Oxygen-rich gas breathing systems for passenger carrying aircraft

A method of supplying oxygen-rich gas for breathing by crew and passengers of a passenger carrying aircraft comprising the steps of:

• delivering oxygen-rich gas from first gas storage means pre-charged with oxygen-rich gas to an aircraft flight crew cabin for continuous breathing by a flight crew member flying the aircraft during flight above a predetermined altitude and for breathing by all flight crew members in the event of cabin decompression;
• delivering oxygen-rich gas from second gas storage means pre-charged with oxygen-rich gas to an aircraft passenger cabin for breathing by occupants of the passenger cabin in the event of cabin decompression;
• monitoring the content of oxygen-rich gas in the first and second gas storage means;
• initiating operation of molecular sieve oxygen concentrator means located on-board of the aircraft to produce oxygen-rich gas when the content of oxygen-rich gas in one or both of the first and second gas storage means is sensed to have fallen below a required content value;
• sensing the content of oxygen in oxygen-rich gas delivered by the concentrator means;
• venting to ambient oxygen-rich gas delivered by the concentrator means when the oxygen content of said gas is sensed as being below a required value;
• increasing the pressure of oxygen-rich gas delivered by the concentrator means when the oxygen content of said gas is sensed as being above the required value;
• delivering the oxygen-rich gas at increasing pressure for charging the first and second storage means.

Apparatus for generating oxygen-rich gas for a system supplying oxygen-rich gas for breathing by crew and passengers of a passenger carrying aircraft, comprising a plurality of multi-bed molecular sieve oxygen concentrators each having a supply air inlet end and an oxygen-rich gas outlet end, supply air inlet means adapted for connection to a source of supply air and including pressure regulating means and manifold means connected for distributing supply air to the inlet ends of the concentrators, means for monitoring the content of oxygen in oxygen-rich gas delivered by the concentrators, control means responsive to signals from the oxygen content monitor for controlling cycling of the concentrator beds between on-stream/charge and off-stream/purge phase whereby gas enriched with oxygen to substantially maximum concentration is delivered at the outlet ends of the concentrators, manifold means connected to the outlet ends of the concentrators for receiving oxygen-rich gas delivered by the concentrators, compressor means including inlet means connected to the oxygen-rich gas manifold means for receiving said gas and operable to increase the pressure of said gas for delivery from compressor outlet means, the compressor means comprising a common compressor connected for receiving oxygen-rich gas from each of the concentrators, the compressor further comprising oxygen-rich gas pressurizing piston and cylinder assemblies adapted to be driven by supply air, wherein supply air for driving the piston and cylinder assemblies is delivered to the compressor from the supply air delivery means by way of a duct having the multi-bed concentrators arranged therearound.

Apparatus for generating oxygen-rich gas for a system supplying oxygen-rich gas for breathing by crew and passengers of a passenger carrying aircraft, comprising a plurality of multi-bed molecular sieve oxygen concentrators each having a supply air inlet end and an oxygen-rich gas outlet end, supply air inlet means adapted for connection to a source of supply air and including pressure regulating means and manifold means connected for distributing supply air to the inlet ends of the concentrators, means for monitoring the content of oxygen in oxygen-rich gas delivered by the concentrators, control means responsive to signals from the oxygen content monitor means for controlling cycling of the concentrator beds between on-stream/charge and off-steam/purge phase whereby gas enriched with oxygen to substantially maximum concentration is delivered at the outlet ends of the concentrators, manifold means connected to the outlet ends of the concentrators for receiving oxygen-rich gas delivered by the concentrators, compressor means including inlet means connected to the oxygen-rich gas manifold means for receiving said gas and operable to increase the pressure of said gas for delivery from compressor outlet means, and oxygen content monitor means associated with each concentrator so that the oxygen content of oxygen-rich gas delivered by each concentrator is separately monitored and means are provided for shutting down and isolating an individual concentrator in the event of malfunction.