Galley cooling system and method of operating a galley cooling system

• US 10,638,834 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2015
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Holtorf, Boris, Espinoza, Rodrigo
• Primary Examiner(s): Zec, Filip
• Application Number:
  US14/685,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20150289643A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2031/002 Catering trolleys
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2031/023 being dockable to a stationary refrigeration and heating unit
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 31/02 with heating, cooling or ventilating means
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 31/06 adapted to the use in vehicles with a set of feet and a part resting on someone's lap A47B23/041; arrangements or adaptations of tables in vehicles B60N3/001
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/0007 Devices specially adapted for food or beverage distribution services
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 11/04 Galleys
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 13/08 the air being heated or cooled
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2013/0629 with subsystems for cooling food, catering or special loads

Abstract

A galley cooling system suitable for use in an aircraft comprising a cooling unit adapted to provide a cooling fluid. The trolley compartment of the galley cooling system comprises a front side access opening, a back wall arranged opposite to the front side access opening and two sidewalls. A cooling fluid inlet is provided in the region of a first sidewall of the trolley compartment, the cooling fluid inlet being connected to the cooling unit so as to supply cooling fluid provided by the cooling unit to the trolley compartment. A cooling fluid outlet is provided in the region of the first sidewall of the trolley compartment, the cooling fluid outlet being adapted to discharge cooling fluid heated upon circulating through the trolley compartment from the trolley compartment.

Claims

1. A galley cooling system, the galley cooling system comprising:

a cooling unit configured to provide a cooling fluid, and

a trolley compartment configured to receive a predetermined maximum number of trolleys comprising a front side access opening, a back wall arranged opposite to the front side access opening and two sidewalls,

wherein a cooling fluid inlet is provided in the first side wall of the trolley compartment, the cooling fluid inlet being connected to the cooling unit so as to supply cooling fluid provided by the cooling unit to the trolley compartment, and

wherein a cooling fluid outlet is provided in the first side wall of the trolley compartment, the cooling fluid outlet being adapted to discharge cooling fluid heated upon circulating through the trolley compartment from the trolley compartment, and

wherein the galley cooling system further comprises a control unit which is adapted to control at least one of a volume flow, a speed and a direction of flow of the cooling fluid supplied to the trolley compartment from the cooling unit in such a manner that the cooling fluid entering the trolley compartment via the cooling fluid inlet is guided across an outer surface of a trolley received within the trolley compartment in the case the predetermined maximum number of trolleys is received within the trolley compartment,

the control unit being configured to control the direction of flow of the cooling fluid supplied to the trolley compartment from the cooling unit in such a manner that the cooling fluid entering the trolley compartment via the cooling fluid inlet is guided first across an outer surface of a bottom wall of a trolley received within the trolley compartment, thereafter is guided across an outer surface of a side wall of the trolley which faces away from the first side wall of the trolley compartment, and finally is guided across an outer surface of a top wall of the trolley,

wherein a guiding element extends into an interior space of the trolley compartment from a second side wall of the trolley compartment,

wherein the guiding element, in the region of a mounting surface facing the sidewall of the trolley compartment is provided with at least one recess allowing a flow of cooling fluid therethrough.

2. The galley cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the cooling fluid inlet is provided in a lower region of the first side wall and wherein the cooling fluid outlet is provided in an upper region of the first side wall.

3. The galley cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the trolley compartment is configured to receive a plurality of trolleys arranged one behind another in a row with their sidewalls extending substantially parallel to the sidewalls of the trolley compartment.

4. The galley cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the trolley compartment is configured so as to receive a plurality of trolleys arranged side by side with their sidewalls extending substantially parallel to the sidewalls of the trolley compartment.

5. The galley cooling system according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is configured to control at least one of the volume flow, the speed and the direction of flow of the cooling fluid supplied to the trolley compartment from the cooling unit in such a manner that the cooling fluid entering the trolley compartment via the cooling fluid inlet is guided through a gap existing between trolleys arranged within the trolley compartment side by side so as to flow across outer surfaces of the side walls of the trolleys.

