Aircraft environmental control system inlet flow control
First Claim
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1. An aircraft environmental control system, comprising:
- an air cycle machine having a bleed air inlet and a conditioned air outlet, the air cycle machine adapted to selectively receive a flow of bleed air at the bleed air inlet and configured, upon receipt thereof, to discharge conditioned air from the conditioned air outlet, the conditioned air having a temperature lower than the bleed air;
an inlet flow control valve coupled to the bleed air inlet and adapted to receive bleed air discharged from a gas turbine engine, the inlet flow control valve coupled to receive valve commands and configured, in response to the valve commands, to move between a closed position and a plurality of open positions;
an exhaust gas temperature (EGT) sensor configured to sense EGT of the gas turbine engine and supply an EGT signal representative thereof;
a conditioned air temperature sensor configured to sense the temperature of the conditioned air and supply a conditioned air temperature signal representative thereof; and
a controller coupled to receive the EGT signal and the conditioned air temperature signal and, based on the EGT and conditioned air temperature signals, configured to supply valve commands to the inlet flow control valve to thereby control the flow of bleed air into the bleed air inlet.
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Abstract
A system and method for controlling bleed air flow into an air cycle machine that includes a bleed air inlet and a conditioned air outlet is provided. The system and method include discharging bleed air from an operating gas turbine engine, sensing exhaust gas temperature (EGT) of the gas turbine engine, sensing conditioned air temperature at the conditioned air outlet, and controlling bleed air flow into the air cycle machine based on the sensed EGT and on the sensed conditioned air temperature.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. An aircraft environmental control system, comprising:
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an air cycle machine having a bleed air inlet and a conditioned air outlet, the air cycle machine adapted to selectively receive a flow of bleed air at the bleed air inlet and configured, upon receipt thereof, to discharge conditioned air from the conditioned air outlet, the conditioned air having a temperature lower than the bleed air; an inlet flow control valve coupled to the bleed air inlet and adapted to receive bleed air discharged from a gas turbine engine, the inlet flow control valve coupled to receive valve commands and configured, in response to the valve commands, to move between a closed position and a plurality of open positions; an exhaust gas temperature (EGT) sensor configured to sense EGT of the gas turbine engine and supply an EGT signal representative thereof; a conditioned air temperature sensor configured to sense the temperature of the conditioned air and supply a conditioned air temperature signal representative thereof; and a controller coupled to receive the EGT signal and the conditioned air temperature signal and, based on the EGT and conditioned air temperature signals, configured to supply valve commands to the inlet flow control valve to thereby control the flow of bleed air into the bleed air inlet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An aircraft environmental control system, comprising:
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an auxiliary power unit (APU) having a bleed air outlet, the APU configured to selectively discharge bleed air from the bleed air outlet; an air cycle machine having a bleed air inlet and a conditioned air outlet, the bleed air inlet coupled to selectively receive the bleed air discharged from the APU, the air cycle machine configured, upon receipt of the bleed air, to discharge conditioned air from the conditioned air outlet, the conditioned air having a temperature lower than the bleed air; an inlet flow control valve coupled between the bleed air outlet and the bleed air inlet to receive the bleed air discharged from the APU, the inlet flow control valve coupled to receive valve commands and configured, in response to the valve commands, to move between a closed position and a plurality of open positions; an exhaust gas temperature (EGT) sensor configured to sense EGT of the APU and supply an EGT signal representative thereof; a conditioned air temperature sensor configured to sense the temperature of the conditioned air and supply a conditioned air temperature signal representative thereof; and a controller coupled to receive the EGT signal and the conditioned air temperature signal and, based on the EGT and conditioned air temperature signals, configured to supply valve commands to the inlet flow control valve to thereby control the flow of bleed air into the bleed air inlet. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification