Mixing device with reduced risk of icing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10457400-B2
Application number	US-201414310381-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2014
Priority date	Dec 20, 2011
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

A mixing device that is particularly suitable for use in an aircraft air-conditioning system comprising a cold air supply line adapted to supply cold air to the mixing device. A first recirculation air supply line is adapted to supply recirculation air to the mixing device. A mixing chamber is connected to the cold air supply line and the first recirculation air supply line and is adapted to supply the cold air supplied to the mixing device via the cold air supply line with the recirculation air supplied to the mixing device via the first recirculation air supply line. The first recirculation air supply line has a heat transfer portion which is thermoconductively connected to an area of a wall delimiting the mixing chamber that is at risk of icing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mixing device for use in an aircraft air-conditioning system, comprising:
a cold air supply line adapted to supply cold air to the mixing device,
a first recirculation air supply line adapted to supply recirculation air to the mixing device, and
a mixing chamber having an upstream end and a downstream end, the mixing chamber adapted to mix the cold air supplied to the mixing device via the cold air supply line with the recirculation air supplied to the mixing device via the first recirculation air supply line,
wherein the first recirculation air supply line has a heat transfer portion which is thermoconductively connected to a mixing chamber wall delimiting the mixing chamber, and
wherein the heat transfer portion of the first recirculation air supply line branches off a main portion of the first recirculation air supply line at a branch-off,
wherein the main portion of the first recirculation air supply line has an outlet leading into the mixing chamber at the upstream end of the mixing chamber and adjacent to an outlet of the cold air supply line where the cold air supply line leads into the mixing chamber,
wherein the heat transfer portion of the first recirculation air supply line extends along the mixing chamber from the outlet of the main portion of the first recirculation air supply line to the downstream end of the mixing chamber, the downstream end being disposed downstream of the outlet of the main portion of the first recirculation air supply line into the mixing chamber.

2. The mixing device according to claim 1 , wherein the mixing chamber wall includes a curved portion that intersects with a linear path of the cold air from the cold air supply line such that the cold air impinges directly on the curved portion, and wherein the heat transfer portion of the first recirculation air supply line is arranged adjacent to the curved portion of the mixing chamber wall.

3. The mixing device according to claim 1 , wherein a mixed air exhaust line connected to the mixing chamber passes through the heat transfer portion of the first recirculation air supply line.

4. The mixing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a second recirculation air supply line adapted to supply recirculation air to the mixing device, the second recirculation air supply line being connected to the mixing chamber, the second recirculation air supply line comprising a main portion and a coupling portion connected to the heat transfer portion of the first recirculation air supply line.

5. The mixing device according to claim 4 , wherein the main portion of the second recirculation air supply line leads into the mixing chamber in the region of the upstream end of the mixing chamber and adjacent to the outlet of the cold air supply line where the cold air supply line leads into the mixing chamber.

6. A method of operating a mixing device that is particularly suitable for use in an aircraft air-conditioning system, comprising the steps:
supplying cold air into a mixing chamber of the mixing device via a cold air supply line, the mixing chamber having an upstream end and a downstream end,
supplying recirculation air into the mixing chamber of the mixing device via a first recirculation air supply line at the upstream end of the mixing chamber, and
mixing of the cold air supplied to the mixing device via the cold air supply line with the recirculation air supplied to the mixing device via the first recirculation air supply line in the mixing chamber,
heating a mixing chamber wall delimiting the mixing chamber by heat transfer with a heat transfer portion of the first recirculation air supply line which is thermoconductively connected to the mixing chamber wall, and
wherein the heat transfer portion branches off a main portion of the first recirculation air supply line at a branch-off,
wherein the supply of recirculation air from the main portion of the first recirculation air supply line into the mixing chamber takes place from an outlet of the main portion of the first recirculation air supply line at the upstream end of the mixing chamber and adjacent to an outlet of the cold air supply line into the mixing chamber, and
wherein the heat transfer portion of the first recirculation air supply line extends along the mixing chamber from the outlet of the main portion of the first recirculation air supply line to the downstream end of the mixing chamber, the downstream end being disposed downstream of the outlet of the main portion of the first recirculation air supply line into the mixing chamber.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the mixing chamber wall is heated by heat transfer from the heat transfer portion of the first recirculation air supply line that is arranged adjacent to an external surface of the mixing chamber wall.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein a mixed air exhaust line connected to the mixing chamber is heated by heat transfer from the heat transfer portion of the first recirculation air supply line, the mixed air exhaust line passing in particular through the heat transfer portion of the first recirculation air supply line.

9. The method according to claim 6 , wherein recirculation air is supplied to the heat transfer portion of the first recirculation air supply line from a second recirculation air supply line, the supply of the recirculation air from the second recirculation air supply line into the heat transfer portion of the first recirculation air supply line taking place via a coupling portion that branches off a main portion of the second recirculation air supply line.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the supply of recirculation air from the main portion of the second recirculation air supply line into the mixing chamber takes place in the region of the upstream end of the mixing chamber, adjacent to the outlet of the cold air supply line into the mixing chamber.

11. An aircraft air-conditioning system including a mixing device comprising:
a cold air supply line adapted to supply cold air to the mixing device,
a first recirculation air supply line adapted to supply recirculation air to the mixing device, and
a mixing chamber having an upstream end and a downstream end, the mixing chamber adapted to mix the cold air supplied to the mixing device via the cold air supply line with the recirculation air supplied to the mixing device via the first recirculation air supply line,
wherein the first recirculation air supply line has a heat transfer portion which is thermoconductively connected to a mixing chamber wall delimiting the mixing chamber, and
wherein the heat transfer portion of the first recirculation air supply line branches off a main portion of the first recirculation air supply line at a branch-off,
wherein the main portion of the first recirculation air supply line has an outlet leading into the mixing chamber at the upstream end of the mixing chamber and adjacent to an outlet of the cold air supply line where the cold air supply line leads into the mixing chamber, and
wherein the heat transfer portion of the first recirculation air supply line extends along the mixing chamber from the outlet of the main portion of the first recirculation air supply line to a downstream end of the mixing chamber, the downstream end being disposed downstream of the outlet of the main portion of the first recirculation air supply line into the mixing chamber.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Lampe Dietrich
• Scherer Thomas

Classifications

• B64D13/08 Primary

  the air being heated or cooled · CPC title

• B64D2013/0666

  with means for preventing icing within the ECS components · CPC title

• B64D2013/0688

  with means for recirculating cabin air · CPC title

• Y02T50/56

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64D13/06 Primary

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