Systems and methods of cooling a galley of an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016338488-A1
Application number	US-201514716196-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 19, 2015
Priority date	May 19, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A galley includes a cart compartment defining a cavity configured to store at least one galley cart. The galley includes a heat exchanger positioned within the cart compartment and a plenum coupled in flow communication with the heat exchanger. The plenum is configured to provide cool air to cool the at least one galley cart.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A galley comprising:
a cart compartment defining a cavity configured to store at least one galley cart; a heat exchanger positioned within the cart compartment; and a plenum coupled in flow communication with the heat exchanger, the plenum configured to provide cool air to cool the at least one galley cart.

2 . The galley of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger is positioned between corresponding galley carts.

3 . The galley of claim 1 , wherein heat exchanger extends between a front and a rear of the cart compartment.

4 . The galley of claim 1 , further comprising a counter above the cart compartment, the heat exchanger positioned below the counter.

5 . The galley of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger includes an exhaust duct configured to exhaust warmed air into a galley space forward of front of a galley.

6 . The galley of claim 1 , wherein the plenum directs air into the cavity for an air-over-cart supply arrangement.

7 . The galley of claim 1 , wherein the plenum directs air into the at least one galley cart for an air-through-cart supply arrangement.

8 . The galley of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a front, a rear, and a side between the front and the rear, the side facing the cavity and the corresponding at least one galley cart.

9 . The galley of claim 8 , wherein the plenum extends through the side.

10 . The galley of claim 8 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a second side facing the cavity and the corresponding at least one galley cart, the plenum providing cool air to the cavity at the second side.

11 . The galley of claim 1 , wherein the cart compartment includes divider walls dividing the cavity into a plurality of cart chambers, each cart chamber receiving a corresponding galley cart, the heat exchanger supplying cool air to a plurality of the cart chambers.

12 . The galley of claim 11 , wherein the plenum extends from the heat exchanger to corresponding cart chambers to supply cool air to the corresponding galley carts in the cart chambers.

13 . The galley of claim 1 , further comprising a flow control device for controlling the flow of cool air through the plenum.

14 . The galley of claim 13 , wherein the flow control device is mechanically actuated to control the flow of cool air.

15 . The galley of claim 13 , wherein the flow control device is electrically actuated to control the flow of cool air.

16 . The galley of claim 13 , wherein the flow control device comprises a louver for throttling an amount of cool air flowing through the plenum.

17 . The galley of claim 13 , wherein the flow control device comprises a plate having at least one opening, the plate being moveable to adjust a position of the at least one opening relative to the plenum to control an amount of cool air flowing through the plenum.

18 . A galley for an aircraft, the galley comprising:
a plurality of walls defining a front, a rear and sides between the front and the rear of the galley, the front facing a galley space of the aircraft, the rear facing a passenger space of the aircraft; a cart compartment at least partially defined by the plurality of walls, the cart compartment defining a cavity below a counter of the galley, the cart compartment being configured to store at least one galley cart in the cavity, the cart compartment having a door at the front to close the cavity, the galley carts being loaded into the cavity through the door; a heat exchanger positioned within the cart compartment, the heat exchanger having a front at the front of the galley and a rear at the rear of the galley, the heat exchanger being positioned along the corresponding at least one galley cart; and a plenum coupled in flow communication with the heat exchanger, the plenum configured to provide cool air to cool the at least one galley cart.

19 . The galley of claim 18 , wherein the heat exchanger is positioned between corresponding galley carts.

20 . The galley of claim 18 , wherein the heat exchanger includes a side between the front and the rear, the side facing the cavity and the corresponding at least one galley cart.

21 . A cooling system for use with a galley of an aircraft having a cart compartment configured to hold galley carts, the cooling system comprising:
a heat exchanger configured to be received in the cart compartment and configured to supply cooled air to the cart compartment, the heat exchanger having a front facing a front of the galley, the heat exchanger having opposite first and second sides extending rearward from the front, the first and second sides being positioned between corresponding galley carts; and an airflow supply system having first and second supply ducts extending through the first and second sides for supplying cooled air to the corresponding galley carts.

22 . The cooling system of claim 21 , wherein the heat exchanger includes an exhaust at the front of the heat exchanger configured to exhaust warmed air into the galley space forward of the front of the galley.

23 . The cooling system of claim 21 , further comprising a flow control device for controlling flow of the cooled air through the airflow supply system, the flow control device being configured to control an amount of the cooled air discharged from the first supply duct and an amount of the cooled air discharged from the second supply duct.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Garcia Emmanuel
• Lee Joshua

Classifications

• A47B2031/023

  being dockable to a stationary refrigeration and heating unit · CPC title

• B64D11/0007 Primary

  Devices specially adapted for food or beverage distribution services · CPC title

• B64D13/04

  Automatic control of pressure · CPC title

• A47B31/02 Primary

  with heating, cooling or ventilating means · CPC title

• A47B31/06

  adapted to the use in vehicles {(with a set of feet and a part resting on someone's lap A47B23/041; arrangements or adaptations of tables in vehicles B60N3/001)} · CPC title