Regenerative activated carbon filtration for aircraft obiggs

An onboard aircraft inerting system comprising:

• a main inlet for connection to an upstream source of pressurized air, the pressurized air containing VOC contaminants;
• a filter module comprising an activated carbon media for adsorbing VOC contaminants from the air stream supplied thereto by the main inlet;
• a thermal control system upstream of the filter module for controlling the temperature of the air stream transported to the filter module;
• flow control components for directing air flow exiting the filter module;
• wherein in a normal mode, the flow control components direct filtered air exiting the filter module to a first passage connected to one or more air separation modules, and in a regeneration mode, the flow control components direct air exiting the filter module to a second passage connected to an overboard outlet for release to a lower pressure ambient environment;
• and
• wherein in regeneration mode the activated carbon media is operated at a higher temperature than in normal mode, the higher temperature being sufficient to desorb the VOC contaminants adsorbed during normal mode.