Air-conditioning system for an aircraft, and method for an aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9689597-B2
Application number	US-201414573059-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2014
Priority date	Dec 17, 2013
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

An aircraft air conditioning system comprises a plurality of temperature zones and at least one door. Comprises an air-conditioning unit configured to condition and provide air to at least one of the plurality of temperature zones, temperature zone sensors each associated with a temperature zone for measuring the temperature therein, and a control unit. The control unit receives information representing the closing state of a cabin door, and is coupled to the temperature zone sensors and configured to control the temperature of the conditioned air provided to at least one of the plurality of temperature zones in two operation modes. In a first mode, when doors are closed, the temperature control depends on the measured temperatures in the temperature zones. In the second mode, it depends on a set-temperature, independent of the measured temperature in a temperature zone affected by an open door.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air-conditioning system for conditioning a cabin of an aircraft, the cabin having a plurality of temperature zones and at least one door, the air conditioning system comprising:
an air-conditioning unit, configured to condition air and provide the conditioned air to at least one of the plurality of temperature zones,
a plurality of temperature zone sensors each of which is associated with a temperature zone for measuring the temperature in the respective temperature zone, and
at least one control unit,
wherein the at least one control unit is configured to receive information representing the closing state of the at least one door,
wherein the at least one control unit is coupled to the plurality of temperature zone sensors and is configured to selectively control the temperature of the conditioned air provided to at least one of the plurality of temperature zones in a first operation mode, when at least one door is closed and, in a second operation mode, when at least one of at least one door is open,
wherein, in the first operation mode, the temperature of the conditioned air provided to at least one of the plurality of temperature zones is controlled depending on the temperatures measured by at least one of the plurality of temperature zone sensors, and
wherein, in the second operation mode, the temperature of the conditioned air provided to at least the temperature zone closest to an open one of the at least one door is controlled depending on at least one set-temperature.

2. The air-conditioning system of claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit comprises a cabin zone layout device, that is configured to store information about a cabin zone layout including a position of the plurality of temperature zones in relation to the at least one aircraft door,
wherein the zone layout device is coupled to the control unit and is configured to identify that temperature zone closest to an open one of the at least one door.

3. The air conditioning system of claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit is configured to create the set-temperature depending on at least one measured temperature in at least one temperature zone, that is not closest to an open one of the at least one door.

4. The air conditioning system of claim 3 ,
wherein the control unit is configured to receive information about ambient temperature, and
wherein the control unit is configured to determine the set-temperature based on a difference between a desired temperature in that temperature zone closest to an open one of the at least one door and the ambient temperature.

5. The air conditioning system of claim 3 ,
wherein the control unit is configured to set the set-temperature to one of the measured temperature of a temperature zone adjacent to that temperature zone closest to an open one of the at least one door and to a predetermined fixed temperature.

6. The air conditioning system of claim 1 ,
wherein, in the second operation mode, the temperature of the conditioned air provided to at least that temperature zone closest to an open one of the at least one door is controlled independent of a temperature measured by any of the temperature zone sensors.

7. The air conditioning system of claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit is configured to control the temperature of the conditioned air provided by the air-conditioning unit in the second mode of operation to assume a predetermined temperature.

8. A method for conditioning a cabin having a plurality of temperature zones and at least one door, the method comprising:
conditioning air through an air-conditioning unit;
providing conditioned air to at least one of the plurality of temperature zones;
measuring at least one temperature inside the plurality of temperature zones through at least one of a plurality temperature zone sensors, each of which is associated with a temperature zone;
receiving information representing the closing state of the at least one door of the cabin through at least one control unit; and
selectively controlling the temperature of the conditioned air provided to at least one of the plurality of temperature zones in a first operation mode, when the at least one door is closed and, in a second operation mode, when at least one of the at least one door is open,
wherein, in the first operation mode, the temperature of the conditioned air provided to at least one of the plurality of temperature zones is controlled depending on the temperatures measured by at least one of the plurality of temperature zone sensors, and
wherein, in the second operation mode, the temperature of the conditioned air provided to at least that temperature zone closest to an open one of said at least one door is controlled depending on at least one set-temperature and independent of a temperature measured by any of the temperature zone sensors.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising identifying that temperature zone, that is closest to an open one of the at least one door by means of a cabin zone layout device in the at least one control unit, that is configured to store information about a cabin zone layout including a position of the plurality of temperature zones in relation to the at least one door.

10. The method of claim 8 , comprising creating the set-temperature depending on at least one measured temperature in at least one of the plurality of temperature zones, that is not closest to an open one of the at least one door.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising receiving information about an ambient temperature through the at least one control unit, wherein creating the set-temperature comprises determining the set-temperature based on a difference between a desired temperature in that temperature zone closest to an open one of the at least one door and the ambient temperature.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein creating the set-temperature comprises setting the set-temperature as the temperature of a temperature zone adjacent to that temperature zone closest to an open one of the at least one door.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising setting the set-temperature to a predetermined fixed temperature.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein controlling the temperature of the conditioned air provided to at least one of the plurality of temperature zones comprises controlling the temperature of the conditioned air delivered by the air-conditioning unit in the second mode of operation to assume a predetermined temperature.

Assignees

• Airbus Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Kelnhofer Jürgen
• Krakowski Dariusz

Classifications

• B64D2013/0655

  with zone or personal climate controls · CPC title

• F25B49/02 Primary

  for compression type machines, plants or systems · CPC title

• B64D13/06 Primary

  the air being conditioned (pressurising B64D13/02) · CPC title

• Y02T50/56

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02T50/50

  On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency · CPC title