ADAPTABLE DEMAND DILUTION OXYGEN REGULATOR FOR USE IN AIRCRAFTS

• US 20100258127A1
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Group India Pvt Ltd. (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Engineering Centre India Co.
• Inventors: HK, Anurag Sharma
• Granted Patent: US 8,312,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/205.110
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 7/14 for high-altitude aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: A62B 9/022 Breathing demand regulators SCUBA diving regulators B63C11/22

Abstract

A system and method of automatic delivery of appropriate flow rate of oxygen to a person flying in a pressurized aircraft cabin is disclosed. In one embodiment, an adaptable demand dilution oxygen regulator for use inside a pressurized aircraft cabin, includes an oxygen initiation and demand regulation system adapted to be responsive to differential gas pressure in a first altitude range based on a pulmonary capacity of a person flying in the pressurized aircraft cabin and to control flow of pressurized oxygen to a breathing outlet during the first altitude range. The adaptable demand dilution oxygen regulator further includes a cabin air dilution and delivery system, coupled to the oxygen initiation and demand regulation system, adapted to be responsive to differential gas pressure in a second altitude range and to output progressively enriched mixture till 100% pressurized oxygen into a breathing apparatus during the second altitude range.

Claims

1. An adaptable demand dilution oxygen regulator for use inside a pressurized aircraft cabin, comprising:

an oxygen initiation and demand regulation system adapted to be responsive to differential gas pressure in a first altitude range based on a pulmonary capacity of a person flying in the pressurized aircraft cabin, wherein the oxygen initiation and demand regulation system controls flow of pressurized oxygen to a breathing outlet by mixing the pressurized oxygen with aircraft cabin air during the first altitude range; and

a cabin air dilution and delivery system coupled to the oxygen initiation and demand regulation system, wherein the cabin air dilution and delivery system is adapted to be responsive to differential gas pressure in a second altitude range, and wherein the cabin air dilution and delivery system gradually stops dilution of the aircraft cabin air and outputs approximately about 100% pressurized oxygen into a breathing apparatus via the breathing outlet during the second altitude range, and wherein the first altitude range and the second altitude range are substantially below a cabin pressure altitude of approximately about 7000 feet, and wherein the first altitude range is lower than the second altitude range.

2. The regulator of claim 1, wherein the oxygen initiation and demand regulation system comprises:

a first aneroid valve adapted to be responsive to differential gas pressure in the first altitude range based on the pulmonary capacity of the person flying in the pressurized aircraft cabin;

a first port associated with the first aneroid valve adapted to receive a pilot flow oxygen via a bleed line;

a second port associated with the first aneroid valve adapted to receive demand pressure via the breathing apparatus;

an outlet associated with the first aneroid valve to vent a pilot flow of oxygen to a cabin air dilution path in the first altitude range; and

a balanced oxygen delivery valve, comprising;

a first chamber;

a main valve; and

a second chamber, wherein the first chamber and the second chamber are separated by a first diaphragm, and wherein the first diaphragm associated with the first aneroid valve is responsive to the differential gas pressure in the first chamber and the second chamber based on the first altitude range for regulating the main valve via the first diaphragm to control the flow of pressurized oxygen to the breathing outlet.

3. The regulator of claim 2, wherein the cabin air dilution and delivery system comprises:

a mixing chamber; and

a cabin air chamber having a first chamber and a second chamber separated by a second diaphragm, wherein the first chamber is adapted to receive the aircraft cabin air from an aircraft cabin air inlet, and wherein the second chamber is adapted to receive the flow of pressurized oxygen from the main valve, and wherein the cabin air chamber includes a cabin air valve, and wherein the second diaphragm regulates the cabin air valve such that the pressure of the aircraft cabin air and the flow of pressurized oxygen via an oxygen line going into the mixing chamber are substantially equal.

4. The regulator of claim 3, wherein the cabin air dilution and delivery system further comprises:

a second aneroid valve adapted to be responsive to differential gas pressure in the second altitude range;

an outlet port associated with the second aneroid valve; and

an inlet port associated with the second aneroid valve adapted to receive the aircraft cabin air from the first chamber of the cabin air chamber;

wherein the second aneroid valve is responsive to the differential gas pressure in the second altitude range for regulating flow of the aircraft cabin air going into the mixing chamber via the outlet port associated with the second aneroid valve.

5. The regulator of claim 4, further comprising a dial mechanism for presetting an oxygen starting altitude point in the first altitude range for providing the flow of pressurized oxygen via the main valve and for providing a visual means to see the preset oxygen starting altitude point.

