Buffer for storing liquid at a consumer pressure
AssigneeAirbus Operations GmbH
InventorHannes Muller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A buffer for storing liquid at a consumer pressure includes a storage volume for holding a liquid and a gas. The storage volume may be separated by a partition element into a liquid compartment for holding the liquid and a gas compartment for holding the gas. A pressurizer is configured for increasing the pressure of gas in the storage volume to an operating pressure when liquid is or has been drained from the storage volume. A ventilator reduces the pressure of gas in the storage volume back to the operating pressure when the storage volume is filled with liquid. A water supply system for an aircraft including the buffer and an aircraft including such a water supply system are disclosed.
Claims10
A buffer for storing liquid at a predetermined consumer pressure exceeding an environmental pressure comprising:
- a storage volume for holding the liquid and a gas;
- a pressure sensor in communication with the storage volume;
- one or more level sensor in communication with the storage volume;
- a fill valve configured for controlling a supply of liquid to the liquid compartment;
- a pressurizer configured for increasing a pressure of the gas in the storage volume to a predetermined operating pressure that is correlated to the liquid being at the consumer pressure or maintaining the pressure of the gas in the storage volume at the operating pressure when liquid is or has been drained from the storage volume so that the pressure of liquid in the storage volume is increased to the consumer pressure;
- a ventilator configured for reducing the pressure of the gas in the storage volume back to the operating pressure or maintaining the pressure of the gas in the storage volume at the operating pressure when the storage volume is filled with liquid so that the pressure of the liquid in the storage volume is reduced to the consumer pressure;
- and
- a controller communicatively connected to the pressure sensor and the pressurizer;
- wherein the controller is configured for operating the pressurizer to increase the pressure of the gas in the storage volume to the operating pressure when a pressure measured by the pressure sensor is below the operating pressure;
- wherein the controller is configured for operating the fill valve to fill the storage volume with liquid when a liquid level measured by the one or more level sensor is below a minimum fill level;
- and
- wherein the storage volume is tightly separated by a partition element into a liquid compartment for holding the liquid and a gas compartment for holding the gas, wherein the partition element is configured such that a volume of the liquid compartment can be increased by reducing a volume of the gas compartment and vice versa.
A buffer for storing liquid at a consumer pressure exceeding an environmental pressure comprising:
- a storage volume for holding the liquid and a gas;
- a pressurizer configured for increasing a pressure of the gas in the storage volume to an operating pressure or maintaining the pressure of the gas in the storage volume at the operating pressure when liquid is or has been drained from the storage volume so that the pressure of liquid in the storage volume is increased to the consumer pressure;
- and
- a ventilator configured for reducing the pressure of the gas in the storage volume back to the operating pressure or maintaining the pressure of the gas in the storage volume at the operating pressure when the storage volume is filled with liquid so that the pressure of the liquid in the storage volume is reduced to the consumer pressure;
- wherein the buffer is configured such that a rate at which liquid can be drained from the liquid compartment of the buffer exceeds a maximum gas supply rate at which gas can be supplied to the gas compartment using the pressurizer such that when liquid is drained from the liquid compartment at a rate exceeding the maximum gas supply rate, the pressure of gas in the gas compartment drops below the operating pressure and can only be increased back to the operating pressure using the pressurizer when no more liquid is drained from the liquid compartment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.