U.S. patent application number 09/802488 was filed with the patent office on 2001-10-25 for high capacity air conditioning system with redundant staged recirculation air mixing for an aircraft.
Invention is credited to Buchholz, Uwe Albert, Scherer, Thomas.
Application Number | 20010032472 09/802488 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 7633940 |
Filed Date | 2001-10-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010032472 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Buchholz, Uwe Albert ; et
al. |
October 25, 2001 |
High capacity air conditioning system with redundant staged
recirculation air mixing for an aircraft
Abstract
In an air conditioning system for an aircraft, two pre-mixing
units respectively mix cold air from two air conditioning units
with recirculated fuselage interior air from two recirculation
units, to prepare two pre-mixed air flows that are both directed
into and mixed together in a common air distribution mixing chamber
from which mixed air distribution lines branch off to respectively
associated separate air conditioning zones within the fuselage.
Post-mixing units are respectively interposed in the mixed air
distribution lines and respectively mix additional quantities of
recirculated fuselage interior air into the mixed air distribution
lines. Thereby, the admixture of recirculated air is divided into
at least two stages, the system provides redundant failure tolerant
operation, and the danger of ice formation in the air lines is
reliably prevented even while the air conditioning units provide
cold air at a temperature below the water freezing point.
Inventors: |
Buchholz, Uwe Albert;
(Bliedersdorf, DE) ; Scherer, Thomas; (Hamburg,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FASSE PATENT ATTORNEYS, P.A.
P.O. BOX 726
HAMPDEN
ME
04444-0726
US
|
Family ID: |
7633940 |
Appl. No.: |
09/802488 |
Filed: |
March 8, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
62/172 ;
62/402 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B64D 2013/0688 20130101;
Y02T 50/50 20130101; B64D 2013/064 20130101; Y02T 50/56 20130101;
B64D 13/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
62/172 ;
62/402 |
International
Class: |
F28B 009/00; F25D
009/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 8, 2000 |
DE |
100 11 238.2 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. In a passenger aircraft including a pressurized fuselage having
fuselage interior air therein, at least one source of high pressure
air, an air conditioning system connected to said at least one
source so as to receive high pressure air therefrom, plural air
conditioning zones in said fuselage connected to said air
conditioning system to receive air conditioning air therefrom, and
a pressure relief device arranged and adapted to exhaust some of
said fuselage interior air out of said fuselage, an improvement in
said air conditioning system comprising: first air conditioning
means connected to at least one of said at least one source of high
pressure air for receiving, cooling and expanding said high
pressure air to provide first cold air having a first cold air
temperature below a freezing point of water; second air
conditioning means connected to at least one of said at least one
source of high pressure air for receiving, cooling and expanding
said high pressure air to provide second cold air having a second
cold air temperature below a freezing point of water; first
recirculation means for receiving some of said fuselage interior
air and providing therefrom first recirculation air; second
recirculation means for receiving some of said fuselage interior
air and providing therefrom second recirculation air; first
pre-mixing means for receiving and mixing together said first cold
air and said first recirculation air to provide first pre-mixed air
having a first pre-mixed air temperature above a freezing point of
water; second pre-mixing means for receiving and mixing together
said second cold air and said second recirculation air to provide
second pre-mixed air having a second pre-mixed air temperature
above a freezing point of water; air distribution mixing means for
receiving and mixing together said first pre-mixed air and said
second pre-mixed air to provide common pooled air; local
recirculation means for receiving some of said fuselage interior
air and providing therefrom local recirculation air; first local
post-mixing means for receiving and mixing together some of said
common pooled air and at least some of said local recirculation
air, and providing therefrom first zone supply air into a first one
of said air conditioning zones; and second local post-mixing means
for receiving and mixing together some of said common pooled air
and at least some of said local recirculation air, and providing
therefrom second zone supply air into a second one of said air
conditioning zones.
