# US 2024/0200312 A1 · Water supply and distribution system on-board an aircraft and method for operating such system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2024/0200312 A1 - Document ID: US20240200312A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/545,678 - Filed: 2023-12-19 - Published: 2024-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2022-12-20 - Assignees: Airbus Operations GmbH - Applicants: Airbus Operations GmbH - Inventors: Frederik Albers; Hannes Muller; Frank Schneider; Michael Rempe; Tim Lubbert; Axel Schreiner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240200312A1 ## CPC - E03B 7/075: {Arrangement of devices for control of pressure or flow rate} - B64D 11/04: Galleys - B64F 5/40: Maintaining or repairing aircraft - G01M 3/2807: {for pipes (G01M3/2892, G01M3/30 take precedence)} - G05D 16/2066: {using controlling means acting on the pressure source} - B64D 11/02: Toilet fittings - E03B 7/078: {Combined units with different devices; Arrangement of different devices with respect to each other} - E03B: INSTALLATIONS OR METHODS FOR OBTAINING, COLLECTING, OR DISTRIBUTING WATER (drilling wells, obtaining fluids in general from wells E21B; pipe-line systems in general F17D) - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - B64F: GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING OR REPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES ## Abstract A method for operating an on-board water supply and distribution system of an aircraft for supplying water includes a central water tank, central pump, having an upstream side and a downstream side for conveying and pressurizing water from the upstream side to the downstream side, consumer assemblies including a supply device and a buffer tank including a pressurizing device. A high-pressure conduit system connects the downstream side with the consumer assemblies and is configured where the central pump operating can deliver water from the downstream side to the buffer tank of each of the consumer assemblies. The method includes operating the central pump where water is pressurized to a first pressure, monitoring pressure in the high-pressure conduit system for a first period of time, and providing a first failure signal when pressure in the high-pressure conduit system drops below a second pressure within the first period of time. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for operating an on-board water supply and distribution system of an aircraft for supplying water, the system comprising: a central water tank; a central pump, having an upstream side and a downstream side and for conveying and pressurizing water from the upstream side to the downstream side; a plurality of consumer assemblies, each consumer assembly comprising a supply device and a buffer tank; wherein the buffer tank of each of the consumer assemblies comprises a pressurizing device configured for applying a consumer pressure to water kept in the buffer tank, and each consumer assembly configured to supply water from the buffer tank via the supply device; and a high-pressure conduit system; wherein the central water tank is connected to the upstream side, wherein the high-pressure conduit system connects the downstream side with the plurality of consumer assemblies, with the high-pressure conduit system configured such that the central pump, when operating is capable of delivering water from the downstream side to the buffer tank of each of the consumer assemblies, the method comprising: operating the central pump such that water in the high-pressure conduit system is pressurized to a predetermined first pressure; monitoring pressure in the high-pressure conduit system for a predetermined first period of time; and providing a first failure signal when the pressure in the high-pressure conduit system drops below a predetermined second pressure within the first period of time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the consumer assemblies are operated such that for each of the consumer assemblies a connection between the buffer tank of the consumer assembly and the high-pressure conduit system is in a closed position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the consumer assemblies are operated such that for each of the consumer assemblies a connection between the buffer tank of the consumer assembly and the high-pressure conduit system is in an open position; wherein the pressures are monitored in the buffer tanks of each of the consumer assemblies after a second period of time; and wherein a second failure signal is provided, when a difference between the monitored pressures in the buffer tanks of two consumer assemblies exceeds a first pressure difference. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the consumer assemblies are operated such that for each of the consumer assemblies a connection between the buffer tank of the consumer assembly and the high-pressure conduit system is in an open position; wherein the pressures are monitored in the buffer tanks of each of the consumer assemblies and in the high-pressure conduit system after a second period of time; and wherein a second failure signal is provided, when a difference between the monitored pressure in the buffer tank of one of the consumer assemblies and the monitored pressure in the high-pressure conduit system exceeds a first pressure difference. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the consumer assemblies are operated such that for the consumer assemblies connections between the buffer tank and the high-pressure conduit system are subsequently brought in an open position so that at one point in time for only one of the consumer assemblies the connection between the buffer tank of the consumer assembly and the high-pressure conduit system is in an open position, whereas for remaining consumer assemblies the connection between the buffer tank of the consumer assembly and the high-pressure conduit system is in a closed position, wherein for each of the consumer assemblies when the connection between the buffer tank and the high-pressure conduit system is in the open position, the pressure in the high-pressure conduit system is monitored for the predetermined first period of time; and wherein the first failure signal is provided, when for at least one of the consumer assemblies, pressure in the high-pressure conduit system or in the buffer tank of that consumer assembly currently connected to the high-pressure conduit system drops below the predetermined second pressure within the first period of time. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, wherein the first failure signal is provided, when for at least one of the consumer assemblies, the pressure in the high-pressure conduit system and in the buffer tank of that consumer assembly currently connected to the high-pressure conduit system differ by more than a second pressure difference after the first period of time. