Methods and device for mixing airflows in environmental control systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9783309-B2
Application number	US-201313943272-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2013
Priority date	Jul 16, 2013
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

Methods and a device for mixing airflows in an environmental control system are provided. The device includes a duct configured to receive a first airflow and a second airflow, and a plurality of guide vanes disposed within said duct. The guide vanes are configured to induce rotation of the first and second airflows flowing through the duct.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An environmental control system for use in a vehicle, the environmental control system having a first airflow and a second airflow channeled therethrough, the environmental control system comprising:
an injection site where the second airflow is introduced to the first airflow;
a trim air valve adjustable to control flow of the second airflow at the injection site;
a single temperature sensor downstream from the injection site;
a device for use in mixing airflows, said device comprising:
a duct configured to receive the first airflow and the second airflow; and
a plurality of guide vanes disposed within said duct between the injection site and the single temperature sensor, said plurality of guide vanes configured to induce rotation of and substantially uniformly mix the first and second airflows flowing through said duct, wherein the single temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the combined first and second airflows and provides a temperature measurement; and,

an air management controller coupled to the temperature sensor and configured to calculate a target temperature based solely on the temperature measurement of the single temperature sensor to achieve a programmed compartment temperature, said air management controller adjusting the trim air valve responsive to the temperature measurement.

2. An environmental control system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said plurality of guide vanes is positioned to mix the first and second airflows before a temperature of the mixed first and second airflows is measured by the single temperature sensor.

3. An environmental control system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is positioned to measure a temperature at a point where the first and second airflows are substantially mixed.

4. An environmental control system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said plurality of guide vanes are configured to force axial flows of the first airflow and the second airflow into a rotational movement to generate a swirl flow as the first and second airflows flow through said duct.

5. An environmental control system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said plurality of guide vanes project from an inner surface of said duct and are circumferentially spaced at equal intervals.

6. An environmental control system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said plurality of guide vanes are skewed along a longitudinal axis of said duct.

7. An environmental control system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said plurality of guide vanes are curved in one of a clockwise and a counter-clockwise direction to form a swirl flow of mixed air as it flows through said duct.

8. An environmental control system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said plurality of guide vanes is fabricated integrally to said duct.

9. An environmental control system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said device is a separate component configured to be retrofit within existing ducting.

10. An environmental control system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first airflow comprises conditioned air and the second airflow comprises trim air.

11. A method of mixing airflows in an environmental control system, the environmental control system having a first airflow and a second airflow channeled therethrough, the second airflow introduced to the first airflow at an injection site, the environmental control system further including a single temperature sensor downstream from the injection site, said method comprising:
positioning a device in the environment control system between the injection site and the temperature sensor, the device having a duct and a plurality of guide vanes disposed within the duct, within an air supply duct to facilitate substantially uniformly mixing at least the first airflow and the second airflow;
channeling the first and second airflows into the air supply duct and past the device, such that a plurality of guide vanes disposed within the duct induces rotation and substantially uniform mixing of the first and second airflows flowing through the duct;
calculating a target temperature in an air management controller coupled to the single temperature sensor based solely on a temperature measurement by the single temperature sensor of the combined first and second airflows to achieve a compartment temperature; and,
adjusting a trim air valve with the air management controller responsive to the temperature measurement.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11 , further comprising mixing the first and second airflows before measuring a temperature of the mixed airflows with the temperature sensor.

13. A method in accordance with claim 11 , further comprising forcing axial flows of the first airflow and the second airflow into a rotational movement to generate a swirl flow as the first and second airflows flow through the duct.

14. A method in accordance with claim 11 , further comprising channeling conditioned air and trim air into the device.

15. A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system comprising:
an air duct configured to channel airflow from a compartment;
a heated air supply duct coupled in flow communication to said air duct, said heated air supply duct configured to channel heated airflow to be injected into the airflow at an injection point to form a mixed airflow;
a trim air valve adjustable to control flow of the heated airflow at the injection point;
a single temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the mixed airflow and provide a temperature measurement; and
a device coupled downstream from the injection point of the heated airflow into said air duct and upstream from said at least one temperature sensor, said device comprising:
a duct configured to receive the airflow and the heated airflow;
a plurality of guide vanes disposed within said duct configured to induce rotation of and substantially uniformly mix the airflow and heated airflow flowing through said duct; and,

an air management controller coupled to the single temperature sensor and configured to calculate a target temperature based solely on the temperature measurement of the single temperature sensor to achieve a programmed compartment temperature, said air management controller adjusting the trim air valve responsive to the temperature measurement.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Vue Fue Chue
• Mullenix David W

Classifications

• B64D13/08 Primary

  the air being heated or cooled · CPC title

• B64D2013/0688

  with means for recirculating cabin air · CPC title

• Y02T50/56

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02T50/44

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F24F13/04

  Air-mixing units (F24F13/06 takes precedence) · CPC title