2. In a passenger aircraft including a pressurized fuselage, at
least one source of high pressure air, an air conditioning system
connected to said at least one source so as to receive high
pressure air therefrom, plural air conditioning zones in said
fuselage connected to said air conditioning system to receive air
conditioning air therefrom, and a pressure relief device adapted to
exhaust some of said fuselage interior air out of said fuselage, an
improvement in said air conditioning system comprising: first and
second air conditioning units that each respectively have a
respective high pressure air inlet connected to said at least one
source so as to receive high pressure air therefrom, and a
respective cold air outlet at which said air conditioning units are
respectively adapted to provide cold air having a temperature below
a freezing point of water; first and second pre-mixing units that
are arranged inside said fuselage, and that each respectively have
a respective cold air inlet connected respectively individually to
a respective one of said cold air outlets of said first and second
air conditioning units, a respective recirculation air inlet, and a
respective pre-mixed air outlet providing pre-mixed air having a
temperature above a freezing point of water; first and second
recirculation units that are arranged inside said fuselage and that
each respectively have a respective fuselage interior air inlet
which communicates with and receives a portion of said fuselage
interior air, and a respective recirculation air outlet connected
respectively individually to a respective one of said recirculation
air inlets of said first and second pre-mixing units; an air
distribution mixing chamber connected in common to said pre-mixed
air outlets of said first and second pre-mixing units, and having
first and second common pooled air outlets; at least one local
recirculation unit that is arranged in said fuselage and has an
inlet which communicates with and receives a portion of said
fuselage interior air and provides therefrom local recirculation
air; and first and second local post-mixing units that are arranged
inside said fuselage and that each respectively have a respective
common pooled air inlet connected respectively individually to a
respective one of said common pooled air outlets of said air
distribution mixing chamber, a respective local recirculation air
inlet connected to at least one of said at least one local
recirculation unit, and a respective final mixed air zone supply
outlet connected respectively individually into a respective one of
said first and second zones of said plural air conditioning
zones.
3. In a passenger aircraft including a pressurized fuselage
enclosing a fuselage interior space with at least first and second
air conditioning zones therein, at least one source of high
pressure air, and an air conditioning system that is connected to
said at least one source so as to receive high pressure air
therefrom and that is connected to said first and second air
conditioning zones so as to provide air conditioning air thereto,
an improvement in said air conditioning system comprising: a first
air conditioning unit having an air inlet connected to said at
least one source of high pressure air and having a cold air outlet;
a second air conditioning unit having an air inlet connected to
said at least one source of high pressure air and having a cold air
outlet; a first recirculation unit having an air inlet
communicating with said fuselage interior space and having an air
outlet; a second recirculation unit having an air inlet to
communicating with said fuselage interior space and having an air
outlet; a first pre-mixing unit having a cold air inlet connected
to said cold air outlet of said first air conditioning unit,
another air inlet connected to said air outlet of said first
recirculation unit, and an air outlet communicating with both of
said air inlets of said first pre-mixing unit; a second pre-mixing
unit having a cold air inlet connected to said cold air outlet of
said second air conditioning unit, another air inlet connected to
said air outlet of said second recirculation unit, and an air
outlet communicating with both of said air inlets of said second
pre-mixing unit; an air distribution mixing chamber having a first
air inlet connected to said air outlet of said first pre-mixing
unit, a second air inlet connected to said air outlet of said
second pre-mixing unit, and first and second air outlets that each
communicate with both of said first and second air inlets of said
air distribution mixing chamber; at least one local recirculation
unit having at least one air inlet communicating with said fuselage
interior space and having at least one air outlet; a first local
post-mixing unit having an air inlet connected to said first air
outlet of said air distribution mixing chamber, another air inlet
connected to at least one said air outlet of said at least one
local recirculation unit, and an air outlet that communicates with
both of said air inlets of said first local post-mixing unit and
that is connected to said first air conditioning zone; and a second
local post-mixing unit having an air inlet connected to said second
air outlet of said air distribution mixing chamber, another air
inlet connected to at least one said air outlet of said at least
one local recirculation unit, and an air outlet that communicates
with both of said air inlets of said second local post-mixing unit
and that is connected to said second air conditioning zone.
4. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 3, wherein said first and second air conditioning zones
respectively have different temperatures, different air flow rates,
or different proportional ratios of fresh outside air and
recirculated air in said air conditioning air, and wherein said
first and second local post-mixing units each respectively include
a variable air flow control device that variably controls a mixing
ratio of recirculated air provided by said at least one local
recirculation unit relative to common pooled pre-mixed air provided
by said air distribution mixing chamber.
5. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 3, wherein said first and second air conditioning units are
each respectively adapted and controlled to provide respective cold
air having a temperature below a freezing point of water at said
cold air outlets thereof, and wherein said first and second
pre-mixing units and said first and second recirculation units are
adapted and controlled to provide a respective variable pre-mixing
ratio of said cold air and recirculation air from said fuselage
interior space respectively in each of said first and second
pre-mixing units so as to provide respective pre-mixed air having a
temperature above a freezing point of water respectively at said
air outlets of said first and second pre-mixing units.
6. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 5, wherein said first and second pre-mixing units and said
first and second recirculation units are adapted and controlled
variably so that said temperature of said respective pre-mixed air
is not more than 1.degree. C. above the freezing point of
water.
7. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 3, wherein said cold air inlets of said first and second
pre-mixing units are respectively connected directly to said cold
air outlets of said first and second air conditioning units by
respective air lines with no other devices and no other air
handling units interposed therebetween.
8. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 7, wherein said first and second air conditioning units are
respectively arranged outside of said pressurized fuselage, and
said first and second pre-mixing units are respectively arranged
immediately inside said pressurized fuselage.
9. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 3, further comprising another recirculation unit having an
air inlet communicating with said fuselage interior space and an
air outlet connected and communicating directly into said air
distribution mixing chamber.
10. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 3, wherein said at least one local recirculation unit
comprises one recirculation unit that is connected to both said
first and second local post-mixing units by a common local
recirculation supply line interconnected therebetween.
11. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 3, wherein said aircraft further includes cabin divider walls
respectively enclosing and separating said air conditioning zones
from each other, wherein said divider walls have exhaust openings
therein which communicate from said air conditioning zones directly
or indirectly to a remainder of said fuselage interior space with
which said air inlets of said recirculation units are in
communication.
12. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 3, further comprising a pressure regulating exhaust valve
arrangement communicating through said pressurized fuselage from
said fuselage interior space to an external environment outside of
said pressurized fuselage.
13. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 3, wherein each one of said recirculation units respectively
comprises an air cleaner element.
14. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 13, wherein each one of said recirculation units respectively
further comprises a speed-regulated blower and a one-way non-return
air valve.
15. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 3, wherein each one of said pre-mixing units comprises an
assembly of air duct junction components.
16. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 3, wherein each one of said pre-mixing units comprises a
turbo-machine spiral housing with an integrated air injector
nozzle.
17. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 3, wherein each one of said pre-mixing units comprises a
turbo-machine spiral housing without an integrated air injector
nozzle.
18. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 3, wherein said air distribution mixing chamber comprises a
housing enclosing a plenum chamber space therein and at least one
air flow influencing device therein.
19. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 3, wherein each one of said post-mixing units respectively
comprises an assembly of air duct junction components.
20. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 3, wherein each one of said post-mixing units comprises a
turbo-machine spiral housing with an integrated air injector
nozzle.
21. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 3, wherein each one of said post-mixing units comprises a
turbo-machine spiral housing without an integrated air injector
nozzle.
22. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 3, wherein each one of said air conditioning units
respectively comprises an air cycle machine adapted to carry out a
thermodynamic compression-expansion cycle with inter-cooling.
23. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 22, wherein each one of said air conditioning units
respectively further comprises a water separator.
24. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 22, wherein each one of said air conditioning units
respectively further comprises a speed regulated blower which
regulates a quantity flow of cold air provided at said cold air
outlet.
25. The improvement in said air conditioning system according to
claim 22, wherein each one of said air conditioning units
respectively further comprises a controllable air cooling element
adapted to control a temperature of cold air provided at said cold
air outlet.
Description
PRIORITY CLAIM
[0001] This application is based on and claims the priority under
35 U.S.C. .sctn.119 of German Patent Application 100 11 238.2,
filed on Mar. 8, 2000, the entire disclosure of which is
incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to a high capacity air conditioning
system especially for a passenger transport aircraft, having a
redundant and multi-staged admixing of recirculation air to serve
several air conditioning zones within the aircraft while achieving
a redundant fault tolerant protection against air duct icing in the
air conditioning system during operation.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
[0003] It is generally known to provide air conditioning for the
passenger cabin spaces in commercial passenger transport aircraft.
To achieve this, highly compressed engine bleed air is tapped from
the engines, and supplied into one or more air conditioning units
(e.g. so-called air conditioning packs) where the high pressure air
is expanded to an appropriate pressure for introduction into the
pressurized aircraft fuselage and also cooled to a lower
temperature. Then, the cooled air with an appropriate pressure is
delivered through an air duct network into the several passenger
cabin air conditioning zones.
[0004] Due to the large thermal load of the passengers, lighting,
etc. within the passenger cabin air conditioning zones, it is
generally necessary to cool the incoming supplied air very
consider, to ably in the air conditioning units to provide a
sufficient cooling capacity. Thereby, the air temperature very
often reaches low temperatures far below the freezing point of
water. The external atmospheric fresh air, which is supplied into
the air conditioning system in the form of engine bleed air, has a
sufficiently high moisture content, especially at lower altitudes
in the atmosphere, so that this moisture will be condensed out of
the air and frozen in the form of ice, frost or snow, when the air
is cooled to very cold temperatures in the air conditioning
unit.
[0005] For this reason, it is necessary to protect the air duct
system connected downstream of the respective air conditioning unit
from the danger of such snow, frost and ice accumulating therein,
i.e. by preventing the ice-forming conditions. This is important,
because accumulations of such ice can ultimately lead to a partial
or complete blockage of the air flow through the affected air duct,
or can lead to the formation of loose snow and ice deposits that
travel through the duct system with the air flowing therethrough
until they reach a warmer location and melt, thereby causing
uncontrollable liquid puddling and/or leaks. In either case, and
especially if a duct blockage reduces or totally stops the supply
of fresh air to the passenger cabin air conditioning zones, this
will lead to discomfort or health risks for the passengers.
