Environment control system for aircraft having interior condensation problem reduction, cabin air quality improvement, fire suppression and fire venting functions

An environment control system installed in the body of an aircraft, the aircraft having a body shell enclosing an inner space, a liner disposed within the inner space and defining an envelope space between the liner and the body shell, and an interior space on the other side of the liner, the interior space including at least one floor defining a cabin space above said floor, the environment control system comprising flow barrier means, including a flow blocker, disposed in said envelope space at a level different than the level of the or each cabin space floor and defining an upper enbelope space above said flow blocker and a lower envelope space below said flow blocker, wherein said flow barrier means is arranged to substantially prevent air which resides in the upper and lower envelope spaces from flowing between said upper envelope space and said lower envelope space through the space between said body shell and said liner, thereby to reduce stack pressure across said liner.

An environment control system installed in the body of an aircraft having a body shell enclosing an inner space, a linear disposed within the inner space and defining an envelope space between the linear body shell, and an interior space on the other side of the linear,

• an air supply for providing a flow of dry ventilation air into the inner pace of the body,
• air feeding means for feeding a flow of air from the air supply into the envelope space, and wherein the linear has a leaskage area such that the flow of air into the envelope space required to develope a pressure in the envelope space of at least 0.5Pa above the pressure in the interior space is less than 10cfm per occupant seat.

An environment control system installed in the body of an aircraft, the aircraft having a body shell enclosing an inner space, a linear disposed within the inner space and defining an envelope space between the liner and body shell and an interior space on the other side of the liner, and insulation disposed within said envelope space, the control system comprising an air supply for providing a supply of air from an engine of said aircraft to the inner space of the body, an envelope air distribution system for directing air into the envelope space, said distribution system comprising at least one envelope supply duct for feeding air along said aircraft body and at least one ventilation air branch line disposed within said envelope space for feeding ventilation air from said supply duct into said envelope space between said linear and said insulation, a first air conditioner for controlling the temperature of the air from said engine and for supplying said air to said distribution system, a second air conditioner for receiving air supplied from an engine of said aircraft and for conditioning the temperature of said air, and air feeding means for feeding the air from said second air conditioner into said interior space.

An environment control system installed in the body of an aircraft, the aircraft having a body shell enclosing an inner space, a liner disposed within the inner space and defining an envelope space between the liner and the body shell, and an interior space on the other side of the liner, the control system comprising:

• an envelope exhaust controller arranged for receiving gas directly from said envelope space and expelling said gas from said aircraft, and control means for controlling the pressure of gas in said inner space to maintain the pressure of said envelope space below that of said interior space.

The method of controlling the environment within an aircraft body, the body having a body shell enclosing an inner space, a liner disposed within the inner space and defining an envelope space between the liner and the body shell, and an interior space on the other side of the liner, an envelope exhaust duct for drawing gas directly from the envelope space and exhausting said gas from said aircraft, the method comprising the steps of:

• drawing gas directly from said envelope space through said duct and exhausting the gas drawn through said duct directly from said aircraft, and controlling the pressure of gas in the liner space such that the pressure in the envelope space is below that of the interior space.