6. The galley cooling system according to claim 4, wherein the control unit is configured to control at least one of the volume flow, the speed and the direction of flow of the cooling fluid supplied to the trolley compartment from the cooling unit in such a manner that the cooling fluid entering the trolley compartment via the cooling fluid inlet is guided through a gap existing between trolleys arranged within the trolley compartment side by side so as to flow across outer surfaces of the side walls of the trolleys.

7. The galley cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the guiding element is mounted to an inner surface of the second side wall of the trolley compartment, the guiding element comprising a guiding surface configured to interact with the sidewall of a trolley when the trolley is pushed into the trolley compartment.

8. The galley cooling system according to claim 1, wherein at least one further guiding element extends from an inner surface of a top wall of the trolley compartment, the further guiding element comprising two substantially parallel guiding surfaces adapted to interact with the sidewalls of trolleys to be arranged in the trolley compartment side by side when the trolleys are pushed into the trolley compartment.

9. The galley cooling system according to claim 8, wherein the further guiding element is provided with at least one through hole allowing a flow of cooling fluid there through.

17. The galley cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the cooling fluid inlet and the cooling fluid outlet comprises one or more openings extending substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the trolley compartment along the first side wall.

10. A method of operating a galley cooling system suitable for use in an aircraft, comprising the steps:

supplying a cooling fluid provided by a cooling unit to a trolley compartment configured to receive a predetermined maximum number of trolleys comprising a front side access opening, a back wall arranged opposite to the front side access opening and two sidewalls via a cooling fluid inlet provided in the first side wall of the trolley compartment, and

discharging cooling fluid heated upon circulating through the trolley compartment from the trolley compartment via a cooling fluid outlet provided in the first side wall of the trolley compartment,

controlling at least one of a volume flow, a speed and a direction of flow of the cooling fluid supplied to the trolley compartment from the cooling unit in such a manner that the cooling fluid entering the trolley compartment via the cooling fluid inlet is guided first across an outer surface of a bottom wall of a trolley received within the trolley compartment in the case the predetermined maximum number of trolleys is received within the trolley compartment, thereafter the cooling fluid is guided across an outer surface of a side wall of the trolley which faces away from the first side wall of the trolley compartment, and finally is guided across an outer surface of a top wall of the trolley,

guiding a flow of cooling fluid through at least one recess provided in the region of a mounting surface of at least one guiding element mounted to an inner surface of a second side wall of the trolley compartment, wherein the mounting surface of the guiding element faces the sidewall of the trolley compartment, and wherein the guiding element further comprises a guiding surface configured to interact with the sidewall of a trolley when the trolley is pushed into the trolley compartment,

wherein the guiding element, in the region of the mounting surface facing the sidewall of the trolley compartment is provided with at least one recess allowing a flow of cooling fluid therethrough.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the cooling fluid is supplied to the trolley compartment via a cooling fluid inlet provided in a lower region of the first side wall, and wherein the cooling fluid is discharged from the trolley compartment via a cooling fluid outlet provided in an upper region of the first side wall.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the trolley compartment is configured so as to receive a plurality of trolleys arranged one behind another in a row with their sidewalls extending substantially parallel to the sidewalls of the trolley compartment.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the trolley compartment is configured so as to receive a plurality of trolleys arranged side by side with their sidewalls extending substantially parallel to the sidewalls of the trolley compartment.

14. The method according to claim 12, including the step of controlling at least one of the volume flow, the speed and the direction of flow of the cooling fluid supplied to the trolley compartment from the cooling unit in such a manner that the cooling fluid entering the trolley compartment via the cooling fluid inlet is guided through a gap existing between trolleys arranged within the trolley compartment side by side so as to flow across outer surfaces of the side walls of the trolleys.

15. The method according to claim 13, including the step of controlling at least one of the volume flow, the speed and the direction of flow of the cooling fluid supplied to the trolley compartment from the cooling unit in such a manner that the cooling fluid entering the trolley compartment via the cooling fluid inlet is guided through a gap existing between trolleys arranged within the trolley compartment side by side so as to flow across outer surfaces of the side walls of the trolleys.

