Method and apparatus for improved aircraft environmental control system utilizing parallel heat exchanger arrays

An air cycle environmental control system, comprising:

• a heat exchanger subsystem downstream of a cooling turbine, said subsystem having an air-to-air heat exchanger core and a liquid-to-air heat exchanger core which operate in parallel to an inlet airflow to said heat exchanger subsystem.

A method of conditioning a compressed air and cooling a liquid load, comprising:

• expanding said compressed air in a turbine to produce a turbine discharge air;
• flowing said turbine discharge air in parallel to a plurality of heat exchanger cores, with at least one of said heat exchanger cores being thermally connected to a first load and at least another of said heat exchanger cores being thermally connected to a second load that is thermally independent of said first load.

An air cycle environmental control system with a parallel, multi-core heat exchanger subsystem, comprising:

• two or more heat exchangers in a parallel, multi-path arrangement situated downstream of an air cycle machine cooling turbine and exposed to subfreezing turbine discharge air stream, said heat exchangers comprising one or more air-to-air heat exchangers and/or one or more liquid-to-air heat exchangers.

An air cycle environmental control system with a parallel, multi-core heat exchanger subsystem, comprising:

• a plurality of anti-ice heat exchange elements in a substantially parallel arrangement immersed in a subfreezing cooling air turbine discharge disposed between a cooling turbine outlet and one or more downstream heat exchangers to prevent ice buildup, bridge over and obstruction of the inlet face of the one or more downstream heat exchangers.

An air cycle environmental control system with a parallel, multi-core heat exchanger subsystem, comprising:

• a heated plenum connecting an air cycle machine cooling turbine subfreezing cooling air discharge to said two or more heat exchangers in a parallel, multi-path arrangement situated downstream of an air cycle machine cooling turbine.

In an environmental control system, a heat exchanger subsystem for improved cooling, anti-ice control and energy efficiency, comprising:

• a heat exchanger array having a plurality of heat exchangers that operate in parallel to an inlet cooling airflow to said heat exchanger array and wherein each heat exchanger is thermally connected to a separate load and is thermally isolated from each other;
• and
• a plurality of heat exchanger elements or hot bars that are upstream of and in proximity with, either internal or external to, said heat exchangers, said heat exchanger elements preventing ice accumulation on a coldside inlet of said heat exchangers.