System and process for cooling an aircraft zone using an aircraft-external air assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9321535-B2
Application number	US-201013203386-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2010
Priority date	Feb 25, 2009
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

A system for cooling an aircraft zone includes a mixing chamber which is connected to an air-conditioning assembly for making cool air available and/or to a recirculated-air conveying device for supplying recirculated air into the mixing chamber. The system further includes an aircraft-side air-distribution system which includes at least one line connecting the mixing chamber to the aircraft zone to be cooled and also at least one line that is connectable to an aircraft-external air-generating assembly in order to route air made available by the aircraft-external air-generating assembly into the aircraft-side air-distribution system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. System for cooling an aircraft zone, with:
a mixing chamber which is connected to an air-conditioning assembly for making cool air available and to a recirculated-air conveying device for supplying recirculated air into the mixing chamber wherein in the mixing chamber the air made available by the air conditioning assembly and recirculated air are mixed, and
an aircraft-side air-distribution system which includes at least one line connecting the mixing chamber to the aircraft zone to be cooled and also at least one line that is connectable to an aircraft-external air-generating assembly in order to route air made available by the aircraft-external air-generating assembly into the aircraft-side air-distribution system, characterized in that the system includes a detection device including at least one temperature sensor and at least one pressure sensor for detecting a temperature and pressure in the aircraft-side air-distribution system and/or in the mixing chamber and also a control unit which is set up to receive and evaluate signals made available by the detection device and, when the system is connected to the aircraft-external air-generating assembly, to control the operation of the aircraft-external air-generating assembly in a manner depending on the signals made available by the detection device.

2. System for cooling an aircraft zone according to claim 1 , characterized in that the control unit is set up to control the operation of the aircraft-external air-generating assembly in dependence on the signals made available by the detection device in such a manner that the temperature and/or the mass flow of the air made available by the aircraft-external air-generating assembly is/are adjusted to the operating state in the aircraft-side air-distribution system and/or in the mixing chamber and/or the aircraft-external air-generating assembly is switched off.

3. System for cooling an aircraft zone according to claim 1 , characterized in that the control unit is set up to control the operation of the aircraft-external air-generating assembly in such a manner that the temperature of the air made available by the aircraft-external air-generating assembly is increased or the aircraft-external air-generating assembly is switched off if the control unit detects, on the basis of the signals made available by the detection device, that the temperature of the air in the aircraft-side air-distribution system and/or in the mixing chamber lies below a lower critical temperature threshold value.

4. System for cooling an aircraft zone according to claim 1 , characterized in that the control unit is set up to control the operation of the aircraft-external air-generating assembly in such a manner that the mass flow of the air made available by the aircraft-external air-generating assembly is reduced and/or the temperature of the air made available by the aircraft-external air-generating assembly is increased or the aircraft-external air-generating assembly is switched off if the control unit detects, on the basis of the signals made available by the detection device, that the pressure in the aircraft-side air-distribution system and/or in the mixing chamber lies either below a lower critical pressure threshold value or above an upper critical pressure threshold value.

5. System for cooling an aircraft zone according to claim 1 , characterized in that the detection device is arranged in the mixing chamber.

6. System for cooling an aircraft zone according to claim 1 , characterized in that the control unit is set up to receive and evaluate signals made available by the aircraft-external air-generating assembly that indicate the operating state of the aircraft-external air-generating assembly.

7. System for cooling an aircraft zone according to claim 1 , characterized in that the control unit is connected to a memory in which operating parameters of the system are saved, and in that the control unit is set up to control the operation of the aircraft-external air-generating assembly in a manner depending on the operating parameters of the system saved in the memory.

8. System for cooling an aircraft zone according to claim 1 , characterized in that the control unit forms an aircraft-side component of the system, is designed in the form of a separate component, or forms a component of the aircraft-external air-generating assembly.

9. Process for cooling an aircraft zone, with the following steps:
providing a system for cooling an aircraft zone according to claim 1 ,
connecting the system for cooling an aircraft zone to an aircraft-external air-generating assembly, and
controlling the operation of the aircraft-external air-generating assembly by means of the control unit in dependence on the signals that the control unit receives from the detection device for detecting a parameter indicating an operating state in the aircraft-side air-distribution system and/or in the mixing chamber and evaluates.

10. Process for cooling an aircraft zone, according to claim 9 , characterized in that the control unit controls the operation of the aircraft-external air-generating assembly in such a manner that the temperature and/or the mass flow of the air made available by the aircraft-external air-generating assembly is/are adjusted to the operating state in the aircraft-side air-distribution system and/or in the mixing chamber and/or the aircraft-external air-generating assembly is switched off.

11. Process for cooling an aircraft zone, according to claim 9 , characterized in that the detection device includes at least one temperature sensor and the control unit controls the operation of the aircraft-external air-generating assembly in such a manner that the temperature of the air made available by the aircraft-external air-generating assembly is increased or the aircraft-external air-generating assembly is switched off if the control unit detects, on the basis of the signals made available by the detection device, that the temperature of the air in the aircraft-side air-distribution system and/or in the mixing chamber lies below a lower critical temperature threshold value.

12. Process for cooling an aircraft zone, according to claim 9 , characterized in that the detection device includes at least one pressure sensor and the control unit controls the operation of the aircraft-external air-generating assembly in such a manner that the mass flow of the air made available by the aircraft-external air-generating assembly is reduced and/or the temperature of the air made available by the aircraft-external air-generating assembly is increased or the aircraft-external air-generating assembly is switched off if the control unit detects, on the basis of the signals made available by the detection device, that the pressure in the aircraft-side air-distribution system and/or in the mixing chamber lies either below a lower critical pressure threshold value or above an upper critical pressure threshold value.

13. Process for cooling an aircraft zone, according to claim 9 , characterized in that the control unit receives and evaluates signals made available by the aircraft-external air-generating assembly that indicate the operating state of the aircraft-external air-generating assembly.

14. Process for cooling an aircraft zone, according to claim 9 , characterized in that the control unit is connected to a memory in which operating parameters of the system are saved, and in that the control unit controls the operation of the aircraft-external air-generating assembly in a manner depending on the operating parameters of the system saved in the memory.

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Assignees

• Krakowski Dariusz
• Gumm Stefan
• Kelnhofer Juergen
• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Krakowski Dariusz
• Gumm Stefan
• Kelnhofer Juergen

Classifications

• B64F1/362

  Installations for supplying conditioned air to parked aircraft · CPC title

• B64D13/00 Primary

  Arrangements or adaptations of air-treatment apparatus for aircraft crew or passengers, or freight space · CPC title

• Y02T50/56

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64F1/364

  Mobile units · CPC title

• Y02T50/44

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic