Cleanout systems for use with aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11040777-B2
Application number	US-201816209526-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 4, 2018
Priority date	Dec 4, 2018
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

Cleanout systems are disclosed. An example environmental control system includes an exhaust plenum to exhaust cooling fluid from a heat exchanger outlet of a heat exchanger, and a cleanout system coupled to the exhaust plenum adjacent the heat exchanger outlet. The cleanout system includes a cleanout passageway to fluidly couple a cleanout inlet accessible from an outer surface of the exhaust plenum and a cleanout outlet in fluid communication with the heat exchanger outlet. The cleanout system is to enable removal of particulate from the heat exchanger without disassembling the heat exchanger from the exhaust plenum or an air intake.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An environmental control system (ECS) for an aircraft, the system comprising:
an exhaust plenum to exhaust cooling fluid from a heat exchanger outlet of a heat exchanger; and
a cleanout system coupled to the exhaust plenum adjacent the heat exchanger outlet, the cleanout system including a cleanout passageway to fluidly couple a cleanout inlet accessible from an outer surface of the exhaust plenum and a cleanout outlet in fluid communication with the heat exchanger outlet, the cleanout system to enable removal of particulate from the heat exchanger without disassembling the heat exchanger from the exhaust plenum or an air intake from the heat exchanger, wherein the cleanout outlet includes a plurality of openings oriented toward the heat exchanger outlet, the openings to direct cleaning fluid toward the heat exchanger outlet.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cleanout passageway is fixed to the exhaust plenum and remains attached to the exhaust plenum during operation of the ECS.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cleanout passageway extends across at least a portion of the heat exchanger outlet.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cleanout inlet protrudes from the outer surface of the exhaust plenum.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cleanout passageway is to direct cleaning fluid from the cleanout inlet to the cleanout outlet, and the cleanout outlet is to direct the cleaning fluid from the heat exchanger outlet, through a heat exchanger passageway, and to a heat exchanger inlet.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the cleanout passageway is located in a cavity of the exhaust plenum.

7. An environmental control system (ECS) for an aircraft, the system comprising:
an exhaust plenum to exhaust cooling fluid from a heat exchanger outlet of a heat exchanger; and
a cleanout system coupled to the exhaust plenum adjacent the heat exchanger outlet, the cleanout system including a cleanout passageway to fluidly couple a cleanout inlet accessible from an outer surface of the exhaust plenum and a cleanout outlet in fluid communication with the heat exchanger outlet, the cleanout system to enable removal of particulate from the heat exchanger without disassembling the heat exchanger from the exhaust plenum or an air intake from the heat exchanger, wherein the cleanout outlet includes a plurality of nozzles oriented toward the heat exchanger outlet.

8. An environmental control system (ECS) for an aircraft, the system comprising:
an exhaust plenum to exhaust cooling fluid from a heat exchanger outlet of a heat exchanger; and
a cleanout system coupled to the exhaust plenum adjacent the heat exchanger outlet, the cleanout system including a cleanout passageway to fluidly couple a cleanout inlet accessible from an outer surface of the exhaust plenum and a cleanout outlet in fluid communication with the heat exchanger outlet, the cleanout system to enable removal of particulate from the heat exchanger without disassembling the heat exchanger from the exhaust plenum or an air intake from the heat exchanger, wherein the cleanout passageway includes a first cleanout passageway and a second cleanout passageway spaced from the first cleanout passageway.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the cleanout outlet includes a plurality of openings oriented toward the heat exchanger outlet, the openings to direct cleaning fluid toward the heat exchanger outlet.

10. The system of claim 8 , further including an intermediate passageway to fluidly couple the second cleanout passageway and the cleanout inlet.

11. An environmental control system (ECS) for an aircraft, the system comprising:
an exhaust plenum to exhaust cooling fluid from a heat exchanger outlet of a heat exchanger, wherein the exhaust plenum includes a first plenum duct and a second plenum duct; and
a cleanout system coupled to the exhaust plenum adjacent the heat exchanger outlet, the cleanout system including a cleanout passageway to fluidly couple a cleanout inlet accessible from an outer surface of the exhaust plenum and a cleanout outlet in fluid communication with the heat exchanger outlet, the cleanout system to enable removal of particulate from the heat exchanger without disassembling the heat exchanger from the exhaust plenum or an air intake from the heat exchanger, the cleanout passageway positioned between the first plenum duct and the second plenum duct.

12. An environmental control system (ECS) for an aircraft, the system comprising:
an air intake;
a heat exchanger;
an exhaust plenum, the heat exchanger being positioned between the air intake and the exhaust plenum, the heat exchanger having a heat exchanger inlet in fluid communication with the air intake and a heat exchanger outlet in fluid communication with the exhaust plenum; and
a cleanout system carried by the exhaust plenum and positioned adjacent the heat exchanger outlet, the cleanout system having a cleanout passageway between a cleanout inlet and a cleanout outlet, wherein the cleanout passageway is located in a cavity defined by the exhaust plenum, and wherein the cleanout passageway includes at least one pipe positioned in the cavity of the exhaust plenum, the pipe including at least one of an opening or a nozzle located along a length of the pipe to define the cleanout outlet.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the cleanout inlet is accessible from an outer surface of the exhaust plenum.

14. An environmental control system (ECS) for an aircraft, the system comprising:
an air intake;
a heat exchanger;
an exhaust plenum, the heat exchanger being positioned between the air intake and the exhaust plenum, the heat exchanger having a heat exchanger inlet in fluid communication with the air intake and a heat exchanger outlet in fluid communication with the exhaust plenum; and
a cleanout system carried by the exhaust plenum and positioned adjacent the heat exchanger outlet, the cleanout system having a cleanout passageway between a cleanout inlet and a cleanout outlet, wherein the air intake is directly attached to a first side of the heat exchanger defining the heat exchanger inlet and the exhaust plenum is directly attached to a second side of the heat exchanger defining the heat exchanger outlet.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the cleanout passageway is located in a cavity defined by the exhaust plenum.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the cleanout passageway includes at least one pipe positioned in the cavity of the exhaust plenum, the pipe including at least one of an opening or a nozzle located along a length of the pipe to define the cleanout outlet.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the cleanout system removes particulate from a heat exchanger passageway located between the heat exchanger inlet and the heat exchanger outlet when the air intake and the exhaust plenum are attached to the heat exchanger.

18. An environmental control system for aircraft, the system comprising:
means for receiving a cooling fluid;
means for transferring heat between the cooling fluid and a process fluid, the means for transferring heat having a first passageway between a first inlet and a first outlet, the first inlet to receive the cooling fluid from the means for receiving;
means for exhausting to exhaust the cooling fluid from the first outlet of the means for transferring heat; and
means for cleaning particulate from the first passageway of the means for transferring heat, the means for cleaning having means for dispensing including at least one of a plurality of openings or a p

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Beckman Mary E
• Leung Andrew

Classifications

• F28D7/1684

  the conduits having a non-circular cross-section · CPC title

• B60H1/00564

  of air ducts · CPC title

• B64D13/08 Primary

  the air being heated or cooled · CPC title

• B08B5/02

  Cleaning by the force of jets, e.g. blowing-out cavities {(airguns or nozzles per se B05B1/005)} · CPC title

• F28G1/163

  from internal surfaces of heat exchange conduits · CPC title