Method and apparatus for cooling an airline galley cart using a skin heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9986822-B2
Application number	US-201414267142-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 1, 2014
Priority date	May 1, 2014
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

A system for cooling a thermally insulated galley cart in an aircraft incorporates a skin heat exchanger configured to transfer heat to an aircraft skin. A cooling system is in communication with the skin heat exchanger and is configured to be removably coupled with a thermally insulated galley cart.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for cooling a thermally insulated galley cart in an aircraft, the system comprising:
a skin heat exchanger configured to transfer heat to a skin of an aircraft;
a cooling system in communication with the skin heat exchanger, said cooling system incorporating
a closed coolant loop employing a non-freezing coolant flowing through the skin heat exchanger;
a plurality of coolant to air heat exchangers; and,
a plurality of semi-closed air loops, each semi-closed air loop connected to one of said plurality of coolant to air heat exchangers, each semi-closed air loop removably coupled with a thermally insulated galley cart (IGC), each semi-closed air loop separately operable upon coupling of a IGC, each semi-closed air loop further comprising:
a plurality of blowers configured to draw cabin air through the plurality of coolant to air heat exchanger and to deliver cooled air to the IGC each blower separately operable upon coupling of the IGC; and,
a filter configured to receive air exhausted from the IGC for delivery through the plurality of coolant air heat exchangers;

a supply duct having a supply opening removably contacted by an inlet IGC with an associated one of the plurality of semi-closed air loops to deliver cooled air from the supply duct to the IGC; and,
an exhaust valve in the IGC that removably contacts an exhaust opening in an exhaust duct, the exhaust valve automatically operable to open upon engagement of the IGC with the associated one semi-closed air loop to exhaust the cooled air from the IGC.

2. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the closed coolant loop further comprises:
a coolant pump configured to circulate coolant through the skin heat exchanger and the at least one coolant air heat exchanger;
an insulated coolant accumulator positioned intermediate the coolant pump and the at least one coolant air heat exchanger;
an accumulator bypass valve configured to receive coolant from the coolant pump and to bypass flow around the insulated coolant accumulator.

3. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the supply duct and the exhaust duct are formed in a galley panel.

4. The system as defined in claim 3 wherein the supply duct and the exhaust duct are formed by removing core material from a composite galley panel.

5. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the inlet valve and the outlet valve each comprise:
a disk of magnetic material received in a relief in a rear wall of the IGC and configured to seal an inlet aperture in the rear wall in a closed position;
a plurality of rails supporting the disk for reciprocating action with retention clips terminating the rails to constrain the disk in an open position; and,
a magnetic element configured to urge the disk into the closed position, magnetic attraction between the magnetic element and the disk overcome by air pressure from the at least one blower.

6. The system as defined in claim 1 further comprising a proximity detector associated with the IGC operable to determine a presence of a docked IGC at an associated blower, said blower activated in response to an output of the proximity detector.

7. A system for cooling a thermally insulated galley cart in an aircraft, the system comprising:
a skin heat exchanger configured to transfer heat to an aircraft skin;
a cooling system in communication with the skin heat exchanger, said cooling system incorporating
a closed coolant loop employing a non-freezing coolant flowing through the skin heat exchanger;
at least one coolant to air heat exchanger; and,
a plurality of semi-closed air loops connected to the at least one coolant to air heat exchanger, each semi-closed air loop removably coupled with a thermally insulated galley cart (IGC)

wherein the plurality of semi-closed air loops comprises a first semi-closed air loop configured to receive a freezer galley insert and at least one second semi-closed air loop configured to receive the IGC.

8. The system as defined in claim 7 wherein the first semi-closed air loop employs a first coolant air heat exchanger and the at least one second semi-closed air loop employs a second coolant air heat exchanger, said first coolant air heat exchanger positioned upstream of said second coolant air heat exchanger and configured to heat the coolant prior to the coolant entering the second coolant air heat exchanger.

9. The system as defined in claim 8 further comprising a heating element in the first coolant air heat exchanger.

10. A method for maintaining temperature control of foodstuffs for use in an aircraft, said method comprising:
cooling a thermally insulated galley cart (ICG) with an internal heat sink during on-ground or climb-out operations of an aircraft;
monitoring aircraft altitude to determine if the aircraft is at least at a critical altitude to provide external temperatures sufficient for cooling in a closed coolant loop in communication with a skin heat exchanger configured to transfer heat to a skin of the aircraft, said closed coolant loop employing a non-freezing coolant flowing through the skin beat exchanger;
when critical altitude has been reached, turning on a coolant pump;
monitoring blower locations in a plurality of the semi-closed air loops, each semi-closed air loop connected to one of a plurality of coolant to air heat exchangers, each semi-closed air loop configured to be removably coupled with the IGC, each semi-closed air loop separately openable upon coupling of the IGC, each semi-closed air loop further comprising:
a plurality of blowers configured to draw cabin air through the plurality of coolant to air heat exchanger and to deliver cooled air to the IGC each blower separately operable upon coupling of the IGC; and,
a filter configured to receive air exhausted from the IGC for delivery through the plurality of coolant air heat exchangers;

a supply duct having a supply opening removably contacted by an inlet valve in the IGC, the inlet valve automatically operable to open upon engagement of the IGC with an associated one of the plurality of semi-closed air loops to deliver cooled air from the supply duct to the IGC; and,
an exhaust valve in the IGC that removably contacts an exhaust opening in an exhaust duct, the exhaust valve automatically operable to open upon engagement of the IGC with the associated one semi-closed air loop to exhaust the cooled air from the IGC to determine if the IGC is loaded into position at a particular location of one of the plurality of blowers; and
when an IGC is positioned in the particular location, said one of the plurality of blower is activated.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 further comprising
cooling the IGC with the internal heat sink prior to loading the IGC on the aircraft.

12. The method as defined in claim 10 further comprising controlling coolant temperature by activating a bypass valve to bypass a coolant accumulator.

13. The method as defined in claim 10 further comprising controlling coolant temperature by activating a heating element in the coolant air heat exchanger.

14. The method as defined in claim 10 further comprising defrosting the coolant air heat exchanger by operating of the coolant pump when the aircraft is below the critical altitude.

15. The method as defined in claim 10 further comprising selectively activating the coolant pump to use coolant stored in a coolant accumulator to cool the IGC prior to the aircraft being at least at the critical altitude.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Burgess Michael J
• Schalla James P

Classifications

• B60H1/32

  Cooling devices {(B60H1/00478, B60H1/005 take precedence)} · CPC title

• F25D17/045

  Air flow control arrangements · CPC title

• A47B2031/023

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

• B64D13/08 Primary

  the air being heated or cooled · CPC title

• B64D2013/0629

  with subsystems for cooling food, catering or special loads · CPC title