[0006] For the above reasons, it is generally required in the field
to avoid the danger of ice formation in air conditioning systems in
aircraft, by various conceptual solutions to this problem. Various
conventionally known solutions will now be discussed. A first
conceptual starting point for a solution is to avoid reducing the
temperature of the air conditioning air below the freezing point of
water, i.e. to maintain the output air of the air conditioning
packs above the freezing point. In that case, however, in order to
provide the required total cooling capacity or energy, it is
necessary to provide a correspondingly increased mass flow of the
cooled air, which requires tapping more energy-rich bleed air from
the engines.
[0007] Moreover, in order to achieve comfortable passenger air
conditioning zone inlet temperatures and sufficiently high
ventilation properties, it is typical to mix recirculated passenger
cabin air (or generally fuselage interior air) with a corresponding
quantity of the cooled air. Such a measure is generally known as
"air recirculation". Such a solution is realized in the Airbus
A300-600 and A310 aircraft, which, however, consumes an undesirably
high quantity of engine bleed air for cooling the passenger air
conditioning zones, since the degree of cooling of the air in the
air conditioning units is limited to remain above the freezing
point. Thus, the fuel consumption of the engines is undesirably
increased.
[0008] The Boeing B747 aircraft also realizes or embodies the above
discussed solution. In that aircraft, however, the air conditioning
system attempts to raise the temperature of the cooling air by
mixing cold air and recirculation air in a first recirculation
stage following a distribution manifold. This measure is carried
out with reference to each air conditioning zone. The desired
ventilation and comfort properties are achieved by addition of
further recirculation air in a second stage. Splitting or
separating the recirculation into stages in this manner allows a
reduction of the air duct cross-sectional sizes and the associated
weight of the air ducts between the stages. However, the danger of
ice accumulation with the associated danger of air duct blockage is
not completely avoided, because the first air mixing stage is only
provided downstream of the air distribution stage. This is true for
both normal operation as well as failure or fault mode
operation.
[0009] In the event of a failure of one recirculation unit, the
supply of air provided by the still-operable second recirculation
unit cannot compensate for this failure of the other recirculation
unit. Moreover, in this context, the air conditioning unit outlet
temperature remains limited to above the freezing point, just as in
the above discussed Airbus A300-600 and A310 aircraft. In order to
compensate for the loss of cooling energy, the only solution is to
increase the mass flow of energy-rich engine bleed air, which leads
to an increased fuel consumption.
[0010] Efforts have been made to avoid this above mentioned
disadvantage in the Airbus A340 and A320 aircraft, in that the
entire cooling and recirculation air is collected or pooled
together in a common mixing unit. In that manner, a high failure
redundancy is achieved to allow a fault tolerant or emergency
operation in the event of cooling air and/or recirculation air
supply failures.
[0011] In view of the above described conceptual basis, it is
apparent that icing of the cooling air supply ducts within the
pressurized fuselage will not be avoided, and complicated duct
arrangements connecting to a mixing chamber as well as additional
flow-influencing components will be necessary, in order to
optimally configure and embody the mixing process. Moreover, a
residual danger of icing in areas of air flow separation still
remains and cannot be completely excluded. A further disadvantage
is that rather large dimensions of the air duct cross-sections and
a rather high weight of the air duct system are unavoidable, in
comparison to the arrangement of the Boeing B747, in order to
provide the entire required air conditioning air quantity for
achieving the required ventilation and comfort characteristics, in
a central mixing chamber and then to supply and distribute this air
from the common central mixing chamber to the several separate
zones.
[0012] As a further development, the Boeing B777 aircraft to some
extent realizes a combination of the systems of the Boeing B747 and
the Airbus A340/A320 aircraft. Namely, the Boeing B777 aircraft
uses a central mixing chamber, to which are allocated a first cool
air supply with a constant recirculation air admixing and a second
cool air supply without a constant recirculation air admixing. To
complete the air flow in order to achieve corresponding required
ventilation and comfort properties, a further constant
recirculation air quantity is locally admixed into the previously
mixed air described above. However, the second cool air supply
without the recirculation air admixing suffers the above mentioned
disadvantages of duct icing, or more directly the resultant
temperature limitations of the air and the associated cooling
energy losses that are necessary for avoiding duct icing. Also in
the event of a failure of the recirculation air admixing into the
cooling air supply, both cooling air supply air temperatures must
be maintained above the water freezing point, which thus represents
a considerable loss of cooling energy capacity.
