The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to environmental control systems and, more particularly, to pack-and-a-half architectures for environmental control systems.
Commercial aircraft are conventionally equipped with two-pack environmental control system architectures that include redundant packs installed in separate bays beneath a center wing box of the aircraft and are encapsulated by the aircraft wing-to-body fairing. These bays are commonly separated by a Keel Beam that supports the weight of the aircraft in the event of a wheels-up landing. Local penetrations of the keel beam can be accommodated if properly reinforced.
Smaller configurations of environmental control system architectures can include pack-and-a-half architectures that fit within a single volume. However, such volume is larger than half of the convention two-pack architectures, and thus the pack-and-a-half architecture systems may be too large for use in such locations, and thus may be required to be installed in other locations of the aircraft (e.g., in a tail cone of the aircraft). It may be beneficial to further reduce the size of pack-and-a-half environmental control system architectures.
According to one embodiment, environmental control systems for aircraft are provided. The environmental control systems include a ram module having a primary heat exchanger and a secondary heat exchanger, a refrigeration module having an air cycle machine module and a condenser heat exchanger, and a first altitude diverter valve operable from a first position wherein the primary and secondary heat exchangers operate in series and a second position wherein the primary and secondary heat exchanger operate in parallel. Air from the primary and secondary heat exchangers is provided to (i) the condenser heat exchanger when the primary and secondary heat exchangers operate in series and (ii) an aircraft cabin when the primary and secondary heat exchangers operate in parallel.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, further embodiments of the environmental control systems may include that the primary and secondary heat exchangers operate in series when the aircraft is on the ground.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, further embodiments of the environmental control systems may include that the primary and secondary heat exchangers operate in parallel when the aircraft is in flight.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, further embodiments of the environmental control systems may include a second altitude diverter valve operable to direct air from the primary and secondary heat exchangers to one of the condenser heat exchanger and the aircraft cabin.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, further embodiments of the environmental control systems may include that the air cycle machine module comprises a first air cycle machine and a second air cycle machine, each air cycle machine having a respective compressor and respective turbine.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, further embodiments of the environmental control systems may include a water collector configured downstream from the condenser heat exchanger, the water collector configured to extract water from air supplied from one of the condenser heat exchanger or outflow air from the aircraft cabin.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, further embodiments of the environmental control systems may include that the air cycle machine module is supplied with bleed air, the environmental control system further comprising a quench valve configured to control flow from the primary heat exchanger such that air from the primary heat exchange can be provided to supply cool air to the bleed air and condition said bleed air.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, further embodiments of the environmental control systems may include that the air cycle machine module comprises a first air cycle machine and a second air cycle machine, each air cycle machine having a respective compressor, respective turbine, and respective power turbine.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, further embodiments of the environmental control systems may include that the turbines of the first and second air cycle machines are operated when the aircraft is on the ground and the power turbines of the first and second air cycle machines are operated when the aircraft is in flight.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, further embodiments of the environmental control systems may include a water collector configured downstream from the condenser heat exchanger, the water collector configured to extract water from air supplied from the condenser heat exchanger when the turbines of the first and second air cycle machines are operated and the water collector is bypassed when the power turbines of the first and second air cycle machines are operated.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, further embodiments of the environmental control systems may include at least one overboard diverter valve configured to exhaust air from the air cycle machine module overboard when the aircraft is in flight.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, further embodiments of the environmental control systems may include at least one temperature control valve configured to divert bleed air to the condenser heat exchanger when the aircraft is on the ground.
In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as an alternative, further embodiments of the environmental control systems may include an altitude valve configured to control an airflow from the air cycle machine module to one or both of the heat exchangers of the ram module.
Technical effects of embodiments of the present disclosure include environmental control systems having pack-and-a-half architectures.
The foregoing features and elements may be combined in various combinations without exclusivity, unless expressly indicated otherwise. These features and elements as well as the operation thereof will become more apparent in light of the following description and the accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following description and drawings are intended to be illustrative and explanatory in nature and non-limiting.
The subject matter is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other features, and advantages of the present disclosure are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
As shown and described herein, various features of the disclosure will be presented. Various embodiments may have the same or similar features and thus the same or similar features may be labeled with the same reference numeral, but preceded by a different first number indicating the figure to which the feature is shown. Thus, for example, element “##” that is shown in FIG. X may be labeled “X##” and a similar feature in FIG. Z may be labeled “Z##.” Although similar reference numbers may be used in a generic sense, various embodiments will be described and various features may include changes, alterations, modifications, etc. as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art, whether explicitly described or otherwise would be appreciated by those of skill in the art.
