ESC energy recovery system for fuel-efficient aircraft
First Claim
1. An aircraft environmental control system for supplying a predetermined amount of conditioned air to an aircraft cabin, comprising:
- an electric motor;
a cabin compressor arranged to be driven by said electric motor, said cabin compressor having an outlet adapted and arranged to supply heated and pressurized air to said cabin;
a supercharging compressor connected in series between a source of fresh air and an inlet of said motor-driven cabin compressor;
a free-running turbine mechanically coupled to said supercharging compressor to form a turbo-compressor arranged and adapted to be driven solely by discharge air emanating from said cabin, whereby the inlet of said motordriven cabin compressor may be provided with pressurized fresh air when said cabin is discharging pressurized air overboard.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention is an energy recovery system (20) which uses excess air emanating from an aircraft cabin (16) to drive a turbo-compressor unit (30). The outlet air from the compressor (26) of turbo-compressor unit (30) is optionally fed, either around or through heat exchanger (24), back into the aircraft cabin (16) inlet line, reducing the amount of bleed air required to power the aircraft ECS. Mass flow sensors (34) and (38) are used, via flow control valve (36) and flow control valve control unit (40), to monitor and control the amount of engine bleed air required at any point in time to satisfy overall ECS requirements. The energy recovery system (20") may be utilized in conjunction with a motor driven cabin compressor (42) to reduce the output air requirements of the compressor and thus the weight and horsepower requirements of the compressor motor. In another embodiment, the outlet of the compressor (26) is used to supercharge the inlet of the motor driven cabin compressor (42), reducing the weight and horsepower motor requirements of the ECS.
132 Citations
12 Claims
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1. An aircraft environmental control system for supplying a predetermined amount of conditioned air to an aircraft cabin, comprising:
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an electric motor; a cabin compressor arranged to be driven by said electric motor, said cabin compressor having an outlet adapted and arranged to supply heated and pressurized air to said cabin; a supercharging compressor connected in series between a source of fresh air and an inlet of said motor-driven cabin compressor; a free-running turbine mechanically coupled to said supercharging compressor to form a turbo-compressor arranged and adapted to be driven solely by discharge air emanating from said cabin, whereby the inlet of said motordriven cabin compressor may be provided with pressurized fresh air when said cabin is discharging pressurized air overboard. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A process for supplying a predetermined amount of conditioned air to an aircraft cabin during flight, comprising the following steps:
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providing an electric motor; providing a primary cabin compressor; adapting and arranging said cabin compressor to be driven by said motor with an inlet and an outlet respectively in communication with a source of fresh air and with said cabin; connecting said motor to a continuing supply of electrical power to thereby drive said cabin compressor and provide a supply of heated and pressurized fresh air to said cabin; providing a supercharging compressor; connecting said supercharging compressor in series between said cabin compressor and said source of fresh air; and driving said supercharging compressor solely with energy extracted from discharge air emanating from said cabin to thereby reduce the electrical energy required to operate said motor. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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Specification