High-pressure annular water collector with axial swirl vanes for an air cycle environmental control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11839846-B2
Application number	US-202117386709-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2021
Priority date	Jul 29, 2020
Publication date	Dec 12, 2023
Grant date	Dec 12, 2023

Abstract

An annular water removal system (AWRS) for an air cycle environmental control system (ECS) includes a line replaceable unit (LRU) configured to output air flow, and a water collector coupled to the LRU. The water collector includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion includes a coalescing unit having a collector inlet to receive the air flow and configured to coalesce moisture from the air flow output from the LRU. The lower portion includes a collection unit in fluid communication with the coalescing unit. The collection unit is configured to collect the moisture coalesced by the coalescing unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A water collector configured to remove moisture from air flow output from a line replaceable unit (LRU), the water collector comprising:
a housing extending radially about a center axis to define an annular profile with an opening configured to receive the LRU, the housing having an inner surface that extends radially about the opening and has a diameter defined by the profile of the opening,
an upper portion including a coalescing unit having a collector inlet defining inlet air path extending along a first axis to receive the air flow, and configured to coalesce moisture from the air flow output from the LRU and including an outlet flange on a side of the upper portion, the outlet flange having a torus profile that defines a collector outlet downstream of the coalescing unit, the collector outlet defining an outlet air path extending along a second axis that is orthogonal to both the first axis and the center axis, the collector outlet configured to expel the air exiting the coalescing unit along the outlet air path; and
a lower portion including a collection unit downstream from the coalescing unit and in fluid communication with the coalescing unit via the inner surface, the collection unit configured to collect the moisture coalesced by the coalescing unit,
wherein the coalescing unit the coalescing unit has a helical air passage defined by an inlet channel including at least one axial swirl vane including an upper portion extending into the inlet channel and a lower portion extending into the collection unit.

2. The water collector of claim 1 , wherein the water collector is configured to wrap entirely around at least a portion of the LRU such that an air outlet of the LRU is in fluid communication with the collector inlet.

3. The water collector of claim 2 , wherein the inlet channel extends from the collector inlet, around a tear-drop turn, and to an outlet channel that is in fluid communication with the collector outlet.

4. The water collector of claim 3 , wherein the at least one axial swirl vane extends between the inner surface of the inlet channel and the tear-drop turn.

5. The water collector of claim 3 , wherein the outlet channel includes at least one collector groove configured to collect moisture that adheres thereto responsive to conveying the airflow through the helical air passage.

6. The water collector of claim 5 , wherein the at least one collector groove is integrally formed in the inner surface of the housing and extends from the upper portion to the lower portion so as to deliver moisture collected by the at least one collector groove to the collection unit.

7. The water collector of claim 6 , wherein the outlet channel includes at least one support vane oriented parallel with respect to the air flowing through the outlet channel so as to minimize the pressure drop within the water collector.

8. The water collector of claim 6 , wherein the collection unit including a sump configured to collect the moisture delivered by the at least one collector groove.

9. The water collector of claim 8 , wherein the sump includes a drain port to expel the moisture collected therein.

10. The water collector of claim 6 , wherein the coalescing unit further includes at least one gutter in fluid communication with an outer surface of the housing so as to deliver moisture condensed on the housing to the collection unit.

11. The water collector of claim 3 , further comprising at least one support vane extending from a lower inner surface of the outlet channel to an upper inner surface of the outlet channel, the at least one support vane oriented parallel with respect to a direction of the air flow traveling through the outlet channel so as to reduce the pressure drop within the water collector.

Assignees

• Hamilton Sundstrand Corp

Inventors

• Army Donald E
• Alahyari Abbas A
• Delugan Anthony
• Joseph Ephraim
• Maynard Michael
• Rosen Seth E
• Whiton John H
• Zuraw Sebastian
• Saltzman David
• Testa Christopher

Classifications

• B01D45/16 Primary

  generated by the winding course of the gas stream {, the centrifugal forces being generated solely or partly by mechanical means, e.g. fixed swirl vanes} · CPC title

• B01D45/06 Primary

  by reversal of direction of flow · CPC title

• B64D13/06

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

• B64D2013/0674

  comprising liquid subsystems · CPC title

• B01D46/0039

  with flow guiding by feed or discharge devices · CPC title