16. The method according to claim 10, including the step of guiding a flow of cooling fluid through at least one through hole provided in at least one further guiding element extending from an inner surface of a top wall of the trolley compartment, wherein the further guiding element comprises two substantially parallel guiding surfaces adapted to interact with the sidewalls of trolleys to be arranged in the trolley compartment side by side when the trolleys are pushed into the trolley compartment.

18. A galley cooling system, the galley cooling system comprising:

a cooling unit configured to provide a cooling fluid, and

a trolley compartment configured to receive a predetermined maximum number of trolleys comprising a front side access opening, a back wall arranged opposite to the front side access opening and two sidewalls,

wherein a cooling fluid inlet is provided in the first side wall of the trolley compartment, the cooling fluid inlet being connected to the cooling unit so as to supply cooling fluid provided by the cooling unit to the trolley compartment, and

wherein a cooling fluid outlet is provided in the first side wall of the trolley compartment, the cooling fluid outlet being adapted to discharge cooling fluid heated upon circulating through the trolley compartment from the trolley compartment, and

wherein the galley cooling system further comprises a control unit which is adapted to control at least one of a volume flow, a speed and a direction of flow of the cooling fluid supplied to the trolley compartment from the cooling unit in such a manner that the cooling fluid entering the trolley compartment via the cooling fluid inlet is guided across an outer surface of a trolley received within the trolley compartment in the case the predetermined maximum number of trolleys is received within the trolley compartment,

the control unit being configured to control the direction of flow of the cooling fluid supplied to the trolley compartment from the cooling unit in such a manner that the cooling fluid entering the trolley compartment via the cooling fluid inlet is guided first across an outer surface of a top wall of a trolley received within the trolley compartment, thereafter is guided across an outer surface of a side wall of the trolley which faces away from the first side wall of the trolley compartment, and finally is guided across an outer surface of a bottom wall of the trolley,

wherein a guiding element extends into an interior space of the trolley compartment from a second side wall of the trolley compartment,

wherein the guiding element, in the region of a mounting surface facing the sidewall of the trolley compartment is provided with at least one recess allowing a flow of cooling fluid therethrough.

19. The galley cooling system according to claim 18, wherein the cooling fluid inlet is provided in an upper region of the first side wall and wherein the cooling fluid outlet is provided in a lower region of the first side wall.

20. A method of operating a galley cooling system suitable for use in an aircraft, comprising the steps:

supplying a cooling fluid provided by a cooling unit to a trolley compartment configured to receive a predetermined maximum number of trolleys comprising a front side access opening, a back wall arranged opposite to the front side access opening and two sidewalls via a cooling fluid inlet provided in the first side wall of the trolley compartment, and

discharging cooling fluid heated upon circulating through the trolley compartment from the trolley compartment via a cooling fluid outlet provided in the first side wall of the trolley compartment,

controlling at least one of a volume flow, a speed and a direction of flow of the cooling fluid supplied to the trolley compartment from the cooling unit in such a manner that the cooling fluid entering the trolley compartment via the cooling fluid inlet is guided first across an outer surface of a top wall of a trolley received within the trolley compartment in the case the predetermined maximum number of trolleys is received within the trolley compartment, thereafter the cooling fluid is guided across an outer surface of a side wall of the trolley which faces away from the first side wall of the trolley compartment, and finally is guided across an outer surface of a bottom wall of the trolley,

guiding a flow of cooling fluid through at least one recess provided in the region of a mounting surface of at least one guiding element mounted to an inner surface of a second side wall of the trolley compartment, wherein the mounting surface of the guiding element faces the sidewall of the trolley compartment, and wherein the guiding element further comprises a guiding surface configured to interact with the sidewall of a trolley when the trolley is pushed into the trolley compartment,

wherein the guiding element, in the region of the mounting surface facing the sidewall of the trolley compartment is provided with at least one recess allowing a flow of cooling fluid therethrough.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the cooling fluid is supplied to the trolley compartment via a cooling fluid inlet provided in an upper region of the first side wall, and wherein the cooling fluid is discharged from the trolley compartment via a cooling fluid outlet provided in a lower region of the first side wall.