Aircraft cooling system and method for operating an aircraft cooling system

• US 9,272,788 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2014
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH (Airbus SE)
• Inventors: Truemper, Torsten, Reiss, Matthias
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad M
• Application Number:
  US14/243,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20140298824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 62/33, 62/37, 621/13, 623/241
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 13/06 the air being conditioned pressurising B64D13/02
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 13/08 the air being heated or cooled
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2013/0629 with subsystems for cooling food, catering or special loads
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/04 reversible
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/52 Heat recovery pumps, i.e. heat pump based systems or units able to transfer the thermal energy from one area of the premises or part of the facilities to a different one, improving the overall efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/50 On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency

Abstract

An aircraft cooling system including a cooler having a cold transfer circuit, in which a cold transfer medium circulates. The cooler supplies cooling energy to an aircraft device to be cooled. The aircraft cooling system further includes a heat transfer arrangement having a heat transfer circuit, in which a heat transfer medium circulates and which is thermally coupled to the cold transfer circuit of the cooler via a heat exchanger, in order to absorb waste heat generated by the cooler and transfer it to a cabin air extraction system. The heat transfer arrangement further includes at least one heat pump which brings about an increase of the heat energy transfer from the cold transfer medium circulating in the cold transfer circuit of the cooler to the heat transfer medium circulating in the heat transfer circuit, at least in certain operating phases of the aircraft cooling system.

Claims

1. An aircraft cooling system comprising:

a cooler comprising a cold transfer circuit, in which a cold transfer medium circulates, and which is adapted to supply cooling energy to an aircraft device to be cooled, and

a heat transfer arrangement comprising a heat transfer circuit, in which a heat transfer medium circulates and which is thermally coupled to the heat transfer circuit of the cooler via a heat exchanger, in order to absorb waste heat generated by the cooler and transfer it to a cabin air extraction system,

the heat transfer arrangement further comprising at least one heat pump which is adapted to bring about an increase of the heat energy transfer from the cold transfer medium circulating in the cold transfer circuit of the cooler to the heat transfer medium circulating in the heat transfer circuit, at least in certain operating phases of the aircraft cooling system.

2. The aircraft cooling system according to claim 1, further comprising a control device which controls the operation of the heat pump as a function of at least one of a temperature and a pressure of the cold transfer medium in the heat exchanger, which thermally couples the heat transfer circuit to the cold transfer circuit of the cooler.

3. The aircraft cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the heat pump thermally couples the heat transfer circuit to the cold transfer circuit of the cooler.

4. The aircraft cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the heat pump thermally couples a first section of the heat transfer circuit to a second section of the heat transfer circuit, the first section of the heat transfer circuit being arranged upstream of the heat exchanger which thermally couples the heat transfer circuit to the cold transfer circuit of the cooler, and the second section of the heat transfer circuit being arranged downstream of the heat exchanger which thermally couples the heat transfer circuit to the cold transfer circuit of the cooler, and upstream of a heat exchanger which brings the heat transfer medium heated by the waste heat of the cooler into thermal contact with cabin exhaust air flowing through a cabin exhaust air line of the cabin air extraction system.

5. The aircraft cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the heat pump comprises at least one Peltier element.

6. The aircraft cooling system according to claim 5, wherein a cold side of the Peltier element is thermally coupled to a cold transfer circuit of the cooler downstream of the heat exchanger which thermally couples the heat transfer circuit to the cold transfer circuit of the cooler, and upstream of an expansion valve provided in the cold transfer circuit of the cooler.

7. The aircraft cooling system according to claim 5, wherein a hot side of the Peltier element is thermally coupled to the heat transfer circuit downstream of the heat exchanger which thermally couples the heat transfer circuit to the cold transfer circuit of the cooler, and upstream of a heat exchanger which is adapted to bring the heat transfer medium heated by the waste heat of the cooler into thermal contact with cabin exhaust air flowing through a cabin exhaust air line of the cabin air extraction system.

