Structure of a pneumatic installation in a tail zone of an aircraft

#As stated in the title of the present description, the present invention relates to the structure of the pneumatic installation in the tail zone of an aircraft; which has the object of providing a novel structure that permits reduction in the length of the duct of the pneumatic installation and elimination of the bends presented by said duct in the tail zone of an aircraft, in such a way that the new installation has lower cost, less weight and lower pressure losses in the duct.

#In general, the invention is applicable in any type of passenger aircraft, and more specifically it comes within the development of the new generation of dual-aisle, long-haul aircraft that are equipped with more systems that are in turn more complex, and therefore demand greater energy for functioning.

#Aircraft including a pneumatic installation, which comprises an auxiliary power unit (APU) defined by an auxiliary engine in charge of starting up the main engines of the aircraft, along with supplying electrical and pneumatic energy for the aircraft systems while the main engines are switched off are known. The joint use of the APU with the main engines when an extra input of power is required is also already considered.

#FIG. 1.—Shows a schematic lateral view of an aircraft in which a conventional structure of the air conditioning pneumatic installation has been included.

#FIG. 2.—Shows a plan view of the above figure.

#FIG. 3.—Shows a conventional schematic view of the zone of the duct exiting from the APU.

#Given below is a description of the invention based on the figures commented upon above.

#First of all, and in order to facilitate an understanding of the invention, a conventional structure of the pneumatic installation in the tail zone of an aircraft is described with the aid of FIGS. 1 to 3, in order to complement and facilitate the understanding of the section on prior art of the invention.

#As it was described in the prior art section of the present description, pneumatic facilities in the tail zone of an aircraft consist of an APU 1, the upper part of which has an air outlet to which is connected a duct 2 which initially runs along the upper part of the aircraft, and which has to be located in the lowest part of the aircraft before reaching the pressurized passenger cabin 3. The situation occurs that close to the APU 1 is a strengthening frame 4 for joining the section of the APU and the section of the HTP. The other frames 10 of the HTP are formed with a wider cross section in the upper part 10a than in the lower part 10b, in order to conveniently absorb the loading distribution generated on the vertical tail plane 10.