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US 10,480,455 B2Granted
Cryogenic circuit conditioning system
AssigneeArianegroup SAS
InventorsJean-Phillipe Dutheil, Marie-Sophie Hameury
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The subject of the invention is a device for the in-flight conditioning of equipment of cryogenic circuits of an aircraft, which device includes means for bleeding air from outside the aircraft, means for extracting nitrogen from this air using a nitrogen separator of the OBIGGS type and means for distributing this nitrogen around the equipment. The device notably includes means for distributing nitrogen around the various pieces of equipment of cryogenic circuits using a system of piping provided with calibrated orifices.
Claims16
A device that is configured for in-flight conditioning of cryogenic circuits equipment of an aerospace vehicle, which distributes cryogenic fluids from at least one tank to an engine of the aerospace vehicle, the device comprising:
- means for bleeding air from outside of the aerospace vehicle during an atmospheric part of a flight comprising an intake that is configured to bleed air from a compressor of a turbine engine of the aerospace vehicle;
- means for extracting nitrogen from the air using a nitrogen separator of the OBIGGS type;
- means for distributing the nitrogen that is configured to surroundingly interface the nitrogen with the cryogenic circuits equipment, comprising a circuit of pipework having orifices that are disposed along said pipework and are calibrated to keep the cryogenic circuits equipment conditioned at an overpressure with respect to surrounds thereof, said orifices being located around the cryogenic circuits equipment and effecting a nitrogen gas sweep of the cryogenic circuits equipment with nitrogen;
- and
- drying mean located downstream of the nitrogen separator that include a discharge that is configured to dispense water to an exterior of the aerospace vehicle.
2 more elements
An aircraft comprising:
- a rocket motor using at least one cryogenic propellant fluid;
- and
- device that is configured for in-flight conditioning of cryogenic circuits equipment of the aircraft, which distributes cryogenic fluids from at least one tank to an engine of the aircraft and comprises an air intake that is configured to bleed air from a compressor of a turbine engine outside of the aircraft during an atmospheric part of a flight an on board inert gas generator system (OBIGGS) type nitrogen separator that is configured to extract nitrogen from the air;
- means for distributing the nitrogen that is configured to surroundingly interface the nitrogen with the cryogenic circuits equipment, t-comprising a circuit of pipework having orifices that are disposed along said pipework and are calibrated to keep the cryogenic circuits equipment conditioned at an overpressure with respect to surrounds thereof, said orifices being located around the cryogenic circuits equipment and effecting a nitrogen gas sweep of the cryogenic circuits equipment with nitrogen;
- and drying mean located downstream of the nitrogen separator that include a discharge that is configured to dispense water to an exterior of the aircraft.
2 more elements
A method for conditioning cryogenic circuits equipment of an aerospace vehicle, the method comprising:
- connecting an external conditioning circuit on the ground to the aircraft and conditioning the cryogenic circuits equipment;
- and
- providing in-flight conditioning of said cryogenic circuits equipment using an device that is configured for in-flight conditioning of cryogenic circuits equipment of the aircraft, which distributes cryogenic fluids from at least one tank to an engine of the aerospace vehicle and comprises an air intake that is configured to bleed air from a compressor of a turbine engine outside of the aerospace vehicle during an atmospheric part of a flight an on board inert gas generator system (OBIGGS) type nitrogen separator that is configured to extract nitrogen from the air;
- means for distributing the nitrogen that is configured to surroundingly interface the nitrogen with the cryogenic circuits equipment, comprising a circuit of pipework having orifices that are disposed along said pipework and are calibrated to keep the cryogenic circuits equipment conditioned at an overpressure with respect to surrounds thereof, said orifices being located around the cryogenic circuits equipment and effecting a nitrogen gas sweep of the cryogenic circuits equipment with nitrogen;
- and drying mean located downstream of the nitrogen separator that include a discharge that is configured to dispense water to an exterior of the aerospace vehicle.
2 more elements
An device that is configured for in-flight conditioning of cryogenic circuits equipment of an aerospace vehicle by distributing cryogenic fluids from at least one tank to an engine of said aerospace vehicle, the device comprising:
- an intake that is configured to bleed air from a compressor of a turbine engine of the aerospace vehicle;
- an on board inert gas generator system (OBIGGS) type nitrogen separator;
- a circuit of nitrogen distribution pipework that is equipped with orifices that are disposed along said pipework and calibrated to keep the cryogenic circuits equipment at an overpressure with respect to surroundings thereof, said orifices being located around the cryogenic equipment, said circuit of nitrogen distribution pipework carrying nitrogen at said calibrated orifices, said calibrated orifices effecting local nitrogen gas sweep of the cryogenic circuits equipment with nitrogen;
- and
- drying means located downstream of the nitrogen separator, said drying means including a discharge that is configured to dispense of water to an outside of the aerospace vehicle.
2 more elements
An aircraft, comprising:
- a rocket motor having at least one cryogenic propellant fluid;
- and
- wherein said aircraft is an aerospace vehicle that comprises a device that is configured for in-flight conditioning of cryogenic circuits equipment of the aircraft by distributing cryogenic fluids from at least one tank to an engine of said aircraft, the device comprising an intake that is configured to bleed air from a compressor of a turbine engine of the aircraft an on board inert gas generator system (OBIGGS) type nitrogen separator;
- a circuit of nitrogen distribution pipework that is equipped with orifices that are disposed along said pipework and calibrated to keep the cryogenic circuits equipment at an overpressure with respect to surroundings thereof, said orifices being located around the cryogenic equipment, said circuit of nitrogen distribution pipework carrying nitrogen at said calibrated orifices, said calibrated orifices effecting local nitrogen gas sweep of the cryogenic circuits equipment with nitrogen;
- and a discharge that is configured to dispense of water to an outside of the aerospace vehicle aircraft.
2 more elements
A method for conditioning cryogenic circuits equipment of an aerospace vehicle, the method comprising the following steps:
- conditioning the cryogenic circuits equipment of the aerospace vehicle on the ground using an external conditioning circuit connected to the aerospace vehicle;
- and
- performing in-flight conditioning of said cryogenic circuits equipment using a device that is configured for in-flight conditioning of cryogenic circuits equipment of the aerospace vehicle by distributing cryogenic fluids from at least one tank to an engine of said aerospace vehicle, the device comprising an intake that is configured to bleed air from a compressor of a turbine engine of the aerospace vehicle;
- an on board inert gas generator system (OBIGGS) type nitrogen separator;
- a circuit of nitrogen distribution pipework that is equipped with orifices that are disposed along said pipework and calibrated to keep the cryogenic circuits equipment at an overpressure with respect to surroundings thereof, said orifices being located around the cryogenic equipment, said circuit of nitrogen distribution pipework carrying nitrogen at said calibrated orifices, said calibrated orifices effecting local nitrogen gas sweep of the cryogenic circuits equipment with nitrogen;
- and a discharge that is configured to dispense of water to an outside of the aerospace vehicle aircraft.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.