8. The aircraft cooling system according to claim 5, wherein a cold side of the Peltier element is thermally coupled to a first section of the heat transfer circuit which is arranged upstream of the heat exchanger which thermally couples the heat transfer circuit to the cold transfer circuit of the cooler.

9. The aircraft cooling system according to claim 5, wherein a hot side of the Peltier element is thermally coupled to a second section of the heat transfer circuit which is arranged downstream of the heat exchanger which thermally couples the heat transfer circuit to the cold transfer circuit of the cooler, and upstream of a heat exchanger which is adapted to bring the heat transfer medium heated by the waste heat of the cooler into thermal contact with cabin exhaust air flowing through a cabin exhaust air line of the cabin air extraction system.

10. The aircraft cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the heat transfer arrangement is further adapted to transfer waste heat generated by the cooler to cooled process air generated by an air conditioning unit which flows through a process air line which is adapted to conduct the process air into a working area of an aircraft cabin.

11. A method for operating an aircraft cooling system comprising the steps:

supplying cooling energy, to an aircraft device to be cooled, by means of a cooler which comprises a cold transfer circuit, in which a cold transfer medium circulates, and

transferring waste heat generated by the cooler to a cabin air extraction system by means of a heat transfer arrangement which comprises a heat transfer circuit, in which a heat transfer medium circulates and which is thermally coupled to the cold transfer circuit of the cooler via a heat exchanger, wherein, in order to absorb waste heat generated by the cooler, at least one heat pump of the heat transfer arrangement is operated to increase the heat energy transfer from the cold transfer medium circulating in the cold transfer circuit of the cooler to the heat transfer medium circulating in the heat transfer circuit, at least in certain operating phases of the aircraft cooling system.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the operation of the heat pump is controlled by a control device as a function of at least one of a temperature and a pressure of the cold transfer medium in the heat exchanger, which thermally couples the heat transfer circuit to the cold transfer circuit of the cooler.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the heat pump thermally couples the heat transfer circuit to the cold transfer circuit of the cooler.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the heat pump thermally couples a first section of the heat transfer circuit to a second section of the heat transfer circuit, the first section of the heat transfer circuit being arranged upstream of the heat exchanger which thermally couples the heat transfer circuit to the cold transfer circuit of the cooler, and the second section of the heat transfer circuit being arranged downstream of the heat exchanger which thermally couples the heat transfer circuit to the cold transfer circuit of the cooler, and upstream of a heat exchanger which is adapted to bring the heat transfer medium heated by the waste heat of the cooler into thermal contact with cabin exhaust air flowing through a cabin exhaust air line of the cabin air extraction system.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the heat pump comprises at least one Peltier element.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein a cold side of the Peltier element is thermally coupled to a cold transfer circuit of the cooler downstream of the heat exchanger which thermally couples the heat transfer circuit to the cold transfer circuit of the cooler, and upstream of an expansion valve provided in the cold transfer circuit of the cooler.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein a hot side of the Peltier element is thermally coupled to the heat transfer circuit downstream of the heat exchanger which thermally couples the heat transfer circuit to the cold transfer circuit of the cooler, and upstream of a heat exchanger which is adapted to bring the heat transfer medium heated by the waste heat of the cooler into thermal contact with cabin exhaust air flowing through a cabin exhaust air line of the cabin air extraction system.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein a cold side of the Peltier element is thermally coupled to a first section of the heat transfer circuit which is arranged upstream of the heat exchanger which thermally couples the heat transfer circuit to the cold transfer circuit of the cooler.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein a hot side of the Peltier element is thermally coupled to a second section of the heat transfer circuit which is arranged downstream of the heat exchanger which thermally couples the heat transfer circuit to the cold transfer circuit of the cooler, and upstream of a heat exchanger which is adapted to bring the heat transfer medium heated by the waste heat of the cooler into thermal contact with cabin exhaust air flowing through a cabin exhaust air line of the cabin air extraction system.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein the heat transfer arrangement further transfers waste heat generated by the cooler to cooled process air generated by an air conditioning unit which flows through a process air line which conducts the process air into a working area of an aircraft cabin.