Cabin air system for aviation electronics

• US 20090084896A1
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Powell, Thomas E., Boucher, Eric T.
• Application Number:
  US11/904,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20090084896A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/118.500
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 13/08 the air being heated or cooled
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2013/0614 with subsystems for cooling avionics
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2013/0685 with ozone control
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2013/0688 with means for recirculating cabin air
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/50 On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency

Abstract

A cabin air system for aviation electronics comprises a compressor, an air conditioner, a mix manifold, and an aviation electronics module. The compressor compresses ambient air, and the air conditioner cools the compressed ambient air to produce cabin air. The mix manifold delivers some of the cabin air to the electronics module.

Claims

1. A cabin air system for aviation electronics, the system comprising:

a compressor for compressing ambient air;

an air conditioner for cooling the ambient air from the compressor to produce cabin air; and

a manifold for delivering the cabin air to an aviation electronics module.

2. The cabin air system of claim 1, wherein the manifold mixes the cabin air with recirculating cabin air.

3. The cabin air system of claim 1, wherein the aviation electronics module vents the cabin air to a ram air vent.

4. The cabin air system of claim 1, wherein the cabin air limits a thermal cycling range of the aviation electronics module to less than seventy degrees Celsius (70°

C.).

5. The cabin air system of claim 4, wherein the cabin air limits the thermal cycling range to less than fifty degrees Celsius (50°

C.).

6. The cabin air system of claim 1, wherein the cabin air limits a thermal cycling range of the aviation electronics module to temperatures higher than minus twenty degrees Celsius (−

20°

C.).

7. The cabin air system of claim 6, wherein the cabin air limits the thermal cycling range to temperatures lower than fifty degrees Celsius (+50°

C.).

8. The cabin air system of claim 1, wherein the cabin air limits a thermal cycling range of the aviation electronics module within a standard military specification range.

9. The cabin air system of claim 8, wherein the cabin air limits the thermal cycling range to temperatures higher than twenty degrees Celsius (20°

C.) higher than a lower extreme of the standard military specification range.

10. The cabin air system of claim 1, wherein the electronics module is located in a fuel vapor zone.

11. The cabin air system of claim 1, wherein the cabin air creates a positive pressure differential within the electronics module, with respect to a fuel vapor zone.

12. A cabin air circulation system for controlling aviation electronics temperatures, the system comprising:

a compressor that compresses ambient air;

an air conditioner that cools and decompresses the ambient air from the compressor; and

an air delivery system that limits a thermal cycling range by delivering the ambient air from the air conditioner to an aviation electronics module located outside a main cabin area.

13. The circulation system of claim 12, wherein the gas turbine engine is at least one of a main aircraft engine or an auxiliary power unit.

14. The circulation system of claim 12, further comprising a mix manifold that mixes the ambient air from the air conditioner with recirculating cabin air.

15. The circulation system of claim 12, wherein the air delivery system creates a non-fuel vapor zone within at least one fuel vapor zone.

16. The circulation system of claim 12, wherein the thermal cycling range is limited to temperatures higher than minus forty degrees centigrade (40°

C.).

17. The circulation system of claim 12, wherein the thermal cycling range is limited to temperatures higher than minus twenty degrees centigrade (−

20°

C.).

18. A method for circulating cabin air to reduce an aviation electronics thermal cycling range, the method comprising:

compressing ambient air;

cooling the compressed ambient air;

mixing the cooled, compressed ambient air with recirculating cabin air; and

providing the recirculating cabin air to an aviation electronics module.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein providing the recirculating cabin air comprises limiting the thermal cycling range to temperatures higher than minus twenty degrees Celsius (−

20°

C.).

20. The method of claim 18, wherein providing the mixed cabin air comprises creating a non-fuel vapor zone within a fuel vapor zone.