Aircraft environmental control system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9623974-B2
Application number	US-201514670607-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2015
Priority date	Jan 4, 2012
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

An environmental control system including a turbomachine assembly having a shaft, motor, turbine and compressor, the compressor outputting a compressed air stream, a first valve that splits the compressed air stream into first and second compressed air streams, a heat exchanger to cool the first compressed air stream and output a cooled air stream, a second valve positioned to receive the cooled air stream and split the cooled air stream into first and second cooled air streams, wherein the first cooled stream is expanded in the turbine to produce an expanded air stream that is combined with the second compressed air stream and the second cooled air stream to provide a combined air stream having a temperature and a flow rate, and a controller that communicates control signals to the compressor, motor and first and second valves to control the temperature and flow rate of the combined air stream.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An environmental control system comprising:
a turbomachine assembly comprising:
a shaft;
a compressor driven by said shaft to output a compressed air stream;
a turbine coupled to said shaft; and
a motor coupled to said shaft;

a first valve configured to split said compressed air stream into a first compressed air stream and a second compressed air stream;
a heat exchanger positioned to cool said first compressed air stream and output a cooled air stream;
a second valve positioned to receive said cooled air stream and split said cooled air stream into a first cooled air stream and a second cooled air stream, wherein said first cooled air stream is expanded in said turbine to produce an expanded air stream, and wherein said expanded air stream is combined with said second compressed air stream and said second cooled air stream to provide a combined air stream, said combined air stream having a temperature and a flow rate; and
a controller configured to communicate control signals to said compressor, said motor, said first valve and said second valve to control said temperature and said flow rate of said combined air stream.

2. The environmental control system of claim 1 wherein said compressor is a variable geometry compressor.

3. The environmental control system of claim 1 wherein said turbine is configured to supply rotational power to said shaft in response to said first cooled air stream being expanded in said turbine.

4. The environmental control system of claim 1 wherein said motor is configured to selectively supply rotational power to said shaft.

5. The environmental control system of claim 1 wherein said first valve selectively splits said compressed air stream into said first compressed air stream and said second compressed air stream based on said control signals received from said controller.

6. The environmental control system of claim 1 wherein said second valve selectively splits said cooled air stream into said first cooled air stream and said second cooled air stream based on said control signals received from said controller.

7. The environmental control system of claim 1 further comprising a temperature sensor positioned to sense a temperature of said compressed air stream and communicate to said controller signals indicative of said temperature of said compressed air stream, wherein said control signals are based at least on said signals indicative of said temperature of said compressed air stream.

8. The environmental control system of claim 1 further comprising a pressure sensor positioned to sense a pressure of said compressed air stream and communicate to said controller signals indicative of said pressure of said compressed air stream, wherein said control signals are based at least on said signals indicative of said pressure of said compressed air stream.

9. The environmental control system of claim 1 further comprising a first flow sensor positioned to sense a flow rate of said cooled air stream and communicate to said controller signals indicative of said flow rate of said cooled air stream, wherein said control signals are based at least on said signals indicative of said flow rate of said cooled air stream.

10. The environmental control system of claim 1 further comprising a second flow sensor positioned to sense a flow rate of said second compressed air stream and communicate to said controller signals indicative of said flow rate of said second compressed air stream, wherein said control signals are based at least on said signals indicative of said flow rate of said second compressed air stream.

11. The environmental control system of claim 1 further comprising a second temperature sensor positioned to sense a temperature of said cooled air stream and communicate to said controller signals indicative of said temperature of said cooled air stream, wherein said control signals are based at least on said signals indicative of said temperature of said cooled air stream.

12. The environmental control system of claim 1 further comprising an airplane cabin, wherein said combined air stream is supplied to said cabin.

13. The environmental control system of claim 1 further comprising a recirculation fan configured to draw air from said cabin and combine said air drawn from said cabin with said combined air stream.

14. The environmental control system of claim 1 further comprising a water extractor configured to remove water from said cooled air stream.

15. An environmental control system comprising:
a turbomachine assembly comprising a compressor, a motor and a turbine, wherein said compressor has a variable compressor geometry and is driven by a shaft to output a compressed air stream, wherein said motor is coupled to said shaft and has a variable motor power, and wherein said turbine is coupled to said shaft;
a first valve having a first variable splitting state to selectively divide said compressed air stream into a first compressed air stream and a second compressed air stream;
a heat exchanger positioned to cool said first compressed air stream and output a cooled air stream;
a second valve having a second variable splitting state to selectively divide said cooled air stream into a first cooled air stream and a second cooled air stream, wherein said first cooled air stream is coupled to said turbine such that said turbine expands said first cooled air stream as said first cooled air stream passes through said turbine, thereby producing an expanded air stream, and wherein said expanded air stream is combined with said second compressed air stream and said second cooled air stream to provide a combined air stream, said combined air stream having a temperature and a flow rate; and
a controller configured to control said temperature and said flow rate of said combined air stream by controlling said variable compressor geometry, said variable motor power, said first variable splitting state and said second variable splitting state.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Johnson Andrew T

Classifications

• F25B9/065

  using pressurised gas jets · CPC title

• F25B9/004

  the refrigerant being air · CPC title

• B64D2013/0603

  Environmental Control Systems · CPC title

• B64D2013/0644

  including electric motors or generators · CPC title

• F25B9/06

  using expanders (F25B9/10 takes precedence) · CPC title