[0013] Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,813 discloses an air
conditioning system with a so-called air-mix water-separator
manifold, into which appropriately tempered air quantities are
supplied from two sides, whereby this supplied air is formed from
partial air quantities of warm recirculated cabin air, that has
been combined with cool air quantities provided from an air cycle
machine (ACM). The outlets of this branching or distribution
manifold are respectively connected to various fuselage areas of a
passenger aircraft, for example the cockpit or flight deck, a
forward passenger cabin or zone, and an aft passenger cabin or
zone. This manifold serves to mix the air quantities that are
supplied into the manifold, while simultaneously separating any
water or moisture out of the humid supply air, presumably also in
order to avoid ice formation or ice accumulation or the
transformation of air moisture into snow crystals. However, it
appears that such a protection against icing in the air ducts only
relates to a single stage (and not a multi-stage) recirculation air
admixture, and does not provide any protection against blockages of
downstream connected air ducts of multiply branched ducts or air
lines of a complex high capacity air conditioning system.
Particularly, no suggestions and no motivations toward the present
invention of the present application would have been provided by
the above-mentioned U.S. Patent.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] In view of the above it is an object of the invention to
provide an air conditioning system for a passenger aircraft, which
achieves a fault or failure tolerant redundant operation and
protection against icing of air ducts through a trimmed admixture
of recirculation air in connection with the operation of a high
capacity cooling system, with a minimum cold air mass flow
consumption and maximum total air quantity provision for the
passenger cabin air conditioning zones, in order to achieve the
prescribed ventilation and passenger comfort properties. The
invention further aims to avoid or overcome the disadvantages of
the prior art, and to achieve additional advantages, as apparent
from the present specification.
[0015] The above objects have been achieved according to the
invention in an air conditioning system with a redundant
multi-stage admixture of recirculation air for a passenger
aircraft, in which several air conditioning zones are to be
respectively air conditioned. Throughout this specification, the
term "zone" or "air conditioning zone" refers to a respective
temperature zone or respective passenger cabin zone (e.g. a first
class cabin zone versus an economy cabin zone), which are to be
separately or individually supplied with air conditioning air, for
example having different temperatures, different air flow rates,
different ratios of fresh air relative to recirculation air, or the
like. Further, throughout this specification, the term "air line"
and the term "air duct" are each intended to cover any type of
passage for conveying an air flow therethrough, including ducts,
pipes, hoses, air shafts, channels, and the like.
[0016] The air conditioning system according to the invention
comprises at least two air conditioning units which respectively
receive high pressure air that contains water vapor, and which
respectively expand and cool the supplied air to temperatures below
the freezing point of water. The air conditioning system further
includes at least two pre-mixing units arranged in the aircraft
fuselage, whereby a respective individual pre-mixing unit is
directly individually connected downstream to each one of the air
conditioning units. A respective recirculation unit is further
connected to each pre-mixing unit to supply a recirculation air
flow of recirculated cabin air (or generally fuselage interior air)
into the pre-mixing unit. The quantity of recirculation air
provided by each respective recirculation unit to the connected
pre-mixing unit is variable and controllable to provide the proper
mixture of recirculation air and air conditioning pack air.
[0017] The at least two pre-mixing units are each connected in turn
at the outlet or downstream side to an air distribution mixing
chamber, which collects and pools together the various flows of
pre-mixed air that it receives, and provides respective portions of
this collected pre-mixed air to several respective air distribution
outlets that are respectively in turn each individually connected
to an after-mixing or post-mixing unit, to which further a
recirculation supply line from at least one local recirculation
unit is connected. Thereby, an additional variable controllable
quantity of recirculation air drawn from fuselage interior spaces
is respectively admixed into the air provided from the air
distribution mixing chamber, separately for each respective air
conditioning zone, i.e. with a separately adjustable or variable
admixing ratio for each individual air conditioning zone. The
respective total mixed air provided by each post-mixing unit
respectively, is then supplied into the respective associated air
conditioning zone.
[0018] With the above arrangement, the present inventive air
conditioning system allows the air conditioning pack air provided
at the outlets of the air conditioning units to be cooled to low
temperatures below the freezing point of water, so as to achieve a
high cooling capacity, while nonetheless preventing the formation
of ice, frost or snow in the air conditioning system, due to the
admixing of recirculated fuselage interior air in respective
pre-mixing units connected directly downstream to the outlets of
the air conditioning units. The pre-mixing units preferably mix
just enough recirculation air into the incoming cold air to raise
the temperature above the freezing point of water, e.g. to achieve
a temperature not more than 1.degree. C. above the freezing point.
Thereby, icing conditions are reliably prevented throughout the air
conditioning system, while maintaining the highest possible cooling
capacity, smallest possible duct and mixing chamber sizes upstream
of the final post-mixing units, and the highest degree of
flexibility or adjustment leeway for the final post-mixing units to
achieve the final air characteristics (e.g. temperature, flow rate,
fresh air proportion, etc.) required for a particular air
conditioning zone.
