Inerting system
AssigneeAirbus Operations GmbH
InventorHenry EDWARDS
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An inerting system, for instance an aircraft enclosure inerting system, is configured to separate an inlet air flow into nitrogen enriched air (NEA) and oxygen enriched air (OEA). The inerting system has a vortex tube with a vortex chamber in which the inlet air flow is separated into the NEA and the OEA. The inlet air flow enters the vortex chamber through an inlet passage which intersects the vortex chamber at a chamber inlet aperture. A warming device of the inerting system warms the inlet passage or the inlet air flow before the inlet air flow gets to the chamber inlet aperture.
Claims20
An inerting system configured to separate an inlet air flow into nitrogen enriched air (NEA) and oxygen enriched air (OEA), the inerting system having a vortex tube comprising:
- a vortex chamber configured to centrifugally separate the inlet air flow into the NEA and the OEA;
- and
- a swirl generator having an inlet passage configured to allow the inlet air flow to enter the vortex chamber, the inlet passage and vortex chamber intersecting at a chamber inlet aperture, and
- a warming device configured to warm at least part of the inlet passage, or at least part of the inlet air flow upstream of the chamber inlet aperture.
A method of supplying nitrogen enriched air (NEA) to an enclosure, the method comprising:
- providing an inlet air flow to a vortex tube;
- centrifugally separating the inlet air flow into the NEA and oxygen enriched air (OEA) in a vortex chamber of the vortex tube;
- and
- supplying the NEA from the vortex tube to the enclosure,
- wherein the method comprises warming at least part of an inlet passage through which the inlet air flow enters the vortex chamber, or warming at least part of the inlet air flow before the inlet air flow enters the vortex chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.