Environmental control system condensing cycle
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorJohn L. Warner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an air cycle environmental control system, a condenser (46) removes water vapor from compressed, ambient, supply air (9) before it is expanded in a first turbine (24). The chilled outlet air (49) from the first turbine (24) is then used as coolant in the condenser (46), absorbing there the heat of vaporization of the condensed water vapor. After passing through the condenser (46), the warmed coolant is then expanded in a second turbine (26). Should the pressure of the supply air fall below predetermined levels, portions of the cycle that degrade performance or become unnecessary are bypassed.
Claims18
A method for conditioning water-vapor bearing compressed air for supply as conditioned air to an enclosure, comprising the steps of:
- condensing and removing water vapor from said water-vapor bearing compressed air thereby dehumidifying said air;
- expanding said dehumidified air in said condensing step in a first turbine;
- passing said dehumidified air expanded in said first turbine in heat exchange relationship with said water-vapor bearing compressed air as coolant in said condensing step;
- expanding said dehumidified air warmed in said condensing step in a second turbine;
- and
- supplying said conditioned air expanded in said second turbine to the enclosure.
An air cycle environmental control system for conditioning water-vapor bearing compressed air for supply to an enclosure as conditioned air, comprising:
- a condensing heat exchanger having a condensing flowpath and coolant flowpath arranged in heat exchange relationship;
- a first turbine operable to expand the compressed air being conditioned so as to cool the compressed air being conditioned to a first temperature;
- a second turbine operable to further expand the compressed air previously expanded in said first turbine so as to cool the compressed air being conditioned to a second temperature;
- means for delivering the water-vapor bearing compressed air to be conditioned to the condensing flowpath of said condensing heat exchanger wherein the water-vapor bearing compressed air passes through the condensing flowpath in heat exchange relationship with a cooling fluid passing through the coolant flowpath of said condensing heat exchanger whereby the compressed air is sufficiently cooled to dehumidify the compressed air by condensing at least a portion of the water-vapor therefrom;
- a first duct in flow communication between said first turbine and the condensing flowpath of said condensing heat exchanger for conveying the dehumidified compressed air to said first turbine to be expanded therein;
- a second duct in flow communication between said first turbine and the coolant flowpath of said condensing heat exchanger for conveying the compressed air expanded in said first turbine to the coolant flowpath of said condensing heat exchanger as said cooling fluid;
- a third duct in flow communication between said second turbine and the coolant flowpath of said condensing heat exchanger for conveying compressed air passing from the coolant flowpath of said condensing heat exchanger to said second turbine to be further expanded therein;
- and
- a fourth duct in flow communication between said second turbine and the enclosure for delivering the air expanded in said second turbine to the enclosure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.