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US 12,759,860 B2Granted
Pre-warmed potable water system and method for aircraft galley appliance water heater
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsAndrew L. Pucker, Thomas Joseph Moran, Sami Movsesian
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for establishing a warmed potable water flow from an aircraft potable water supply with an ambient temperature absorbs and scavenges waste heat at a heat exchanger to pre-warm a potable water flow delivered to an aircraft galley appliance water heater, and to increase appliance water heating efficiency and to conserve electrical power for aircraft galley appliance water heater operation are disclosed.
Claims20
An onboard aircraft system for pre-warming a potable water flow to an aircraft galley water heating appliance, the onboard aircraft system comprising:
- a potable water pathway comprising:
- a potable water supply comprising a volume of potable water in a potable water supply vessel, said potable water supply comprising a potable water supply initial temperature;
- a potable water flow line in communication with the potable water supply;
- a chilled air circuit, said chilled air circuit comprising an air chiller unit, said air chiller unit comprising an air chiller condenser, said air chiller condenser comprising an air chiller condenser air intake;
- a heat exchanger positioned proximate to the air chiller condenser intake, said heat exchanger in communication with the potable water flow line, said heat exchanger further in communication with the chilled air circuit, said heat exchanger comprising:
- a heat exchanger potable water flow intake and a heat exchanger warmed potable water flow outlet;
- a heat exchanger ambient air inlet and a heat exchanger cooled air outlet, said heat exchanger cooled air outlet positioned to deliver a cooled air flow from the heat exchanger to the air chiller condenser ambient air intake, said heat exchanger further configured to form a pre-warmed potable water flow;
- a pre-warmed potable water flow line in direct communication with the heat exchanger potable water flow outlet;
- an aircraft galley appliance comprising an aircraft galley appliance water heater, said aircraft galley appliance water heater in communication with the pre-warmed potable water flow line, said aircraft galley appliance water heater configured to further heat the pre-warmed potable water flow delivered to the aircraft galley appliance water heater via the pre-warmed potable water flow line;
- and
- a pre-warmed potable water storage vessel in communication with the pre-warmed potable water flow line, said pre-warmed potable water storage vessel further in communication with the aircraft galley appliance water heater.
8 more elements
A method for decreasing electrical energy demand in an operating aircraft galley appliance water heater, the method comprising:
- providing the onboard aircraft system comprising:
- a potable water pathway comprising:
- a potable water supply comprising a volume of potable water in a potable water supply vessel, said potable water supply comprising a potable water supply initial temperature;
- a potable water flow line in communication with the potable water supply;
- a chilled air circuit, said chilled air circuit comprising an air chiller unit, said air chiller unit comprising an air chiller condenser, said air chiller condenser comprising an air chiller condenser air intake;
- a heat exchanger positioned proximate to the air chiller condenser intake, said heat exchanger in communication with the potable water flow line, said heat exchanger further in communication with the chilled air circuit, said heat exchanger comprising:
- a heat exchanger potable water flow intake and a heat exchanger warmed potable water flow outlet;
- a heat exchanger ambient air inlet and a heat exchanger cooled air outlet, said heat exchanger cooled air outlet positioned to deliver a cooled air flow from the heat exchanger to the air chiller condenser ambient air intake, said heat exchanger further configured to form a pre-warmed potable water flow;
- a pre-warmed potable water flow line in direct communication with the heat exchanger potable water flow outlet;
- an aircraft galley appliance comprising an aircraft galley appliance water heater, said aircraft galley appliance water heater in communication with the pre-warmed potable water flow line, said aircraft galley appliance water heater configured to further heat the pre-warmed potable water flow delivered to the aircraft galley appliance water heater via the pre-warmed potable water flow line;
- and
- a pre-warmed potable water storage vessel in communication with the pre-warmed potable water flow line, said pre-warmed potable water storage vessel further in communication with the aircraft galley appliance water heater;
- directing a potable water flow from the potable water supply into the potable water pathway, said potable water flow having an initial potable water flow temperature ranging from about 35° F. to about 77° F.;
- directing the potable water flow into the heat exchanger potable water flow intake of the heat exchanger, said heat exchanger positioned proximate to the air chiller condenser in the chilled air circuit, said heat exchanger further comprising a heat exchanger warmer air inlet and a heat exchanger cooler air outlet, said heat exchanger further comprising a heat exchanger potable water flow inlet and a heat exchanger pre-warmed potable water flow outlet;
- directing an ambient airflow into the heat exchanger warmer air inlet, said ambient airflow having a temperature greater than the initial potable water flow temperature;
- directing a cooler airflow from the heat exchanger cooler air outlet to the air chiller condenser intake, said cooler airflow having a temperature lower than the ambient airflow;
- forming the pre-warmed potable water flow at the heat exchanger, said pre-warmed potable water flow comprising a pre-warmed potable water flow temperature higher than the initial potable water flow temperature;
- and
- directing the pre-warmed potable water flow from the heat exchanger pre-warmed potable water flow outlet to the aircraft galley appliance water heater via the pre-warmed potable water flow line.
16 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.