Engine bleed air system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10634065-B2
Application number	US-201414501390-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2014
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

An engine bleed air system having one or more taps in the compressor section of an aircraft engine, for example a low pressure tap and a high pressure tap. The low pressure tap is fluidly connected to the compressor of a turbo-compressor and the high pressure tap is fluidly connected to the turbine of the turbo-compressor. A bypass line connects the high pressure air to the outlet of the compressor, with a heat exchanger used to remove excess heat from the bypass line. An additional heat exchanger is used to remove any excess heat from the compressed air, dumping the heat to a fan stream or to the expanded air exiting the turbine. The system is controlled to minimize the amount of high pressure air extracted from the engine.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An engine bleed air system for an aircraft, comprising:
one or more taps for extracting air from the compressor section of an engine;
a turbo-compressor having a compressor and a turbine;
an environmental control system fluidly connected to an outlet of the compressor by a delivery line;
a bypass line fluidly connecting at least one of the one or more taps to the delivery line such that fluid within the bypass line bypasses both the compressor and the turbine;
a bypass heat exchanger arranged to remove heat from the bypass line, an outlet of the bypass heat exchanger being directly connected to the delivery line such that the air provided at the outlet of the bypass heat exchanger is mixed with the air provided at the outlet of the compressor and with air provided from an outlet of the turbine within the delivery line, the air from the outlet of the bypass heat exchanger being mixed with the air from the outlet of the compressor at a location upstream from where the air from the outlet of the bypass heat exchanger mixes with the air from the outlet of the turbine; and
a balancing heat exchanger located downstream from the turbo-compressor such that the balancing heat exchanger receives a first fluid directly from an outlet of the compressor via the delivery line and receives a second fluid from the outlet of the turbine, wherein the balancing heat exchanger uses the second fluid provided from the outlet of the turbine to remove heat from the first fluid from the delivery line.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more taps includes a low pressure tap and a high pressure tap, and wherein an inlet of the compressor is fluidly connected to the low pressure tap and an inlet of the turbine is fluidly connected to the high pressure tap.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the bypass heat exchanger is arranged to utilize a fan stream as a heat sink.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the balancing heat exchanger is arranged to utilize a fan stream as a heat sink.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the balancing heat exchanger is arranged to utilize an expanded air flow from an outlet of the turbine as a heat sink.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein an expanded air flow exiting from an outlet of the turbine is fluidly connected to an aircraft service.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein an expanded air flow exiting from an outlet of the turbine is fluidly connected to the delivery line.

8. An engine bleed air system for an aircraft, comprising:
a plurality of taps for extracting air from the compressor section of an engine, the plurality of taps including a low pressure tap and a high pressure tap;
a turbo-compressor having a compressor and a turbine, an inlet of the compressor being fluidly connected to the low pressure tap and an inlet of the turbine being fluidly connected to the high pressure tap;
an environmental control system fluidly connected to an outlet of the compressor by a delivery line;
a balancing heat exchanger located downstream from the turbo-compressor such that air output from the compressor is provided directly to the balancing heat exchanger via the delivery line and at least a portion of air output from the turbine is provided to the balancing heat exchanger, wherein the balancing heat exchanger uses the portion of air output from the turbine to remove heat from the air output from the compressor; and
a bypass heat exchanger disposed upstream of the turbo-compressor, wherein air output from the bypass heat exchanger bypasses both the compressor and the turbine and is mixed with the air provided at the outlet of the compressor and with air provided from an outlet of the turbine within the delivery line, the air from the outlet of the bypass heat exchanger being mixed with the air from the outlet of the compressor at a location upstream from where the air from the outlet of the bypass heat exchanger mixes with the air from the outlet of the turbine.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the balancing heat exchanger is arranged to utilize an expanded air flow from an outlet of the turbine as a heat sink.

10. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a bypass line fluidly connecting the high pressure tap to the delivery line, the bypass heat exchanger being arranged to remove heat from the bypass line, the bypass heat exchanger arranged to utilize a fan stream as a heat sink.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand
• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Bruno Louis J
• Defrancesco Gregory L
• Zywiak Thomas M
• Drew Diane G
• Hipsky Harold W
• Hughes Daniel L

Classifications

• B64D2013/0648

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

• F05D2220/62

  with energy recovery turbines · CPC title

• B64D13/06

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

• F05D2260/213

  by the provision of a heat exchanger within the cooling circuit · CPC title

• B64D2013/0618

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