heat exchanger and secondary heat exchanger, wherein the ECS pack is configured to operate in a plurality of operational modes, an operational mode of the at least one ECS pack being selected based on a flight condition of the aircraft and a pressure of the bleed air supplied thereto; and
a fan and a fan turbine disposed at a second shaft, non coaxial with the first shaft, to urge a flow of ram air across the primary heat exchanger and the secondary heat exchanger, the fan turbine driven by a flow of bleed air routed through the primary heat exchanger upstream of the fan turbine, prior to the flow of bleed air being routed through a condensing heat exchanger;
wherein the primary heat exchanger is configured for thermal energy exchange between the flow of bleed air and the flow of ram air; and
wherein the secondary heat exchanger is configured for thermal energy exchange between a flow of discharge cabin air and the flow of ram air;
wherein the flow of bleed air is selectably urged from a gas turbine engine or an auxiliary power unit, depending on a selected operational mode of the plurality of operational modes, wherein the discharged cabin air is pressurized in the compressor of the air cycle machine, cooled in the secondary heat exchanger, and mixed with the flow of bleed air being routed though the condensing heat exchanger.

9. The ECS according to claim 8 , wherein the plurality of operational modes includes at least one of a high pressure mode, a recirculation chill mode, and a pressure boost mode.

10. The ECS according to claim 9 , wherein the ECS pack is configured to operate in a high pressure mode when a flight condition of the aircraft is one of ground idle, taxi, take-off, climb, descent, and hold.

11. The ECS according to claim 9 , wherein the ECS pack is configured to operate in a high pressure mode when the aircraft is in an extreme temperature high altitude cruise condition.

12. The ECS according to claim 9 , wherein the ECS pack is configured to operate in a recirculation chill mode when air provided to the ECS pack from one of the gas turbine engine or the auxiliary power unit is 1-3 psi above a cabin pressure of the aircraft.

13. The ECS according to claim 9 , wherein the ECS pack is configured to operate in a recirculation chill mode when air provided to the ECS pack from one of the gas turbine engine or the auxiliary power unit is between a cabin pressure and 2.5 psi below the cabin pressure of the aircraft.

14. The ECS according to claim 8 , wherein discharged cabin air is supplied to at least one of the plurality of turbines to operate the compressor of the air cycle machine.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Bruno Louis J
• Hipsky Harold W
• Army Jr Donald E
• Kline Erin G
• Millot Christina W
• D'Orlando Paul M

Classifications

• B64D2013/0648

  with energy recovery means, e.g. using turbines · CPC title

• B64D13/06 Primary

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

• F02C6/08

  the gas being bled from the gas-turbine compressor · CPC title

• B64D2013/0618

  with arrangements for reducing or managing bleed air, using another air source, e.g. ram air · CPC title

• Y02T50/50

  On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency · CPC title