System and method for air conditioning an aircraft cabin with improved cooling capacity

• US 9,085,368 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2009
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Kelnhofer, Jrgen, Krakowski, Dariusz, Kiryaman, Ahmet Kayihan
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tighe, Dana
• Application Number:
  US13/124,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20110237173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,107 Days
• Field of Search: 454/70, 454/71, 454/72, 454/73, 454/74, 454/76
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 13/08 the air being heated or cooled
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2013/0655 with zone or personal climate controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2013/0688 with means for recirculating cabin air

Abstract

A system for air conditioning an aircraft cabin includes an air conditioning unit connected to a central mixer in order to supply the central mixer with air at a desired low temperature. A first recirculation system is designed to remove exhaust air from a first aircraft cabin region and is connected to the central mixer in order to lead the exhaust air into the central mixer. A second recirculation system is designed to remove exhaust air from a second aircraft cabin region and is connected to first and second local mixers in order to lead the exhaust air into the local mixers, the local mixers also receiving mixed air flow from the central mixer. The second recirculation system includes a cooling unit which is designed to cool the recirculation air removed from the second aircraft cabin region before delivery to the first and second local mixers.

Claims

1. A system for air conditioning an aircraft cabin in an aircraft, the system comprising:

a central mixer and first and second local mixers, the first and second local mixers being formed separate from each other and being positioned at different locations in the aircraft,

an air conditioning unit connected to the central mixer in order to supply the central mixer with air at a desired low temperature,

a first recirculation system which is designed to remove recirculation air from a first aircraft cabin region and which is connected to the central mixer in order to lead the recirculation air from the first aircraft cabin region into the central mixer, and

a second recirculation system which is designed to remove recirculation air from a second aircraft cabin region and which is connected to the first local mixer and the second local mixer in order to lead the recirculation air from the second aircraft cabin region into the first local mixer and the second local mixer, the first and second local mixers each being connected to the central mixer in order to supply mixed air from the central mixer into the first and second local mixers, the second recirculation system further comprising;

a central recirculation air removal duct connected to the second aircraft cabin region,

a first recirculation air distribution duct which connects the central recirculation air removal duct to the first local mixer,

a second recirculation air distribution duct which connects the central recirculation air removal duct to the second local mixer, and

at least one cooling unit which is formed separate from the air conditioning unit and which is designed to cool the recirculation air removed from the second aircraft cabin region to a desired temperature, wherein the at least one cooling unit is arranged in at least one of;

the first recirculation air distribution duct, in relation to the flow direction of the recirculation air removed from the second aircraft cabin region in the second recirculation system, upstream of the first local mixer, and

the second recirculation air distribution duct, in relation to the flow direction of the recirculation air removed from the second aircraft cabin region in the second recirculation system, upstream of the second local mixer.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling unit is at least one of:

designed to be supplied with cooling energy by an existing cooling system of the aircraft, and

formed as an independent cooling system.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cooling unit includes first and second cooling units, the first cooling unit being arranged in the first recirculation air distribution duct, and the second cooling unit being arranged in the second recirculation air distribution duct, thereby providing independent temperature control for recirculation air supplied to each of the first and second local mixers.

4. A method for air conditioning an aircraft cabin in an aircraft, the method comprising:

producing air at a desired low temperature by an air conditioning unit,

supplying the air produced by the air conditioning unit into a central mixer,

removing recirculation air from a first aircraft cabin region by a first recirculation system,

leading the recirculation air removed from the first aircraft cabin region by the first recirculation system into the central mixer,

removing recirculation air from a second aircraft cabin region by a second recirculation system,

leading the recirculation air removed from the second aircraft cabin region by the second recirculation system into a first local mixer and a second local mixer, with the first and second local mixers being formed separate from each other and positioned at different locations in the aircraft, wherein the recirculation air removed from the second aircraft cabin region is supplied into the first local mixer via a central recirculation air removal duct connected to the second aircraft cabin region and then via a first recirculation air distribution duct which connects the central recirculation air removal duct with the first local mixer, and wherein the recirculation air removed from the second aircraft cabin region is supplied into the second local mixer via the central recirculation air removal duct and then via a second recirculation air distribution duct which connects the central recirculation air removal duct with the second local mixer,

supplying mixed air from the central mixer into the first and second local mixers, and

cooling the recirculation air removed from the second aircraft cabin region to a desired temperature by at least one cooling unit of the second recirculation system before it is supplied into the first and/or the second local mixer, the cooling unit being formed separate from the air conditioning unit and being arranged in at least one of;

the first recirculation air distribution duct, in relation to the flow direction of the recirculation air removed from the second aircraft cabin region in the second recirculation system, upstream of the first local mixer, and

the second recirculation air distribution duct, in relation to the flow direction of the recirculation air removed from the second aircraft cabin region in the second recirculation system, upstream of the second local mixer.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the at least one cooling unit is at least one of:

supplied with cooling energy by an existing cooling system of the aircraft, and

formed as an independent cooling system.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein cooling the recirculation air removed from the second aircraft cabin region is performed by first and second cooling units, the first cooling unit being arranged in the first recirculation air distribution duct, and the second cooling unit being arranged in the second recirculation air distribution duct, thereby providing independent temperature control for recirculation air supplied to each of the first and second local mixers.