Method And System For Controlling An Aircraft Air Conditioning System With Optimised Fuel Consumption

• US 20100101251A1
• Filed: 10/21/2009
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Kelnhofer, Juergen
• Granted Patent: US 8,333,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/133
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 13/06 the air being conditioned pressurising B64D13/02
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2013/0618 with arrangements for reducing or managing bleed air, using another air source, e.g. ram air
• 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

In a method for controlling an aircraft air conditioning system (10) a correlation is established between a plurality of values of a process air mass flow supplyable to an air conditioning unit (12) of the aircraft air conditioning system (10) and the fuel consumption of the aircraft. A correlation is also established between a plurality of values of an ambient air mass flow which is used to cool the process air mass flow supplyable to the air conditioning unit (12) of the aircraft air conditioning system (10) and the fuel consumption of the aircraft. The process air mass flow and the ambient air mass flow are controlled in dependence on a predetermined cooling capacity of the aircraft air conditioning system (10) such that the fuel consumption of the aircraft is minimised.

Claims

1. Method for controlling an aircraft air conditioning system (10), comprising the steps:

establishing a correlation between a plurality of values of a process air mass flow supplyable to an air conditioning unit (12) of the aircraft air conditioning system (10) and the fuel consumption of the aircraft,

establishing a correlation between a plurality of values of an ambient air mass flow which is used to cool the process air mass flow supplyable to the air conditioning unit (12) of the aircraft air conditioning system (10) and the fuel consumption of the aircraft, and

controlling the process air mass flow and the ambient air mass flow in dependence on a predetermined cooling capacity of the aircraft air conditioning system (10) such that the fuel consumption of the aircraft is minimised.

2. Method according to claim 1,

characterised in that a plurality of pairs of values of the process air mass flow and the ambient air mass flow are associated with a predetermined cooling capacity of the aircraft air conditioning system (10), which pairs of values enable the predetermined cooling capacity of the aircraft air conditioning system (10) to be obtained.

3. Method according to claim 2,

characterised in that the value of an ambient air mass flow which is associated with a value of a process air mass flow in a pair of values is determined on the basis of the fresh air temperature upon leaving the air conditioning unit (12) which is required at the value of the process air mass flow in the pair of values to obtain the predetermined cooling capacity of the aircraft air conditioning system (10).

4. Method according to claim 2,

characterised in that when controlling the process air mass flow and the ambient air mass flow the pair of values of the process air mass flow and the ambient air mass flow which enables the fuel consumption of the aircraft to be minimised is selected from the plurality of pairs of values of the process air mass flow and the ambient air mass flow which are associated with a predetermined cooling capacity of the aircraft air conditioning system (10).

5. Method according to claim 1,

characterised in that the correlation between the plurality of values of a process air mass flow supplyable to an air conditioning unit (12) of the aircraft air conditioning system (10) and the fuel consumption of the aircraft and/or the correlation between the plurality of values of an ambient air mass flow which is used to cool the process air mass flow supplyable to the air conditioning unit (12) of the aircraft air conditioning system (10) and the fuel consumption of the aircraft are/is established by airborne tests and/or suitable simulations.

6. Method according to claim 1,

characterised in that the ambient air mass flow is controlled by controlling the flow cross section of a ram air inlet duct (26) and/or the flow cross section of a ram air outlet duct (28).

7. System for controlling an aircraft air conditioning system (10), with an electronic control unit (34) which is adapted to control, on the basis of a correlation between a plurality of values of a process air mass flow supplyable to an air conditioning unit (12) of the aircraft air conditioning system (10) and the fuel consumption of the aircraft and on the basis of a correlation between a plurality of values of an ambient air mass flow which is used to cool the process air mass flow supplyable to the air conditioning unit (12) of the aircraft air conditioning system (10) and the fuel consumption of the aircraft, the process air mass flow and the ambient air mass flow in dependence on a predetermined cooling capacity of the aircraft air conditioning system (10) such that the fuel consumption of the aircraft is minimised.

8. System according to claim 7,

characterised in that a plurality of pairs of values of the process air mass flow and the ambient air mass flow are associated with a predetermined cooling capacity of the aircraft air conditioning system (10), which pairs of values enable the predetermined cooling capacity of the aircraft air conditioning system (10) to be obtained.

9. System according to claim 8,

characterised in that the value of an ambient air mass flow which is associated with a value of a process air mass flow in a pair of values is determined on the basis of the fresh air temperature upon leaving the air conditioning unit (12) which is required at the value of the process air mass flow in the pair of values to obtain the predetermined cooling capacity of the aircraft air conditioning system (10).

10. System according to claim 8,

characterised in that the electronic control unit (34) is adapted, upon controlling the process air mass flow and the ambient air mass flow, to select the pair of values of the process air mass flow and the ambient air mass flow from the plurality of pairs of values of the process air mass flow and the ambient air mass flow associated with a predetermined cooling capacity of the aircraft air conditioning system (10) which enables the fuel consumption of the aircraft to be minimised.

11. System according to claim 7,

characterised in that the correlation between the plurality of values of a process air mass flow supplyable to an air conditioning unit (12) of the aircraft air conditioning system (10) and the fuel consumption of the aircraft and/or the correlation between the plurality of values of an ambient air mass flow which is used to cool the process air mass flow supplyable to the air conditioning unit (12) of the aircraft air conditioning system (10) and the fuel consumption of the aircraft are/is established by airborne tests and/or suitable simulations and stored in a memory of the electronic control unit (34).

12. System according to claim 7,

characterised in that the electronic control unit (34) is adapted to control the ambient air mass flow by controlling the flow cross section of a ram air inlet duct (26) and/or the flow cross section of a ram air outlet duct (28).