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises: pressurizing gas or gas in a form of ambient air in the high-pressure conduit system to a predetermined third pressure; monitoring pressure in the high-pressure conduit system for a predetermined third period of time; and providing a third failure signal when the pressure in the high-pressure conduit system drops below a predetermined fourth pressure within the third period of time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, comprising operating the consumer assemblies such that for each of the consumer assemblies the connection between the buffer tank of the consumer assembly and the high-pressure conduit system is in a closed position. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the consumer assemblies are operated such that for each of the consumer assemblies the connection between the buffer tank of the consumer assembly and the high-pressure conduit system is in an open position; wherein pressures are monitored in the buffer tanks of each of the consumer assemblies after a fourth period of time; and wherein a fourth failure signal is provided, when a difference between the monitored pressures in the buffer tanks of two consumer assemblies exceeds a third pressure difference. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the consumer assemblies are operated such that for each of the consumer assemblies the connection between the buffer tank of the consumer assembly and the high-pressure conduit system is in an open position; and wherein pressures are monitored in the buffer tanks of each of the consumer assemblies and in the high-pressure conduit system after a fourth period of time; and wherein a fourth failure signal is provided, when a difference between the monitored pressure in the buffer tank of one of the consumer assemblies and the monitored pressure in the high-pressure conduit system exceeds a fourth pressure difference. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the consumer assemblies are operated such that for the consumer assemblies the connection between the buffer tank and the high-pressure conduit system are subsequently brought in the open position so that at one point in time for only one of the consumer assemblies the connection between the buffer tank of the consumer assembly and the high-pressure conduit system is in an open position, whereas for the remaining consumer assemblies the connection between the buffer tank of the consumer assembly and the high-pressure conduit system is in a closed position; wherein for each of the consumer assemblies when the connection between the buffer tank and the high-pressure conduit system is in the open position, pressure in the high-pressure conduit system is monitored for the predetermined third period of time; and wherein the third failure signal is provided, when for at least one of the consumer assemblies, the pressure in the high-pressure conduit system or in the buffer tank of the at least one consumer assembly drops below the predetermined fourth pressure within the third period of time. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, wherein the third failure signal is provided, when for at least one of the consumer assemblies, pressure in the high-pressure conduit system and in the buffer tank of that consumer assembly currently connected to the high-pressure conduit system differ by more than a fourth pressure difference after the third period of time. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises: operating the central pump such that water is conveyed from the upstream side to the downstream side, into the high-pressure conduit system and into the buffer tank of at least one of the consumer assemblies; operating the at least one consumer assembly such that the connection between the buffer tank of the at least one consumer assembly and the high-pressure conduit system is brought in a closed position, wherein the water in the buffer tank of the at least one consumer assembly is kept at the consumer pressure by the pressurizing device; monitoring pressure in the buffer tank of the at least one consumer assembly while the supply device of the at least one consumer assembly is kept in a closed position; and providing a fifth failure signal when the pressure in the buffer tank of the at least one consumer assembly drops below a predetermined fifth pressure below the consumer pressure within a fifth period of time. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the pressurizing devices of the consumer assemblies are further configured for increasing a pressure of the water in the buffer tanks to an operating pressure and maintaining pressure of the water at the operating pressure when water is or has been drained from the buffer tank, wherein the method comprises: operating at least one consumer assembly for a predetermined time interval such that the pressurizing device of the at least one consumer assembly increases the pressure in the buffer tank of the at least one consumer assembly towards the operating pressure, while the supply device of the at least one consumer assembly is in the closed position, and that the connection between the buffer tank of the at least one consumer assembly and the high-pressure conduit system is in the closed position; monitoring pressure in the buffer tank of the at least one consumer assembly after expiry of the time interval; and providing a sixth failure signal when the pressure in buffer tank of the at least one consumer assembly is below the operating pressure after expiry of a sixth period of time by more than a predetermined value. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises: operating the central pump such that water is conveyed from the upstream side to the downstream side, into the high-pressure conduit system and into the buffer tank of at least one of the consumer assemblies; monitoring whether a level in the buffer tank of the at least one consumer assembly exceeds a predetermined first filling level; stopping operation of the central pump or closing the connection between the at least one consumer assembly and the high-pressure conduit system, when the level in the buffer tank of the at least one consumer assembly has exceeded the predetermined first filling level; monitoring whether the level in the buffer tank of the at least one of the consumer assembly falls below a predetermined second filling level; and providing a seventh failure signal when the level in the buffer tank of the at least one the consumer assembly has fallen below the predetermined second filling level within a predetermined seventh period of time. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) An on-board water supply and distribution system of an aircraft configured to perform the method of claim 1.