As shown in
Turning now to
As shown, in
The refrigeration module 204 includes a condenser heat exchanger 216 and one or more air cycle machines 218. The condenser heat exchanger 216 can be operably connected to the secondary heat exchanger 208b by a first duct 206a that can supply hot air to the condenser heat exchanger 216. The air cycle machines 218 can be connected to one or both of the heat exchangers 208a, 208b, as shown. Recirculated air Arecirc can be supplied to and mix with turbine air from the air cycle machines 218 as indicated in
The condenser heat exchanger 216 is configured to condition air and supply relatively cool or cold air Acabin to a cabin of an aircraft. Thus, the condenser heat exchanger 216 includes an outlet header 220. The hot air that is supplied to the condenser heat exchanger 216 through the duct 206a is fed into an inlet header 222 of the condenser heat exchanger 216.
As shown in
For example, turning now to
The environmental control system 300 includes a ram module 302 and a refrigeration module 304. In some configurations, when installed on an aircraft, the ram module 302 can be installed into a right-hand side of the aircraft, and thus through a first bay door and the refrigeration module 304 can be installed into a left-hand side of the aircraft, and through a second bay door. In
The ram module 302 is operably connected to the refrigeration module 304 by one or more ducts 306. The environmental control system 300 includes a primary heat exchanger 308a and a secondary heat exchanger 308b that receive bleed air Ableed and ram air Aram, respectively, to condition air within the ram module 302. One or more ram fans 314 are configured to aid in exhausting ram exhaust air Aram_exhaust from the ram module 302.
As shown, the refrigeration module 304 includes a condenser heat exchanger 316 and tandem air cycle machines 318a, 318b. Each of the tandem air cycle machines 318a, 318b includes a respective compressor 324a, 324b and a respective turbine 326a, 326b. The tandem air cycle machines 318a, 318b can form a tandem air cycle machine module 328, as indicated by the dashed-line box in
Embodiments provided herein are directed to improved pack-and-a-half environmental control systems. Architectures as provided herein can enable an integrated low pressure system that offers improved economic and operational performance superior to other architectures. Moreover, embodiments provided enable reduced system part count, weight, and interfaces that can be realized over conventional two-pack architectures. For example, in various embodiments, architectures provided herein may require only one instead of two of the following components: ram heat exchangers; condensing heat exchangers; water collectors; air cycle machine isolation valves; or ram circuits.
Turning to
The environmental control system 400 can be configured similar to that shown in
The environmental control system 400 can include multiple components to control airflow through the environmental control system 400 such that different flow paths of air within the environmental control system 400 can be achieved based on different operating states. For example, as noted above, a ground operation is indicated in
The environmental control system 400 can include multiple valves, sensors, etc. For example, as shown, in addition to an air cycle machine isolation valve 432, the environmental control system 400 includes one or more overboard diverter valves 434 that can be configured downstream from the turbines 426a, 426b. One or more temperature control valves 436 can be used to control the turbine outlet temperature using bleed air Ableed. The overboard diverter valves 434 are used to either direct flow to the condenser heat exchanger 416 or overboard during cruise operation (Aover).
A first altitude diverter valve 438 can be configured to divert air from an outlet HXout of the primary heat exchanger 408a to an inlet HXin of the secondary heat exchanger 408b, as shown or allow for air to flow from the outlet HXout of the primary heat exchanger 408a toward the condenser heat exchanger 416 or to be cabin air Acabin. The first altitude diverter valve 438 is configured to enable the heat exchangers 408a, 408b to operate in series or in parallel. As second altitude diverter valve 440 can be configured to control air from one or both of the heat exchangers 408a, 408b and direct it to the cabin as cabin air Acabin or into the condenser heat exchanger 416. A differential pressure sensor 442 can be configured to monitor a differential air pressure between the cabin air Acabin and air supplied from one or more of the turbines 426a, 426b to the condenser heat exchanger 416. The differential pressure sensor 442 can be used, in some embodiments, to aid in control of one or more of the valves of the environmental control system 400 (e.g., the valves described herein or other valves configured within the environmental control system 400).
