Reduced bleed vapor compression cycle environmental control system for aircraft
First Claim
1. An environmental control system for an aircraft comprising:
- means for receiving air external to the aircraft;
means for compressing said external air to a desired pressure;
means for cooling said compressed air to a desired temperature;
said cooling means comprising a vapor compression cycle;
said vapor compression cycle loop including evaporation means for removing heat from said compressed air, a refrigerant flowing through said loop and heat from said compressed air being transferred to said refrigerant in said evaporation means, and means for compressing said refrigerant exiting said evaporation means;
said external air compression means comprising a first compressor, said refrigerant compressing means comprising a second compressor, and means for driving said first and second compressors;
said driving means comprising a turbine and means for supplying engine bleed air to said turbine; and
said first and second compressors and said turbine being located on a single shaft.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to A reduced bleed vapor compression cycle environmental control system for an aircraft. The environmental control system provides conditioned external ram air to compartments such as the cabin, the flight deck, avionics compartment, and other equipment compartments, where conditioned air is needed. The system includes a first compressor for compressing the external ram air to cabin pressure and an evaporator for cooling the external ram air to a desired temperature. The system further includes a low-pressure water separator for removing moisture from the ram air prior to the external ram air being delivered to the compartment(s). The ram air compressor as well as a compressor for a refrigerant loop are driven by a turbine that expands a minimal amount of bleed air from an engine.
19 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An environmental control system for an aircraft comprising:
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means for receiving air external to the aircraft;
means for compressing said external air to a desired pressure;
means for cooling said compressed air to a desired temperature;
said cooling means comprising a vapor compression cycle;
said vapor compression cycle loop including evaporation means for removing heat from said compressed air, a refrigerant flowing through said loop and heat from said compressed air being transferred to said refrigerant in said evaporation means, and means for compressing said refrigerant exiting said evaporation means;
said external air compression means comprising a first compressor, said refrigerant compressing means comprising a second compressor, and means for driving said first and second compressors;
said driving means comprising a turbine and means for supplying engine bleed air to said turbine; and
said first and second compressors and said turbine being located on a single shaft.
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2. An environmental control system for an aircraft comprising:
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means for receiving air external to the aircraft;
means for compressing said external air to a desired pressure;
means for cooling said compressed air to a desired temperature;
said cooling means comprising a vapor compression cycle;
said vapor compression cycle loop including evaporation means for removing heat from said compressed air, a refrigerant flowing through said loop and heat from said compressed air being transferred to said refrigerant in said evaporation means, and means for compressing said refrigerant exiting said evaporation means;
said loop further including means for removing heat from said compressed refrigerant; and
additional external air being supplied to said loop and said heat removing means comprising a condenser for receiving said compressed refrigerant from said refrigerant compressing means and for transferring heat from said refrigerant to said additional external air. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4)
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5. A method for delivering cooled air at a desired pressure to a compartment on an aircraft comprising the steps of:
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providing an air compressor;
inputting air external to said aircraft into said air compressor and compressing said external air;
cooling said external air after said external air exits said air compressor;
delivering said cooled external air to said compartment;
said cooling step comprising providing a refrigerant loop having an evaporator through which a refrigerant flows and passing said compressed external air through said evaporator and transferring heat from said compressed external air to said refrigerant;
compressing said refrigerant exiting said evaporator using a refrigerant compressor; and
providing a turbine, bleeding air from an engine to drive said turbine, and driving both said air compressor and said refrigerant compressor using said turbine.
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6. A method for delivering cooled air at a desired pressure to a compartment on an aircraft comprising the steps of:
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providing an air compressor;
inputting air external to said aircraft into said air compressor and compressing said external air;
cooling said external air after said external air exits said air compressor;
delivering said cooled external air to said compartment;
said cooling step comprising providing a refrigerant loop having an evaporator through which a refrigerant flows and passing said compressed external air through said evaporator and transferring heat from said compressed external air to said refrigerant;
compressing said refrigerant exiting said evaporator using a refrigerant compressor; and
providing said loop with heat removal means, supplying additional external air to said heat removal means, and transferring heat from said compressed refrigerant to said additional external air by passing said compressed refrigerant through said heat removal means. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. An environmental control system for an aircraft comprising:
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means for receiving air external to the aircraft;
means for compressing said external air to a desired pressure;
means for cooling said compressed air to a desired pressure;
said cooling means comprising a vapor compression cycle loop;
said vapor compression cycle loop containing an evaporator for removing heat from said compressed air; and
means for delivering air exiting said compressing means directly to said evaporator and for delivering cooled air exiting said evaporator to a compartment onboard said aircraft. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for delivering cooled air at a desired pressure to a compartment on an aircraft comprising the steps of:
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providing an air compressor;
inputting air external to said aircraft into said air compressor and compressing said external air;
cooling said external air after said external air exits said air compressor;
said cooling step comprising providing a refrigerant loop having an evaporator through which a refrigerant flows and passing said external air through said evaporator and transferring heat from said compressed external air to said refrigerant; and
delivering said external air exiting said compressor directly to said evaporator; and
delivering said air exiting said evaporator to said compartment. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification