US 5,577,688 A · Containment systems for insulation, and insulation elements employing such systems

Abstract

Acoustic and thermal insulation for an enclosed space, particularly the passenger cabin of an aircraft, comprises insulating elements lining the interior wall. Each element is enclosed in a bag of thin flexible moisture impervious material and each bag is provided with an aperture at a lowermost point at which moisture condensed from humid air within the bag will pool under gravity. A duct connects each element interior to the exterior of the enclosed space, so that air pressure in the bag can be equalised with that in the space without using air from the enclosed space. Any condensate in the bag can flow to the exterior, and only air from the exterior can enter the bag interior. The elements are formed in appropriate shapes, such as rectangular to fit in the cells formed between the frames and stringers of an aircraft fuselage, or so as to be wrapped around the frames. All of the elements in a column can be connected in series, so that each element in the column comprises part of the flow duct for the element above it. When the enclosed space is subject to a fast reduction in its internal air pressure the resultant air flow out of the bags carries with it any condensed liquid.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A system for the containment of acoustic and thermal insulation elements used for the insulation of the interior of an enclosed space constituted by at least one external wall, a plurality of said elements being disposed one above the other in the form of a column on the inside surface of the external wall or wall of the space;

wherein each of the elements comprises a body of thermally insulating material enclosed in a bag of air and moisture impervious material, each bag having at a lowermost point at which moisture condensed therein will accumulate under gravity an aperture or apertures connecting the bag interior to its exterior;
the system also comprising an air and liquid flow duct connecting each bag aperture, and thereby the bag interior, to the exterior of the enclosed space so that air and condensed liquid at the lowermost point flows therethrough to the enclosed space exterior;
said aperture or apertures and the respective flow duct or ducts comprising the sole means through which air from the enclosed space exterior can enter and leave the bag interior for equalisation of pressure between the bag interior and that of the ambient atmosphere within the enclosed space.

A method of insulating the interior of an enclosed space enclosed by at least one external wall and subject to fluctuations in the ambient air pressure within the enclosed space interior, the interior surface of the external wall having a plurality of insulating elements disposed one above the other in the form of a column, each insulating element comprising a body of thermally insulating material;

the method comprising enclosing each element in a bag of air and moisture impervious sheet material;
providing each bag with an aperture or apertures respectively connecting the bag interior to its exterior at a lowermost point or points in the bag wall, so that moisture that condenses within each bag can accumulate under gravity at this lowermost point or points;
venting each element interior through the respective aperture to an outside space outside the enclosed space interior through an air and liquid flow duct or ducts through which air can only flow between the bag interior and the outside space and cannot enter the enclosed space interior;
whereby a decrease in the ambient pressure outside the enclosed space interior relative to the pressures within the bag interiors and consequent movement of air from the bag interiors for equalisation of these pressures through the flow duct or ducts acts to carry condensed liquid from the bag interiors to the outside space.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Containment systems for insulation, and insulation elements employing such systems

Life of this patent

Containment systems for insulation, and insulation elements employing such systems

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15