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US 4,966,005 AGranted
Advanced hybrid air/vapor cycle ECS
AssigneeAllied-Signal Inc.
InventorsWiley M. Cowell, Quentin C. Malmberg, Jon M. Edgar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An advanced hybrid air and vapor cycle environmental control system (ECS) to provide conditioned, pressurized air to an aircraft as well as liquid cooling for the avionics of the aircraft.
Claims20
An environmental control system for an aircraft to provide a flow of conditioned air and to provide heat dissipation for systems aboard the aircraft, comprising:
- air cycle system means for receiving a flow of high pressure, high temperature, engine bleed air from the engines of said aircraft, and for utilizing the pressure energy of said bleed air to efficiently condition said bleed air to a lower temperature and pressure, said air cycle system means receiving an amount of bleed air minimally sufficient to maintain pressurization of said aircraft;
- liquid cycle system means, having a coolant liquid circulating within a closed loop, for cooling the air within said air cycle system means in heat exchange relationship therewith, and for directly cooling heat generating systems aboard said aircraft;
- vapor cycle system means, having a refrigerant contained within a closed loop, for augmenting the conditioning of said air within said air cycle means, and for cooling the coolant liquid within said liquid cycle system means;
- and
- control means for monitoring the cooling requirements of said aircraft and for controlling the temperature and flow of air within said air cycle system means, coolant within said liquid cycle system means, and refrigerant within said vapor cycle system means, to provide the required cooling and pressurization with minimum power consumption.
2 more elements
A method of providing environmental control within an aircraft including a flow of conditioned air and heat dissipation for systems aboard the aircraft, comprising:
- bleeding a flow of pressurized air from a jet engine of said aircraft;
- utilizing the pressure energy of said bleed air to efficiently condition said bleed air to a lower temperature and pressure within a bootstrap air cycle system, said air cycle system receiving an amount of bleed air minimally sufficient to maintain pressurization of said aircraft;
- cooling the air within said air cycle system in heat exchange relationship with a coolant liquid within a closed loop liquid cycle system;
- circulating said coolant liquid to heat generating avionic systems aboard said aircraft to directly cool said avionic systems;
- providing a vapor cycle system means, having a refrigerant contained within a closed loop, to further cool the conditioned air within said air cycle system, and to cool the coolant liquid within said liquid cycle system in heat transfer relationship with said refrigerant;
- and
- monitoring the cooling requirements of said aircraft and controlling the flows of air within said air cycle system, coolant within said liquid cycle system, and refrigerant within said vapor cycle system, to provide the required cooling and pressurization with minimum power consumption.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.