Supply of air to an air-conditioning circuit of an aircraft cabin from its turboprop engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10329023-B2
Application number	US-201515115213-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2015
Priority date	Jan 31, 2014
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

An aircraft turboprop engine (310) including at least a low-pressure body (12) and a high-pressure body (14), possibly also an intermediate-pressure body. At least one of the bodies includes a compressor. The low-pressure body drives a first gearbox (16) The turboprop engine also includes at least one load compressor (60) for supplying air to an air-conditioning circuit of an aircraft cabin. A rotor (61) of the load compressor is coupled to the low-pressure body. The load compressor (60) includes an air inlet (62) connected to a conduit (72) to bleed air from the compressor of the turboprop engine when all of the aforementioned bodies include only a single compressor, or from the compressor of the low-pressure body or the compressor of the intermediate-pressure body of the turboprop engine when all of the bodies include at least two compressors.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft turboprop engine comprising at least one low-pressure body and one high-pressure body, at least one of said bodies comprising a compressor, the low-pressure body driving a propulsion propeller by means of a first gearbox mechanically coupled to the propulsion propeller, the turboprop engine further comprising means for supplying air to an air-conditioning circuit of an aircraft cabin, wherein said supply means comprise at least one load compressor, the rotor of which is mechanically coupled to a shaft of the low-pressure body by means of said first gearbox, said load compressor comprising an air inlet connected to a single take-off port of the turboprop engine for taking off air from:
the compressor of the low pressure body of the turboprop engine, when the turboprop engine is a double body turboprop engine comprising one low-pressure body and one high-pressure body, or
the compressor of the low-pressure body or of an intermediate-pressure body of the turboprop engine, when the turboprop engine is a triple body turboprop engine comprising one low-pressure body, one intermediate pressure body, and one high-pressure body.

2. The aircraft turboprop engine according to claim 1 , wherein a heat exchanger is mounted upstream or downstream of the load compressor.

3. The aircraft turboprop engine according to claim 2 , wherein each compressor comprises compressor stages and wherein the single take-off port takes off air from at maximum a fourth stage of said compressor stages.

4. The aircraft turboprop engine according to claim 1 , wherein said engine comprises two load compressors and wherein a heat exchanger is mounted between said two load compressors.

5. The aircraft turboprop engine according to claim 4 , wherein said turboprop engine comprises a pneumatic starter, an air inlet of which is connected to a pipe.

6. The aircraft turboprop engine according to claim 5 , wherein the pipe is equipped with a heat exchanger.

7. The aircraft turboprop engine according to claim 6 , wherein each compressor comprises compressor stages and wherein the single take-off port takes off air from at maximum a fourth stage of said compressor stages.

8. The aircraft turboprop engine according to claim 5 , wherein each compressor comprises compressor stages and wherein the single take-off port takes off air from at maximum a fourth stage of said compressor stages.

9. The aircraft turboprop engine according to claim 4 , wherein each compressor comprises compressor stages and wherein the single take-off port takes off air from at maximum a fourth stage of said compressor stages.

10. The aircraft turboprop engine according to claim 1 , wherein the load compressor comprises an air outlet connected to a pipe supplying air to said air-conditioning circuit, said pipe being equipped with at least one regulation means.

11. The aircraft turboprop engine according to claim 10 , wherein each compressor comprises compressor stages and wherein the single take-off port takes off air from at maximum a fourth stage of said compressor stages.

12. The aircraft turboprop engine according to claim 1 , wherein said turboprop engine is configured so that the speed of rotation of the low-pressure body is substantially constant in steps, the speed of rotation of the low-pressure body obeying a discrete speed by which said speed is constant during a same flight phase, whatever the operating conditions.

13. The aircraft turboprop engine according to claim 1 , wherein each compressor comprises compressor stages and wherein the single take-off port takes off air from at maximum a fourth stage of said compressor stages.

14. The aircraft turboprop engine according to claim 1 , wherein said turboprop engine comprises the at least one load compressor having at least two load compressor stages, and wherein a heat exchanger is mounted between said at least two load compressor stages.

15. The aircraft turboprop engine according to claim 1 , wherein a heat exchanger is mounted between said at least one load compressor and:
the compressor of the low pressure body of the turboprop engine, when the turboprop engine is a double body turboprop engine comprising one low-pressure body and one high-pressure body, or
the compressor of the low-pressure body or of the intermediate-pressure body of the turboprop engine, when the turboprop engine is a triple body turboprop engine comprising one low-pressure body, one intermediate pressure body, and one high-pressure body.

16. Method for supplying air to an air-conditioning circuit of a cabin of an aircraft that is equipped with at least one turboprop engine comprising at least one low-pressure body and one high-pressure body, at least one of said bodies comprising a compressor, the low-pressure body driving a propulsion propeller by means of a first gearbox mechanically coupled to the propulsion propeller wherein said method comprises the steps involving taking off air from:
the compressor of the low pressure body of the turboprop engine, when the turboprop engine is a double body turboprop engine comprising one low-pressure body and one high-pressure body, or
the compressor of the low-pressure body or of an intermediate-pressure body of the turboprop engine, when the turboprop engine is a triple body turboprop engine comprising one low-pressure body, one intermediate pressure body, and one high-pressure body,
for supplying at least one dedicated load compressor, a rotor of which is mechanically coupled to a shaft of the low pressure body by means of said first gearbox, with the air taken off and driving the rotor of said load compressor by means of the low-pressure body of the turboprop engine.

17. An aircraft turboprop engine comprising one low-pressure body and one high-pressure body, at least one of said bodies comprising a compressor, the low-pressure body driving a propulsion propeller by means of a first gearbox mechanically coupled to the propulsion propeller, the turboprop engine further comprising means for supplying air to an air-conditioning circuit of an aircraft cabin, wherein said supply means comprise at least one load compressor, the rotor of which is mechanically coupled to a shaft of the low-pressure body by means of said first gearbox, said load compressor comprising an air inlet connected to a single take-off port of the turboprop engine for taking off air from the compressor of the low pressure body of the turboprop engine.

18. An aircraft turboprop engine comprising one low-pressure body, one high-pressure body, and also an intermediate-pressure body, at least one of said bodies comprising a compressor, the low-pressure body driving a propulsion propeller by means of a first gearbox mechanically coupled to the propulsion propeller, the turboprop engine further comprising means for supplying air to an air-conditioning circuit of an aircraft cabin, wherein said supply means comprise at least one load compressor, the rotor of which is mechanically coupled to a shaft of the low-pressure body by means of said first gearbox, said load compressor comprising an air inlet connected to a single take-off port of the turboprop engine for taking off air from the compressor of the low-pressure body or of the intermediate-pressure body of the turboprop engine.

Assignees

• Snecma
• Safran
• Microturbo
• Safran Aircraft Engines
• Safran Power Units

Inventors

• Parmentier Nicolas Claude
• Froment Pierre
• Rideau Jean-Francois
• Thoraval Bruno

Classifications

• F02C6/06 Primary

  providing compressed gas (F02C6/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B64D13/02

  the air being pressurised · CPC title

• B64D13/00 Primary

  Arrangements or adaptations of air-treatment apparatus for aircraft crew or passengers, or freight space · CPC title

• F05D2220/325

  to drive unshrouded, high solidity propeller · CPC title

• F05D2220/324

  to drive unshrouded, low solidity propeller · CPC title