Oxygen supply device and method for supplying a passenger cabin of an aircraft with oxygen

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11097847-B2
Application number	US-201816183038-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2018
Priority date	Nov 20, 2017
Publication date	Aug 24, 2021
Grant date	Aug 24, 2021

Abstract

An oxygen supply device for an aircraft has a reaction tank for chemical oxygen generation and a pressurized tank filled with oxygen. The oxygen supply device also has an energy converter for converting thermal energy into electrical energy and also a control unit for setting a first amount of oxygen, provided by the reaction tank to a consumer unit, and a second amount of oxygen, provided by the pressurized tank to the consumer unit. The energy converter is designed to convert a thermal energy, generated by the chemical oxygen generation in the reaction tank, into electrical energy and to provide the electrical energy. The control unit is designed to set the second amount of oxygen, provided by the pressurized tank to the consumer unit, by using the electrical energy provided by the energy converter. The invention also relates to a method for supplying a passenger cabin of an aircraft with oxygen.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An oxygen supply device for an aircraft, comprising:
a reaction tank for chemical oxygen generation;
a pressurized tank filled with oxygen;
an energy converter for converting thermal energy into electrical energy; and
a control unit for setting an amount of oxygen provided by the pressurized tank to a consumer unit;
wherein the energy converter is configured to convert a thermal energy generated by the chemical oxygen generation in the reaction tank into electrical energy and to provide the electrical energy, and
wherein the control unit is configured to set the amount of oxygen provided by the pressurized tank to the consumer unit by using the electrical energy provided by the energy converter.

2. The oxygen supply device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensing unit for sensing a measured value,
wherein the measured value that is sensed corresponds to a flow of oxygen from the reaction tank; and/or
wherein the measured value that is sensed corresponds to an ambient pressure in the aircraft; and/or
wherein the measured value that is sensed corresponds to an operating time of the control unit.

3. The oxygen supply device according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit is configured to set the second amount of oxygen, provided by the pressurized tank to the consumer unit, in dependence on the measured value that is sensed.

4. The oxygen supply device according to claim 1 , further comprising: an energy storage unit configured to store the electrical energy provided by the energy converter and provide it to the control unit.

5. The oxygen supply device according to claim 4 , wherein an activation of the control unit is only performed when a prescribed state of charge of the energy storage unit is reached.

6. The oxygen supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to provide a minimum flow of oxygen from the reaction tank and/or from the pressurized tank to the consumer unit of the aircraft during a prescribed time period.

7. The oxygen supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to set the second amount of oxygen, provided by the pressurized tank to the consumer unit, continuously by a control valve, so that, as the provision of the first amount of oxygen falls, the second amount of oxygen provided increases.

8. The oxygen supply device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reaction tank is configured to provide the first amount of oxygen to the consumer unit over a time period of at least 10 minutes; and/or
wherein the pressurized tank is configured to provide the second amount of oxygen to the consumer unit over a time period of at least 50 minutes.

9. An aircraft with an oxygen supply device according to claim 1 for supplying a passenger cabin of the aircraft with oxygen.

10. A method for supplying a passenger cabin of an aircraft with oxygen, comprising: providing a first amount of oxygen, obtained from a chemical reaction in a reaction tank, the first amount of oxygen set by a control unit; providing a second amount of oxygen, stored in a pressurized tank, the second amount of oxygen set by the control unit; converting, by an energy converter, thermal energy, generated by the chemical reaction, into electrical energy; and using, by the control unit, the electrical energy for setting the second amount of oxygen, provided by the pressurized tank, to a consumer unit.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Leuenberger Frank
• Neumann Carsten

Classifications

• Y02T50/40

  Weight reduction · CPC title

• A62B7/14 Primary

  for high-altitude aircraft · CPC title

• C01B13/02

  Preparation of oxygen (by liquefying F25J) · CPC title

• Y02T50/50

  On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency · CPC title

• B64D11/00

  Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for · CPC title