[0019] Furthermore, the present inventive air conditioning system
provides redundancy and thus fault tolerant operation, by
collecting and pooling together the pre-mixed air flow from at
least two pre-mixing units respectively cooperating with at least
two air conditioning units, while distributing the pre-mixed air as
required to all of the separate air conditioning zones. Thus, in
the event of the failure of one of the pre-mixing units and/or one
of the air conditioning units, the remaining available air
conditioning unit and pre-mixing unit will still provide pre-mixed
air into the air distribution mixing chamber, which in turn will
distribute the air to all of the necessary individual air
conditioning zones. In such a fault tolerant or emergency operating
mode, the maximum available total cooling capacity will be less
than the maximum full capacity achieved when all air conditioning
units are operating, but cooling air will still be supplied to all
necessary air conditioning zones, and the outlet temperature of one
or more remaining operational air conditioning units can be reduced
to help compensate for the loss of maximum air conditioning
capacity, while still avoiding the dangers of ice formation.
[0020] As another advantage, the present inventive air conditioning
system achieves an individualized control and mixing ratio of
recirculated fuselage interior air for each respective individual
air conditioning zone, despite the common pooling of the supply air
in the air distribution mixing chamber. This is achieved by the
post-mixing units that are individually interposed in the separate
air supply lines connecting the air distribution mixing chamber to
the several respective air conditioning zones. Thus, different
zones can have different ratios of recirculated air, different
temperatures, or the like.
[0021] All of the above advantages are achieved together and
simultaneously in a unified air conditioning system according to
the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] In order that the invention may be clearly understood, it
will now be described in connection with an example embodiment,
with reference to the accompanying single drawing Figure, which
shows a schematic block circuit diagram of a high capacity air
conditioning system with redundant multistage recirculation air
admixture according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS AND OF THE
BEST MODE OF THE INVENTION
[0023] Developing further from the above described conventional
considerations or solutions for addressing the problem of icing in
air ducts or air lines of air conditioning systems in aircraft, the
present invention is based on the consideration that the icing
prevention for the air lines of the air conditioning system must be
provided directly downstream of the air outlet of each air
conditioning unit, or particularly immediately after or down-stream
of the point at which each cooling air supply line penetrates into
the pressurized fuselage of the aircraft. Namely, the invention
provides an initial or preliminary pre-mixing of warm recirculated
fuselage interior air with the cold air provided by the respective
air conditioning unit in order to reliably prevent ice formation in
all air conditioning system components and particularly all air
lines downstream of the initial pre-mixing unit, at all possible
temperatures of the cooling air provided at the outlet of the
respective air conditioning unit.
[0024] At this initial pre-mixing stage, the quantity of
recirculated fuselage interior air is variably controlled and
limited to the minimum recirculation air quantity required for
avoiding icing conditions in the air lines. Thereafter, a
respective additional variable quantity of recirculated air is
admixed into the air flow, as separately required for each
individual air conditioning zone, so as to provide the respectively
required total air flow characteristics for the respective zones to
achieve the prescribed ventilation and comfort properties (e.g. the
air flow velocity and the temperature distribution) in the
respective air conditioning zones.
[0025] The single drawing Figure schematically shows a
representative block circuit diagram of the basic construction of a
high capacity air conditioning system according to the invention.
At least two air conditioning units 2 are arranged outside of the
pressurized fuselage 20 of the aircraft, and are each respectively
provided with highly compressed air from a respective high pressure
air supply 1, such as engine bleed air from compressor stages of
the main aircraft engines, or an auxiliary power unit (APU) engine,
or ground-based high pressure air sources. The air conditioning
units 2 expand and cool the high pressure air to a pressure level
that is suitable or appropriate for introducing into the
pressurized fuselage 20, and a temperature level that is
sufficiently cold, and particularly below the freezing point of
water, to achieve the required total cooling capacity.
[0026] The resulting cold air (at below-freezing temperature)
provided by the air conditioning units 2 is supplied through
respective cold air supply lines 71 into the pressurized fuselage
20 and particularly into respective pre-mixing units 3 that are
individually connected by the lines 71 to the individual air
conditioning units 2. Each one of these pre-mixing units 3
respectively comprises a junction of air lines or air ducts, or a
spiral housing of a respective turbomachine with or without an air
injector nozzle, which has the effect and function of mixing
together the air flows supplied into the respective pre-mixing unit
3.