6. The regulator of claim 5, wherein the dial mechanism comprises a cam plate and follower mechanism operable for presetting the oxygen starting altitude point to respond to the differential gas pressure in the first altitude range based on the pulmonary capacity of the person flying in the pressurized aircraft cabin.

7. The regulator of claim 6, wherein the cam plate and follower mechanism is further operable for simultaneously presetting a corresponding predefined aircraft cabin airflow stopping altitude point to respond to the differential gas pressure in the second altitude range, and wherein the predefined aircraft cabin airflow stopping altitude point is substantially above the oxygen starting altitude point.

8. The regulator of claim 4, further comprising:

an emergency dilution shutoff lever including a cam and follower mechanism for shutting off the aircraft cabin air flowing into the mixing chamber and for providing approximately about 100% pressurized oxygen via the breathing outlet, wherein the cabin air valve is coupled to the emergency dilution shutoff lever and is responsive to the differential gas pressure between the flow of pressurized oxygen to the breathing outlet and the aircraft cabin air in the cabin air chamber to regulate the mixture of the flow of pressurized oxygen and the aircraft cabin air received in the mixing chamber.

9. The regulator of claim 4, further comprising a portable personal oxygen bottle coupled to the first port.

10. The regulator of claim 4, further comprising:

a demand pressure inlet adapted to receive demand pressure from the breathing outlet, wherein the demand pressure inlet is connected to the second chamber of the balanced oxygen delivery valve and adapted to regulate the main valve to control the flow of pressurized oxygen to the breathing outlet based on the received demand pressure via the demand pressure inlet.

11. The regulator of claim 1, wherein the first altitude range is in the range of about 2000 to 4000 feet in pressure altitude.

12. The regulator of claim 1, wherein the second altitude range is in the range of about 4000 to 6000 feet in pressure altitude.

13. A method for automatic delivery of appropriate flow rate of oxygen from a portable personal oxygen bottle through a breathing apparatus to a person flying in a pressurized aircraft cabin, comprising:

presetting a first aneroid valve that is responsive to differential gas pressure in a first altitude range to close at a oxygen starting altitude point based on apriori lung capacity test;

initiating a flow of oxygen from the portable personal oxygen bottle using a quarter turn switching regulator connected to the portable personal oxygen bottle via a minimum flow area of the main valve to output a mixture of the flow of oxygen and aircraft cabin air into a mixing chamber;

gradually closing the first aneroid valve in response to increasing aircraft cabin pressure altitude to stop a pilot flow of oxygen during the first altitude range; and

opening a main valve upon closing the first aneroid valve to flow pressurized oxygen into the mixing chamber, wherein the aircraft cabin air is outputted into the mixing chamber such that the pressurized oxygen and the outputted aircraft cabin air are having substantially same pressure, and wherein the mixture of aircraft cabin air and pressurized oxygen in the mixing chamber is outputted into the breathing apparatus via a breathing outlet.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

presetting a second aneroid valve, that is responsive to differential gas pressure in a second altitude range to close at a predefined aircraft cabin airflow stopping altitude point, substantially simultaneously upon presetting the first aneroid valve to the oxygen starting altitude point, wherein in the predefined aircraft cabin airflow stopping altitude point is substantially above the oxygen starting altitude point, and wherein the second altitude range is higher than the first altitude range;

gradually closing the second aneroid valve in response to increasing aircraft cabin pressure altitude to stop the aircraft cabin air flowing into the mixing chamber during the second altitude range; and

outputting approximately about 100% pressurized oxygen into the breathing apparatus via the breathing outlet upon substantially closing the second aneroid valve and upon reaching the predefined aircraft cabin airflow stopping altitude point.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

manually shutting off the aircraft cabin air coming into the mixing chamber to provide approximately 100% pressurized oxygen into the breathing apparatus via the breathing outlet during an emergency by using an emergency dilution shutoff lever to close a cabin air valve.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

automatically closing the first aneroid valve and the second aneroid valve to stop the aircraft cabin air into the mixing chamber upon reaching an aircraft cabin decompression point to instantaneously supply approximately about 100% pressurized oxygen into the breathing apparatus via the breathing outlet.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the first altitude range is approximately in the range of about 2000 to 4000 feet in pressure altitude and the second altitude range is approximately in the range of about 4000 to 6000 feet in pressure altitude.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the oxygen starting altitude point is approximately about 2000 feet and the predefined aircraft cabin airflow stopping altitude point is approximately about 4000 feet.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the pressurized oxygen is provided using the portable personal oxygen bottle.