Additional valves can be configured to control airflow between the heat exchangers 408a, 408b and the compressors 424a, 424b. For example, a quench valve 444 can be configured to control airflow from an outlet HXout of the primary heat exchanger 408a to the compressors 424a, 424b. Further, an altitude valve 446 can be configured to control an airflow from the compressors 424a, 424b to inlets HXin of one or both of the heat exchangers 408a, 408b.
As noted, the dashed line in
As illustrated in
Referring now to
Turning now to
The environmental control system 500 can be configured similar to that shown in
The environmental control system 500 can include multiple components to control airflow through the environmental control system 500 such that different flow paths of air within the environmental control system 500 can be achieved based on different operating states. For example, as noted above, a ground operation is indicated in
The environmental control system 500 can include multiple valves, sensors, etc. As shown in
A first altitude diverter valve 538 can be configured to divert air from an outlet HXout of the primary heat exchanger 508a to an inlet HXin of the secondary heat exchanger 508b, as shown or allow for air to flow from the outlet HXout of the primary heat exchanger 508a toward the condenser heat exchanger 516 or to be cabin air Acabin. The first altitude diverter valve 538 is configured to enable the heat exchangers 508a, 508b to operate in series or in parallel. As second altitude diverter valve 540 can be configured to control air from one or both of the heat exchangers 508a, 508b and direct it to the cabin as cabin air Acabin or into the condenser heat exchanger 516. A differential pressure sensor 542 can be configured to monitor a differential air pressure between the cabin air Acabin and air supplied from one or more of the turbines 526a, 526b to the condenser heat exchanger 516. The differential pressure sensor 542 can be used, in some embodiments, to aid in control of one or more of the valves of the environmental control system 500 (e.g., the valves described herein or other valves configured within the environmental control system 500).
Additional valves can be configured to control airflow between the heat exchangers 508a, 508b and the compressors 524a, 524b. For example, a quench valve 544 can be configured to control airflow from an outlet HXout of the primary heat exchanger 508a to the compressors 524a, 524b. Further, an altitude valve 546 can be configured to control an airflow from the compressors 524a, 524b to inlets HXin of one or both of the heat exchangers 508a, 508b.
As noted, the dashed lines in
As illustrated in
Referring now to
Advantageously, embodiments described herein provide improved pack-and-a-half environmental control systems. For example, advantageously, embodiments provided herein enable redundancy where needed for dispatch reliability (e.g., air cycle machine and temperature control valve). Further, advantageously, the use of a two-pass ram heat exchanger operating in series on the ground (e.g.,
Further, advantageously, in some embodiments, the air cycle machines can utilize mixed-flow compressors (e.g., bleed air, heat exchanger air, etc.) offering a wide range of performance over a system operating profile. Such performance range can enable relatively low supply pressures from an aircraft engine to be efficiently boosted in-flight to pressurize the cabin.
In various embodiments, the turbines of the air cycle machines can be used as a cooling turbine for ground operation and a power turbine (driven by outflow air from a cabin) in flight. A common turbine (e.g.,
In various embodiments, a quench valve can be provided to supply cool air to a compressor inlet when bleed inlet air temperatures need to be tempered to a level to permit the use of lightweight materials (e.g., aluminum) in the system.
The various altitude valves and altitude diverter valves are used reconfigure the pack-and-a-half system architecture for low impedance (e.g., a fuel saving mode). Further, in some embodiments, an outflow valve can control an airflow from a cabin to the turbines (e.g., common turbines,
The use of the terms “a,” “an,” “the,” and similar references in the context of description (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or specifically contradicted by context. The modifier “about” used in connection with a quantity is inclusive of the stated value and has the meaning dictated by the context (e.g., it includes the degree of error associated with measurement of the particular quantity). All ranges disclosed herein are inclusive of the endpoints, and the endpoints are independently combinable with each other. It should be appreciated that relative positional terms such as “forward,” “aft,” “upper,” “lower,” “above,” “below,” and the like are with reference to normal operational attitude and should not be considered otherwise limiting.
While the present disclosure has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the present disclosure is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the present disclosure can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions, combinations, sub-combinations, or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the scope of the present disclosure. Additionally, while various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the present disclosure may include only some of the described embodiments.
Accordingly, the present disclosure is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description, but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.
The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 62/309,076, 62/309,080, 62/309,081, and 62/309,084, filed on Mar. 16, 2016. The contents of the priority applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62309081 | Mar 2016 | US | |
62309076 | Mar 2016 | US | |
62309080 | Mar 2016 | US | |
62309084 | Mar 2016 | US |