[0027] A respective recirculation unit 4, which comprises a
ventilator, fan or blower, as well as a one-way valve and an air
cleaning element such as an air filter, is connected by a
respective recirculation air line 73 to each respective one of the
pre-mixing units 3. Thereby, the recirculation units 4 supply
fuselage interior air 30, e.g. used passenger cabin air that is
exhausted from the passenger cabin or air from other fuselage
interior spaces, into the pre-mixing units 3, where this
recirculated fuselage interior air 30 is mixed with the cold air
supplied by the air conditioning units 2. The fuselage interior air
30 may be drawn from a recirculation air duct or the like leading
from the passenger cabin exhaust outlets, or may be drawn from an
open interior space or spaces within the fuselage in communication
with the cabin exhaust air. Generally, recirculation air ducts or
the like are considered as being included in the term "fuselage
interior space".
[0028] The quantity of recirculated fuselage interior air 30
supplied by the recirculation units 4 is variable and is adjusted
as necessary to raise the temperature of the resulting pre-mixed
air output by the pre-mixing units 3 to above the freezing point of
water. Particularly, the minimum possible quantity of recirculated
fuselage interior air 30 is provided to the pre-mixing units 3 to
achieve the desired temperature level (e.g. 1.degree. C. above the
freezing point) for reliably avoiding icing conditions within any
of the remaining air lines and components connected downstream of
the pre-mixing units 3. Thereby, in operation, variable pre-mixed
air quantities will be output by the respective pre-mixing units
3.
[0029] To achieve the fault tolerance and redundancy of the present
inventive system as described herein, the system includes at least
two air conditioning units 2, and at least two separate pre-mixing
units 3 that are respectively individually connected to the air
conditioning units 2 directly downstream thereof. As indicated by
dashed lines in the single drawing Figure, a third air conditioning
unit 2 may be provided, and is connected to a third pre-mixing unit
3, which also receives recirculated fuselage interior air 30 from a
third recirculation unit 4.
[0030] In any event, the pre-mixed air from all of the pre-mixing
units 3 is provided through respective pre-mixed air supply lines
72 into a common air distribution mixing chamber 6, in which all of
the separate flows of pre-mixed supply air are further mixed and
pooled together in a common plenum chamber space, with or without
additional air mixing or air directing components therein. Also, as
shown by dashed lines in the drawing Figure, an additional quantity
of recirculated fuselage interior air 30 can be supplied by another
recirculation unit 4 directly into the air distribution mixing
chamber 6, to be mixed and pooled together with the pre-mixed air
therein. The pre-mixed air supply lines 72 may be individually
connected to respective separate inlets of the air distribution
mixing chamber 6, or may be joined together before being connected
to a single common inlet of the mixing chamber 6. Either of these
alternatives is considered an equivalent of the other, and both are
covered by any disclosure relating to separate inlets of the mixing
chamber 6. A similar consideration applies to the outlet or outlets
of the mixing chamber 6 leading into plural mixed air distribution
lines 7.
[0031] A plurality of individual mixed air distribution lines 7 are
branched off from the air distribution mixing chamber 6, and are
respectively individually allocated to associated individual air
conditioning zones 11 within the pressurized fuselage 20. For
example, the individual air conditioning zones 11 may include a
cockpit or flight deck zone, at least one first class cabin zone,
at least one economy cabin zone, and/or at least one freight
compartment zone, or the like. These separate zones are to be
individually controlled to different temperatures and/or provided
with different ratios of recirculated air relative to fresh air.
Therefore, each zone requires a separate individualized supply of
air conditioning air, which it receives from the respective
individual mixed air distribution line 7 associated therewith.
[0032] Respective individual local post-mixing units 40 are
individually connected downstream to the several respective mixed
air distribution lines 7. A local recirculation unit 5 is connected
by a recirculation air supply line 8 to each one of the post-mixing
units 40, so as to supply a respective controlled adjustable
quantity of recirculated fuselage interior air 30 individually to
each one of the post-mixing units 40. To achieve this, each
post-mixing unit may include a variable air flow control device
such as an air valve of any known type, or a spiral housing
preferably with a variable adjustable air injection nozzle therein.
A second local recirculation air unit 5 may be additionally
connected to the recirculation air supply line 8, to provide an
additional or redundant supply of recirculated fuselage interior
air 30, as shown by dashed lines in the Figure.
[0033] Particularly, depending on the needs of each respective
individual air conditioning zone 11, a different variable adjusted
quantity of the recirculated interior fuselage air 30 is admixed
with the mixed air provided from the air distribution mixing
chamber 6 through the respective mixed air distribution line 7 into
the respective individual post-mixing unit 40. This is carried out
so as to prepare a respective zone-specific total air flow quantity
that is provided through a respective zone air supply line 9
leading from the respective post-mixing unit 40 into the respective
associated air conditioning zone 11. Thus, the post-mixing unit 40
respectively associated with a particular air-conditioning zone 11,
i.e. connected to this air conditioning zone 11 by the respective
zone air supply line 9, will admix the appropriate quantity of
recirculated fuselage interior air 30 provided by the local
recirculation unit 5, to achieve the proper temperature and the
proper recirculation air ratio in the total zone supply air that is
supplied through the zone air supply line 9 into the respective
zone 11.
