Aircraft air conditioning system and method of operating an aircraft air conditioning system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10457399-B2
Application number	US-201514859610-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2015
Priority date	Sep 19, 2014
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

An aircraft air conditioning system including an ambient air supply line having a first end connected to an ambient air inlet and a second end connected to a mixer of the aircraft air conditioning system so as to supply ambient air to the mixer. A first compressor is arranged in the ambient air supply line and is configured to compress the ambient air flowing through the ambient air supply line. A bleed air supply line allows a flow of bleed air bled off from an engine or an auxiliary power unit therethrough. A bleed air turbine is driven by the bleed air flowing through the bleed air supply line and is coupled to the first compressor so as to drive the first compressor.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An aircraft air conditioning system comprising:
an ambient air supply line having a first end connected to an ambient air inlet and a second end connected to a mixer of the aircraft air conditioning system so as to supply ambient air to the mixer,
a ram air channel in addition to the ambient air supply line, the ram air channel having a first end connected to a ram air inlet and a second end connected to an aircraft environment,
a first compressor arranged in the ambient air supply line and being adapted to compress ambient air flowing through the ambient air supply line,
a bleed air supply line having a first end connected to an engine or an auxiliary power unit and a second end connected to the aircraft environment via the ram air channel, and
a bleed air turbine driven by bleed air flowing through the bleed air supply line and being coupled to the first compressor so as to drive the first compressor,
the bleed air supply line opening into the ram air channel and being configured to guide bleed air flowing through the bleed air supply line into the ram air channel so as to discharge the bleed air to the aircraft environment.

2. The aircraft air conditioning system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an ambient air branch line branching off from the ambient air supply line upstream of the first compressor and opening into the ambient air supply line downstream of the first compressor,
a second compressor arranged in the ambient air branch line and being adapted to compress the ambient air flowing through the ambient air branch line,
a cabin exhaust air line allowing a flow of cabin exhaust air therethrough, a cabin exhaust air control valve being arranged in the cabin exhaust air line so as to control the flow of cabin exhaust air through the cabin exhaust air line, and
a cabin exhaust air turbine driven by the cabin exhaust air flowing through the cabin exhaust air line and being coupled to the second compressor so as to drive the second compressor.

3. The aircraft air conditioning system according to claim 2 , further comprising at least one of:
a connecting line connecting the ambient air supply line downstream of the first compressor to the ambient air branch line upstream of the second compressor,
an ambient air supply control valve adapted to control the supply of ambient air to the second compressor, wherein the ambient air supply control valve is adapted to control at least one of the flow of ambient air through the connecting line and the flow of ambient air through the ambient air branch line,
an electronic control unit adapted to control the operation of the cabin exhaust air control valve and the ambient air supply control valve in a synchronized manner in dependence on an ambient air demand of the aircraft air conditioning system by opening the cabin exhaust air control valve and the ambient air supply control valve so as to increase the supply of cabin exhaust air to the cabin exhaust air turbine and to also increase the supply of ambient air to the second compressor in order to satisfy an increased ambient air demand of the aircraft air conditioning system and by closing the cabin exhaust air control valve and the ambient air supply control valve so as to reduce the supply of cabin exhaust air to the cabin exhaust air turbine and the supply of ambient air to the second compressor in response to a reduced ambient air demand of the aircraft air conditioning system,
a compressed air recirculation line connecting a portion of the ambient air supply line which extends downstream of the first compressor with a portion of the ambient air supply line which extends upstream of the first compressor, and
a recirculation control valve adapted to control the flow of compressed air exiting the first compressor through the compressed air recirculation line back to the first compressor.

4. The aircraft air conditioning system according to claim 2 , further comprising a reheater arranged in the cabin exhaust air line, upstream of the cabin exhaust air turbine, and being thermally coupled to the bleed air supply line so as to transport heat energy from the bleed air flowing through the bleed air supply line to the cabin exhaust air flowing through the cabin exhaust air line.

5. The aircraft air conditioning system according to claim 4 , wherein the reheater is thermally coupled to the bleed air supply line either upstream or downstream of a precooler arranged in the bleed air supply line, the precooler being thermally coupled to a ram air channel so as to transport heat energy from the bleed air flowing through the bleed air supply line to ram air flowing through the ram air channel.

6. The aircraft air conditioning system according to claim 5 , further comprising:
an ambient air cooler arranged in the ambient air supply line, downstream of the first compressor, and being thermally coupled to the ram air channel so as to transport heat energy from the ambient air flowing through the ambient air supply line to ram air flowing through the ram air channel,
a condenser arranged in the ambient air supply line, downstream of the ambient air cooler, and being thermally coupled to the bleed air supply line so as to transport heat energy from the ambient air flowing through the ambient air supply line to the bleed air flowing through the bleed air supply line,
a water separator arranged in the ambient air supply line, downstream of the condenser,
an ambient air turbine driven by the ambient air flowing through the ambient air supply line and being coupled to the first compressor so as to drive the first compressor, a trim air line branching off from the ambient air supply line between the first compressor and the ambient air cooler and opening into the ambient air supply line downstream of the ambient air turbine,
an altitude vent line branching off from the ambient air supply line upstream of the ambient air turbine, upstream of the condenser, and opening into the ambient air supply line downstream of the ambient air turbine, an altitude vent valve being arranged in the altitude vent line so as to control the flow of ambient air through the altitude vent line,
an emergency ambient air supply line directly connecting the ambient air inlet to the mixer of the aircraft air conditioning system,
a bypass line adapted to bypass the reheater,
a bypass valve adapted to control the flow of bleed air through the bypass line,
a further bypass line adapted to bypass the precooler,
a further bypass valve adapted to control the flow of bleed air through the further bypass line,
a cabin exhaust air branch line branching off from the cabin exhaust air line, downstream of the cabin exhaust air turbine, and opening into the ram air channel, downstream of the ambient air cooler and the precooler, and
a cabin air dump valve adapted to control the flow of cabin exhaust air, downstream of the cabin exhaust air turbine, through the cabin exhaust air branch line.

7. The aircraft air conditioning system according to claim 6 , further comprising at least one of:
a backup line branching off from the bleed air supply line, downstream of the condenser, and opening into the ambient air supply line, downstream of the ambient air turbine, a backup valve being arranged in the backup line so as to control the flow of bleed air through the backup line, and
a bleed air branch line branching off from the bleed air supply line and adapted to have hot bleed air flowing therethrough, wherein a hot air regulation valve is adapted to control the flow of hot bleed air through the bleed air branch line.

8. The aircraft air conditioning system according to claim 2 , wherein at least one of the bleed air supply line and the cabin exhaust air line o

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Bammann Holger
• Klimpel Frank
• Brunswig Hans

Classifications

• B64D2013/0688

  with means for recirculating cabin air · CPC title

• 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

• B64D2013/0648

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

• Y02T50/56

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic