Integrated environmental control system

• Main Authors: DREW; DIANE G, CHRISTIANS; DOUGLAS L, KLINE; ERIN G, ZAGER; MICHAEL, HARRIS; MARK L
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 06.01.1998
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: AIRCRAFT; ARRANGEMENTS OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSIONTRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS; EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLYING SUITS; PARACHUTES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING

An integrated environmental control system is disclosed for providing conditioned supply air to loads such as a passenger cabin of an aircraft. The system comprises at least two shafts, each shaft having a fan, compressor, and turbine mechanically secured to the shaft; common heat transfer components including primary and secondary heat exchangers, a reheater, and a condenser with a water collector; lines that deliver the supply air separately through the compressors and turbines of each shaft and deliver the supply air in common through the common heat transfer components to the load; and shutoff valves secured in fluid communication with each turbine. Upon interruption in the flow of cooled supply air out of a particular turbine secured to any of the shafts, a shutoff valve shuts off transfer of the supply air to that particular turbine on that interrupted shaft and the remaining shafts and their respective fans, compressors, turbines, and the common heat transfer components continue to receive, condition and deliver the supply air to the load in a redundant operating mode. Because the total heat exchange capacity of the integrated, common heat transfer components is large enough to satisfy conditioned air requirements of the load, and in the redundant operating mode the supply air is exposed to that total heat exchange capacity, the system provides enhanced redundant operating mode performance and offers decreased weight, size, and cost over known systems having mechanical components of a comparable size, weight and work capacity.