Method for pneumatically draining a water supply system

A water supply system onboard an aircraft for supplying water, the water supply system comprising:

• a plurality of consumers;
• a conduit system that comprises supply lines;
• a central water tank that is connected to the plurality of consumers and configured to provide water to the plurality of consumers;
• a supply pump that is configured to supply the water from the central water tank, through the supply lines of the conduit system, to each consumer of the plurality of consumers;
• one or more buffers;
• one or more consumer lines;
• and
• a control;
• wherein each consumer of the plurality of consumers is associated with a supply valve for drawing water from the conduit system;
• wherein each consumer line of the one or more consumer lines is associated with and connected:
• downstream from a corresponding buffer of the one or more buffers;
• and
• between the corresponding buffer and one or more consumer of the plurality of consumers
• wherein each of the one or more buffers is associated with and downstream from, so as to be supplied with water from, a corresponding supply valve of the supply valves, the water being supplied to each of the one or more buffers from the central water tank via the supply pump and the conduit system;
• wherein each of the one or more buffers is configured to supply the water contained therein to one or more consumers of the plurality or consumers that is downstream of the corresponding supply valve;
• wherein the conduit system extends between the supply pump and the supply valves associated with the plurality of consumers;
• wherein the supply lines are flexible and have a maximum internal diameter of 8 mm or less;
• and
• wherein the control is configured for:
• automatically closing the supply valves of all consumers;
• subjecting the supply lines of the conduit system at the supply pump to a draining pressure by a pressure source;
• and
• while the supply lines of the conduit system are subjected to the draining pressure, automatically and sequentially opening the supply valves of all of the consumers, such that, due to the draining pressure to which the supply lines are subjected, water is removed from the supply lines of the conduit system.

A method for draining a water supply system onboard an aircraft, wherein the water supply system comprises:

• a plurality of consumers;
• a conduit system that comprises supply lines;
• a central water tank that supplies water to the plurality of consumers;
• and
• a supply pump that supplies the water from the central water tank, through the supply lines of the conduit system, to each consumer of the plurality of consumers;
• wherein each consumer of the plurality of consumers is associated with a supply valve for drawing water from the conduit system;
• wherein the conduit system extends between the supply pump and the supply valves associated with the plurality of consumers;
• and
• the method comprising:
• closing the supply valves associated with the plurality of consumers;
• subjecting the supply lines of the conduit system at the supply pump to a draining pressure;
• while the supply lines of the conduit system are subjected to the draining pressure, sequentially opening the supply valves associated with the plurality of consumers, such that, due to the draining pressure to which the supply lines are subjected, water is removed from the supply lines of the conduit system;
• wherein the supply valves are sequentially opened in a predetermined sequence for draining the water from the supply lines;
• and
• wherein the predetermined sequence is determined by ordering the supply valves according to a supply length of the supply lines extending between the respective supply valve and the supply pump.