Nitrogen enriched air supply system and aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016009407-A1
Application number	US-201314070663-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 4, 2013
Priority date	Nov 9, 2012
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention intends to extend the operating life of an air separation module (ASM) in a nitrogen enriched air (NEA) supply system by controlling the temperature of bleed air as a supply source of the NEA. The NEA supply system produces NEA that is enriched with nitrogen upon supply of source gas during a flight through an ascent phase, a cruising phase, and a descent phase, and supplies the NEA to a fuel tank, the system including: an air separation module that separates oxygen and nitrogen in the source gas; and a temperature regulation mechanism that regulates a temperature of the source gas supplied to the air separation module. In at least a part of a flight period through the ascent phase and the cruising phase, the temperature regulation mechanism regulates the temperature of the source gas to below a temperature of the source gas in the descent phase.

First claim

This listing of claims will replace all prior versions and listings of claims in the application:

1 . A nitrogen enriched air supply system which produces nitrogen enriched air that is enriched with nitrogen upon supply of source gas during a flight of an aircraft through an ascent phase, a cruising phase, and a descent phase, and supplies the nitrogen enriched air to a fuel tank of the aircraft, the system comprising:
an altimeter that detects an altitude of the aircraft during the flight; an air separation module that separates oxygen and nitrogen in the source gas; and a temperature regulation mechanism that regulates a temperature of the source gas supplied to the air separation module according to the ascent phase, the cruising phase, and the descent phase determined based on altitude information from the altimeter, wherein, in at least a part of a flight period through the ascent phase and the cruising phase, the temperature regulation mechanism sets the temperature of the source gas to below a temperature of the source gas in the descent phase.

2 . The nitrogen enriched air supply system according to claim 1 , wherein
in at least a part of the flight period through the ascent phase and the cruising phase, the source gas supplied to the air separation module is set to a flow rate smaller than that in the descent phase.

3 . The nitrogen enriched air supply system according to claim 1 , wherein
the air separation module includes a hollow fiber polymer membrane.

4 . The nitrogen enriched air supply system according to of claim 1 , wherein
the system includes a main pipe through which the source gas flows, the temperature regulation mechanism includes a bypass pipe for the main pipe, and regulates a temperature of the source gas in the bypass pipe.

5 . The nitrogen enriched air supply system according to claim 4 , wherein
the temperature regulation mechanism regulates an amount of the source gas distributed to the main pipe and the bypass pipe according to the temperature of the source gas supplied to the air separation module.

6 . (canceled)

7 . The nitrogen enriched air supply system according to claim 4 , wherein
the air separation module is and the temperature regulation mechanism are disposed on the main pipe.

8 . The nitrogen enriched air supply system according to claim 1 , wherein
the system further includes a filter for removing a substance that contaminates the air separation module, and the source gas which has been temperature-regulated by the temperature regulation mechanism passes through the filter and is supplied to the air separation module.

9 . The nitrogen enriched air supply system according to claim 4 , wherein
the temperature regulation mechanism further includes a temperature sensor, cooling means that cools the source gas passing through the bypass pipe or the main pipe, and a flow regulation valve that is placed at a branch point between the gas pipe and the bypass pipe.

10 . The nitrogen enriched air supply system according to claim 9 , wherein
the cooling means is a heat exchanger that is placed around the bypass pipe.

11 . The nitrogen enriched air supply system according to claim 1 , wherein
the source gas is a bleed air from an engine that generates a thrust for the aircraft.

12 . The nitrogen enriched air supply system according to claim 7 , wherein
the system further includes a flow control valve on the main pipe, the produced nitrogen enriched air is supplied to the fuel tank through the main pipe by an opening/closing operation of the flow control valve.

13 . An aircraft comprising the nitrogen enriched air supply system according to claim 1 .

14 . A nitrogen enriched air supply system which produces nitrogen enriched air that is enriched with nitrogen upon supply of source gas during a flight of an aircraft through an ascent phase, a cruising phase, and a descent phase, and supplies the nitrogen enriched air to a fuel tank of the aircraft, the system comprising:
a main pipe through which the source gas flows; an air separation module that separates oxygen and nitrogen in the source gas; and a temperature regulation mechanism comprising a bypass pipe for the main pipe, a temperature sensor, and cooling means that cools the source gas passing through the bypass pipe or the main pipe, the temperature regulation mechanism regulating a temperature of the source gas supplied to the air separation module, a temperature of the source gas in the bypass pipe, and an amount of the source gas flowing into the bypass pipe, wherein, in at least a part of a flight period through the ascent phase and the cruising phase, the temperature regulation mechanism sets the temperature of the source gas to below a temperature of the source gas in the descent phase.

15 . The nitrogen enriched air supply system according to claim 14 , further comprising:
a flow regulation valve that regulates the amount of the source gas flowing through the bypass pipe and the main pipe according to instructions from the temperature regulation mechanism.

16 . The nitrogen enriched air supply system according to claim 15 , wherein the flow regulation valve is placed upstream at a branch point of the bypass pipe and the main pipe.

Assignees

• Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp

Inventors

• Fukuda Koki

Classifications

• B01D53/229

  Integrated processes (Diffusion and at least one other process, e.g. adsorption, absorption) · CPC title

• B01D2053/224

  with hollow fibres · CPC title

• B01D46/448

  by temperature measuring · CPC title

• B01D46/0023

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01D46/4263

  Means for active heating or cooling · CPC title