Heat exchanger incorporated into a wall of an aircraft

• US 9,446,850 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2013
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Guering, Bernard, Durand, Yves
• Primary Examiner(s): Redman, Jerry
• Application Number:
  US13/970,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20130333857A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,127 Days
• Field of Search: 454/71, 454/76, 165/41, 165/44, 165/135, 165/136, 165/168, 165/169, 165/170
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 13/00 Arrangements or adaptations of air-treatment apparatus for aircraft crew or passengers, or freight space , or structural parts of the aircraft treatment rooms with artificial climate for medical purposes A61G10/02; respiratory apparatus in general A62B; for vehicles in general B60H
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 13/08 the air being heated or cooled
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2013/0614 with subsystems for cooling avionics
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2013/0674 comprising liquid subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2225/04 for conduits
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/50 On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency

Abstract

An aircraft includes at least one wall delimiting a first zone (I) of the aircraft which is thermally insulated from the outside of the aircraft and a second zone (E) contained within the aircraft which is not thermally insulated with respect to the outside of the aircraft and a heat exchanger inside which a heat transfer fluid circulates, wherein the wall includes at least one duct inside which the heat transfer fluid circulates so as to act as a heat exchanger.

Claims

1. An aircraft comprising:

a first zone thermally insulated from outside of the aircraft;

a second zone contained with the aircraft and not thermally insulated with respect to the outside of the aircraft;

at least one wall delimiting the first zone of the aircraft and the second zone; and

a first heat exchanger wherein a heat transfer fluid is configured to circulate to remove heat from a heat source in the aircraft,

wherein said at least one wall comprises at least one duct wherein the heat transfer fluid is configured to circulates so as to act as a second heat exchanger to dissipate heat to air present in the second zone.

2. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one duct is delimited by at least one rib thereby increasing a mechanical strength of the wall.

3. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one duct is delimited by the at least one wall, a first face of the duct in contact with the heat transfer fluid and a second face of the duct is in contact with the air present in the second zone.

4. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein the duct projects from a face of the wall in contact with the second zone to increase a surface area for heat exchange between the heat transfer fluid and the air.

5. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one wall is a wall or a part of a wall delimiting a landing gear bay.

6. The aircraft as claimed in claim 5, wherein the wall delimiting the landing gear bay comprises, on an outer face thereof, a plurality of ribs arranged in pairs, with a cap for each pair linking the ends of the ribs so as to define a duct between each pair of the ribs and the wall.

7. The aircraft as claimed in claim 6, wherein the plurality of ribs is parallel to the lower edge of the wall.

8. The aircraft as claimed in claim 6, wherein a first end of a first duct and a second end of a second duct are blocked off by transverse partitions linking a first pair of ribs defining the first duct and a second pair of ribs defining the second duct, the first and second ducts being connected to each other by a connector so as to form a circuit.

9. The aircraft as claimed in claim 8, wherein the connectors is provided on the inner face of the wall.

10. The aircraft as claimed in claim 9, wherein the wall comprises, for each end of the connectors, a through hole, the ribs being curved so as to delimit a conical zone in line with each through hole to limit localized pressure losses.

11. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat transfer fluid is a liquid.