Ram air channel arrangement and method for operating a ram air channel arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10377495-B2
Application number	US-201615267387-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2016
Priority date	Sep 17, 2015
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

A ram air channel arrangement for ambient air supply into an aircraft comprises a ram air channel which has a ram air inlet channel and a ram air outlet channel arranged downstream of the ram air inlet channel and in fluid communication with the ram air inlet channel. The ram air channel arrangement further comprises a cabin exhaust air line which is adapted to have cabin exhaust air flow therethrough which has been removed from an aircraft cabin and which cabin exhaust air line is connected to the ram air inlet channel and is adapted to lead the cabin exhaust air into the ram air inlet channel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A ram air channel arrangement for ambient air supply into an aircraft comprising:
a ram air channel which comprises a ram air inlet channel and a ram air outlet channel arranged downstream of the ram air inlet channel and in fluid communication with the ram air inlet channel,
a cabin exhaust air line which is adapted to have cabin exhaust air flow therethrough which has been removed from an aircraft cabin and which cabin exhaust air line is connected to the ram air inlet channel and is adapted to lead the cabin exhaust air into the ram air inlet channel,
a control unit which is adapted to control an air mass flow through the ram air channel by appropriate control of at least one of a movable inlet flap which is arranged in a region of an inlet of the ram air inlet channel and is adapted to set an inlet flow cross-section of the ram air inlet channel and of a movable outlet flap which is arranged in a region of an outlet of the ram air outlet channel and is adapted to set an outlet flow cross-section of the ram air outlet channel,
wherein the control unit is adapted to control the supply of ambient air into the ram air inlet channel based on a cabin exhaust air mass flow supplied to the ram air inlet channel via the cabin exhaust air line.

2. The ram air channel arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein in the cabin exhaust air line there is arranged a turbine which is adapted to expand the cabin exhaust air flowing through the cabin exhaust air line before it is supplied into the ram air inlet channel.

3. The ram air channel arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein the turbine is connected in a torque-transmitting manner to a compressor which is adapted to compress air to a pressure sufficient to accelerate the air, on expansion to the ambient pressure, to supersonic speed.

4. The ram air channel arrangement according to claim 3 , further comprising a thrust recovery nozzle, connected to the compressor, for expansion of the air compressed by the compressor and for removing the air flowing through the thrust recovery nozzle to the aircraft environment, the compressor being adapted to suck in exhaust air from a ventilated aircraft region of the aircraft, and to compress it.

5. The ram air channel arrangement according to claim 1 , the control unit being adapted:
to determine whether the air mass flow through the ram air channel is greater than a setpoint,
if the air mass flow through the ram air channel is greater than the setpoint, firstly to reduce the supply of ambient air into the ram air inlet channel and only reduce the supply of cabin exhaust air into the ram air inlet channel if, on complete interruption of the supply of ambient air into the ram air inlet channel, the air mass flow through the ram air channel is still greater than the setpoint, and
if the air mass flow through the ram air channel is less than the setpoint, firstly to increase the supply of cabin exhaust air into the ram air inlet channel and only increase the supply of ambient air into the ram air inlet channel if, on a maximization of the cabin exhaust air mass flow into the ram air inlet channel, the air mass flow through the ram air channel is still less than the setpoint.

6. The ram air channel arrangement according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit is adapted
to control the inlet flap in such a way that the inlet flow cross-section of the ram air inlet channel is diminished, to reduce the supply of ambient air into the ram air inlet channel,
to control the outlet flap in such a way that the outlet flow cross-section of the ram air outlet channel is diminished, to reduce the supply of cabin exhaust air into the ram air inlet channel,
to control the outlet flap in such a way that the outlet flow cross-section of the ram air outlet channel is enlarged, to increase the supply of cabin exhaust air into the ram air inlet channel, and
to control the inlet flap in such a way that the inlet flow cross-section of the ram air inlet channel is enlarged, to increase the supply of ambient air into the ram air inlet channel.

7. The ram air channel arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein a control unit is adapted to control a cabin exhaust air mass flow through the cabin exhaust air line by appropriate control of a control valve arranged in the cabin exhaust air line, upstream of the turbine, the control unit being adapted to interrupt the cabin exhaust air mass flow to the turbine in a fault state of at least one of the turbine and the compressor.

8. The ram air channel arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein a control unit is adapted to control the cabin exhaust air mass flow through the cabin exhaust air line, by appropriate control of a control valve arranged in the cabin exhaust air line, in dependence on a difference between a pressure in the aircraft cabin and the ambient pressure in the aircraft environment, the control unit being adapted to allow a cabin exhaust air mass flow to the turbine only if the difference between the pressure in the aircraft cabin and the ambient pressure in the aircraft environment exceeds a threshold value.

9. A method for operating a ram air channel arrangement for ambient air supply into an aircraft, which arrangement comprises a ram air channel having a ram air inlet channel and a ram air outlet channel arranged downstream of the ram air inlet channel and in fluid communication with the ram air inlet channel, the method comprising the step of:
leading cabin exhaust air removed from an aircraft cabin into the ram air inlet channel,
controlling an air mass flow through the ram air channel by appropriate control of a movable inlet flap which is arranged in a region of an inlet of the ram air inlet channel and is adapted to set an inlet flow cross-section of the ram air inlet channel and of a movable outlet flap which is arranged in a region of an outlet of the ram air outlet channel and is adapted to set an outlet flow cross-section of the ram air outlet channel,
wherein the supply of ambient air into the ram air inlet channel is controlled based on a cabin exhaust air mass flow supplied to the ram air inlet channel via the cabin exhaust air line.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the cabin exhaust air, before the cabin exhaust air is supplied into the ram air inlet channel, is expanded in a turbine.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the turbine is connected in a torque-transmitting manner to a compressor which is adapted to compress air to a pressure which is sufficient to accelerate the air to supersonic speed.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein air compressed by the compressor is expanded by a thrust recovery nozzle connected to the compressor and removed to the aircraft environment.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the compressor sucks in exhaust air from a ventilated aircraft region of the aircraft, and compresses it.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein:
it is determined whether the air mass flow through the ram air channel is greater than a setpoint,
if the air mass flow through the ram air channel is greater than the setpoint, firstly the supply of ambient air into the ram air inlet channel is reduced and the supply of cabin exhaust air into the ram air inlet channel is reduced only if, on complete interruption of the supply of ambient air into the ram air inlet channel, the air mass flow through the ram air channel is still greater than the setpoint, and
if the air mass flow through the ram air channel is less than the setpoint, firstly the supply of cabin exhaust air into the ram air inlet channel is increased and the supply

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Bammann Holger
• Solntsev Alexander
• Klimpel Frank
• Broquet Alexandre

Classifications

• B64D2013/0618

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

• B64D13/06 Primary

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

• B64D13/04 Primary

  Automatic control of pressure · CPC title

• Y02T50/56

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02T50/50

  On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency · CPC title