Method for pneumatically draining a water supply system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12576969-B2
Application number	US-202318318252-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2023
Priority date	May 25, 2022
Publication date	Mar 17, 2026
Grant date	Mar 17, 2026

Abstract

A method for draining a water supply system onboard an aircraft which supplies water from a central water tank to consumers. Water is supplied by a supply pump from the central water tank through supply lines of a conduit system to consumers. Each consumer is associated with a supply valve for drawing water from the conduit system. The supply lines have a maximum internal diameter of 8 mm or less. The method includes closing the supply valves of all consumers, subjecting the supply lines of the conduit system at the at the supply pump to a draining pressure and sequentially opening the supply valves of all consumers for removing water from the supply lines of the conduit system. A corresponding water supply system and an aircraft are disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for draining a water supply system onboard an aircraft, wherein the water supply system comprises:
a plurality of consumers; a conduit system that comprises supply lines; a central water tank that supplies water to the plurality of consumers; a supply pump that supplies the water from the central water tank, through the supply lines of the conduit system, to each consumer of the plurality of consumers; one or more buffers; and one or more consumer lines; wherein each consumer of the plurality of consumers is associated with a supply valve for drawing water from the conduit system; wherein each consumer line of the one or more consumer lines is associated with and connected:
downstream from a corresponding buffer of the one or more buffers; and
between the corresponding buffer and one or more consumer of the plurality of consumers;
wherein each of the one or more buffers is associated with and downstream from, so as to be supplied with water from, a corresponding supply valve of the supply valves, the water being supplied to each of the one or more buffers from the central water tank via the supply pump and the conduit system; wherein each of the one or more buffers supplies the water contained therein to one or more consumers of the plurality or consumers that is downstream of the corresponding supply valve; wherein the conduit system extends between the supply pump and the supply valves associated with the plurality of consumers; and wherein the supply lines are flexible and have a maximum internal diameter of 8 mm or less;
the method comprising:
closing the supply valves associated with the plurality of consumers;
subjecting the supply lines of the conduit system at the supply pump to a draining pressure; and
while the supply lines of the conduit system are subjected to the draining pressure, sequentially opening the supply valves associated with the plurality of consumers, such that, due to the draining pressure to which the supply lines are subjected, water is removed from the supply lines of the conduit system.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
only a predetermined number of the supply valves is opened at a time for removing water from the supply lines of the conduit system, wherein the predetermined number is one; and/or each of the supply valves is opened for a predetermined time.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the water stored in each of the one or more buffers is drained through the one or more consumers associated with the corresponding supply valve before the supply lines are subjected to the draining pressure, wherein the corresponding supply valve associated with the one or more buffers remains closed while the one or more buffers is being drained; and/or after the corresponding supply valve associated with the one or more buffers was open while the supply lines were subjected to the draining pressure, water drained from the supply lines into the one or more buffers is drained from the one or more buffers through the one or more consumers associated with the corresponding supply valve associated with the one or more buffers.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the supply lines are either subjected to a positive draining pressure at the supply pump by pumping air into the supply lines or the supply lines are subjected to a negative draining pressure by applying suction to the supply lines at the supply pump; and the draining pressure is created by the supply pump or by an external pressure source attached to the conduit system at the supply pump.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein:
the supply valves associated with the plurality of consumers are sequentially opened in a predetermined sequence for draining water from the supply lines, wherein the predetermined sequence is determined by ordering the supply valves according to a supply length of the supply lines extending between the respective supply valve and the supply pump; when the supply lines are subjected to the positive draining pressure, the supply valves are ordered by supply length in ascending order such that a supply valve having a minimum supply length is opened first and a supply valve having a maximum supply length is opened last; and when the supply lines are subjected to the negative draining pressure, the supply valves are ordered by supply length in descending order such that the supply valve having a maximum supply length is opened first and the supply valve having a minimum supply length is opened last.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the supply valves associated with the plurality of consumers are sequentially opened in a predetermined sequence for draining water from the supply lines, wherein the predetermined sequence is determined by ordering the supply valves according to a supply length of the supply lines extending between the respective supply valve and the supply pump.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
water is drained from the central water tank before the supply lines are subjected to the draining pressure; when the supply lines are subjected to a negative draining pressure, water is drained from the supply lines through the supply pump into the central water tank, wherein the central water tank is completely drained after the supply lines have been drained by the negative draining pressure, or when the supply lines are subjected to a positive draining pressure, a connection between the central water tank and the supply pump is blocked before the supply lines are subjected to the draining pressure and/or wherein the supply pump prevents a backflow towards the central water tank.

8 . A water supply system onboard an aircraft for supplying water, the water supply system comprising:
a plurality of consumers; a conduit system that comprises supply lines; a central water tank that is connected to the plurality of consumers and configured to provide water to the plurality of consumers; a supply pump that is configured to supply the water from the central water tank, through the supply lines of the conduit system, to each consumer of the plurality of consumers; one or more buffers; one or more consumer lines; and a control; wherein each consumer of the plurality of consumers is associated with a supply valve for drawing water from the conduit system; wherein each consumer line of the one or more consumer lines is associated with and connected:
downstream from a corresponding buffer of the one or more buffers; and
between the corresponding buffer and one or more consumer of the plurality of consumers
wherein each of the one or more buffers is associated with and downstream from, so as to be supplied with water from, a corresponding supply valve of the supply valves, the water being supplied to each of the one or more buffers from the central water tank via the supply pump and the conduit system; wherein each of the one or more buffers is configured to supply the water contained therein to one or more consumers of the plurality or consumers that is downstream of the corresponding supply valve; wherein the conduit system extends between the supply pump and the supply valves associated with the plurality of consumers; wherein the supply lines are flexible and have a maximum internal diameter of 8 mm or less; and wherein the control is configured for:
automatically closing the supply valves of all consumers;
subjecting the supply lines of the conduit system at the supply pump to a draining pressure by a pressure source; and
while the supply lines of the conduit system are subjected to the draining pressure, automatically and sequentially opening the supply valves of all o

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Müller Hannes
• Rempe Michael
• Albers Frederik
• Schneider Frank
• Lübbert Tim

Classifications

• B64D11/02 Primary

  Toilet fittings · CPC title

• B64D11/04 Primary

  Galleys · CPC title

• G05D16/2026

  with a plurality of throttling means · CPC title

• E03B7/04

  Domestic or like local pipe systems (domestic plumbing E03C1/02) · CPC title

• E03B7/09

  Component parts or accessories (tools for cleaning pipes B08B9/02; devices for preventing contamination of drinking water pipes for domestic use E03C1/10; devices for preventing damage in case of bursts of pipes F16L; heating or cooling of pipes or pipe systems F16L53/00) · CPC title