[0034] There, the air is blown into the respective zone 11 so as to
generate a defined cabin air flow or flow pattern 10 within the air
conditioning zone 11. The air of this zone air flow 10 passes
through the respective zone 11, and after traversing through and
thereby dwelling in the respective zone 11 for a certain time, the
used cabin air is exhausted out of the respective cabin zone 11
through a respective associated cabin zone exhaust opening into an
exhaust air duct or into a space within the pressurized fuselage
20. A portion of this air becomes the above mentioned fuselage
interior air 30 that is recirculated, another portion of this air
becomes exhaust air that is exhausted overboard into the outside
environment 23 around the outside of the aircraft fuselage 20.
[0035] In this regard, the exhausting or venting of used fuselage
interior air overboard from the aircraft is carried out through a
pressure regulating system 24, which includes a fuselage pressure
regulating valve 22 and an exhaust air line 21 connecting from the
fuselage interior space to this pressure regulating valve 22.
Thereby, the air that is to be exhausted from the fuselage interior
space passes through the exhaust air line 21 and then through the
pressure regulating valve 22, which determines the pressure
established within the pressurized fuselage 20, by the throttling
and pressure regulating effect of this valve 22.
[0036] According to further detailed features of the invention,
each air conditioning unit 2 is operable in a regulatable manner
with regard to the air quantity and the air temperature that is to
be supplied by this air conditioning unit 2, in any generally known
manner using any generally known components. Similarly, the
recirculation units 4 and 5 are variable and regulatable as to the
air quantity to be recirculated thereby. As a further feature or
alternative, the inlets of the mixing units connected to the
recirculation units may be equipped with air regulating valves,
gates, flap doors or the like. These features can be achieved by
any known mechanisms and methods.
[0037] As mentioned above, the inventive air conditioning system
has a redundant operation property to provide a failure safety
mode. Namely, the air-conditioning system includes at least two
independent air conditioning units 2, which are respectively
individually connected at the outlets thereof to two pre-mixing
units 3. A respective recirculation unit 4 is individually
connected to each respective one of the pre-mixing units 3.
[0038] In the event of a failure of one of the air conditioning
units 2, the respective pre-mixing unit 3 connected thereto will
not receive cold air from the air conditioning unit 2 that failed,
but will further be supplied with recirculated fuselage interior
air 30. In order to compensate for the reduction of the cooling
energy, i.e. since the failed air conditioning unit 2 is no longer
providing its share of the total cooling energy required, the other
functioning air conditioning unit 2 is adjusted to provide cold
output air at a much lower air temperature, in order to still
provide the total required cooling energy (to the extent possible,
i.e. to the maximum capacity limit of the operating air
conditioning unit 2). Simultaneously, the pre-mixing unit 3
connected to the operating air conditioning unit 2 is adjusted to
the extent necessary, to provide the required icing protective
function, i.e. to mix a sufficient quantity of recirculated
fuselage interior air 30 into the cold air flow to prevent icing,
even though the cold air is now being provided at a significantly
lower temperature.
[0039] On the other hand, if one of the recirculation units 4
fails, then the air conditioning unit 2 connected thereto is simply
regulated to provide cold air at a temperature above the freezing
point of water, so as to avoid any danger of freezing.
Simultaneously, the output temperature of the cold air supplied by
the other air conditioning unit or units 2 is slightly reduced, to
compensate for the reduction of the cooling energy supplied by the
air conditioning unit 2 connected to the failed recirculation unit
4. Meanwhile, the recirculation unit or units 4, that are connected
to the other air conditioning unit or units 2 (which are now
providing cold air at a lower temperature), are regulated to
provide a higher flow of recirculation air in order to reliably
prevent any icing danger in or downstream from the respective
associated pre-mixing unit 3.
[0040] In any event, these different regulated air flows are all
provided to the common air distribution mixing chamber 6, where the
temperature and composition of the air is thoroughly mixed and made
uniform, before being distributed to the several separate air
conditioning zones 11 as described above. Furthermore, it is also
important that the individual local post-mixing units 40 then are
individually regulated to prepare the zone supply air having the
appropriate temperature, recirculation ratio, and air flow quantity
for the respective associated zone 11.
[0041] Although the invention has been described with reference to
specific example embodiments, it will be appreciated that it is
intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within the
scope of the appended claims. It should also be understood that the
present disclosure includes all possible combinations of any
individual features recited in any of the appended claims.
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