A high efficiency environmental control system (10)
uses air (16) exhausted from a pressurized cabin (12) to cool
compressed air (14) entering the cabin (12). Air (16) exhausted from
the cabin (12) may flow directly from the cabin (12) through a
heat exchanger (60) which cools the compressed air (14) entering
the cabin (12). Alternatively, air (16) exiting the cabin (12) may
flow through a turbine (66) which expands and cools the air (16)
prior to passing through the heat exchanger (60). The
turbine (66) may be used to drive a compressor (68) to provide the
compressed air (14) to the cabin (12). Supplemental power to
drive the compressor (68) may be provided by a second turbine (70)
driven by bleed air (44) from one or more turbine engines (20), or
by an electric motor. Bleed air (44) may also be mixed with
air from the compressor to provide fresh air to the
cabin (12). To further increase efficiency and meet the
cooling requirements of the cabin (12) on the ground and at
altitude, switch dampers may be employed to selectably
vary the flow path of air supplied to the cabin (12).

High efficiency environmental control systems and methods

The placement of fully available prime movers having a DC output at a location inside or adjacent to an inverter-based intermittently available renewable energy site is disclosed. The fully available prime movers add reliability to an unreliable energy asset that is reaching its maximum penetration within the grid due to its unpredictability and the requirement for additional spinning reserves in other parts of the grid. The present invention can provide a portion or all of the power to an intermittently available renewable power generating facility so that the power output to the power grid is dispatchable power. In particular, a method and means are disclosed to utilize high-efficiency engines operated on various fuels some of which may be non-fossil fuels to maintain a constant power output from an otherwise intermittent power generating facility.

Dispatchable power from a renewable energy facility

An all electric air conditioning system for an aircraft, wherein the aircraft defines an interior volume having conditioned air at a first pressure. A compressor is provided and is operable to compress supply air to a second pressure. The compressor being operated in response to an electrical drive motor. A passage fluidly couples the compressor and the interior volume of the aircraft. A heat dissipating device, such as a heat exchanger, is positioned in the passage to extract heat energy from the supply air. This arrangement permits conditioning of air within the aircraft without using bleed air from the engines. The use of bleed air results in a significant amount of fuel burn. An optional conditioned air recovery system may be coupled to the interior volume of the fuselage to direct at least a portion of the conditioned air from the interior volume back for further conditioning and use.

Electric air conditioning system for an aircraft

The need for engine bleed air in a cabin pressurizing/ventilation ECS system for aircraft is avoided in a construction including a pressurizable aircraft cabin (10) having a cabin air inlet (20) and a cabin air outlet (22). The system includes a ram air inlet (34) and an aircraft exhaust air outlet (42) along with a motor operated vapor compression cabin air cooling system (24) having an inlet (28) and an outlet (26). A turbomachine (40) includes a compressor (32) connected between the ram air inlet (34) and the cooling system inlet (28) along with a combustion turbine (38) and a power recovery turbine (41), both mechanically coupled to the compressor and connected between the aircraft exhaust air outlet (42) and the cabin air outlet (22). A motor/generator (36) is coupled to the compressor (32) and the turbines (38, 41) and is operable to drive the compressor (32) when operating as a motor and to be driven by the combustion turbine (38) when operating as a generator. A combustor (46) is connected to the combustion turbine (38) for selectively providing gasses of combustion to the combustion turbine (38) to drive the same and a heat exchanger includes a first fluid flow path (52) interconnecting the compressor (32) and the cabin (10) and a second fluid flow path (54) interconnecting the cabin (10) and the power recovery turbine (41).

Multiple mode environmental control system for pressurized aircraft cabin

An integrated environmental control system (100) for an aircraft compartment and aircraft power system comprises first and second air compressors (102, 104), an auxiliary power unit (85), and first and second environmental control systems (80, 90). The first and second compressors receive and compress airflow from the aircraft exterior. The auxiliary power unit comprises a first shaft (121) rotatably mounting a power turbine (140), a third air compressor (138) to compress airflow from the aircraft exterior, and a first cooling turbine (124) to cool the airflow. Each environmental control system comprises a first heat exchanger (112), a recycling heat exchanger (108), and a second shaft (111) rotatably mounting a fourth compressor (116) and a second cooling turbine (120) for compressing and cooling the airflow. The first heat exchanger receives airflow from the first, second, and third air compressors and forwards airflow to the aircraft compartment. The recycling heat exchanger receives airflow from the aircraft compartment and recirculates airflow back to the aircraft compartment.

Integrated environmental control and auxiliary power system for an aircraft

An environmental control system has an air cycle machine that includes a compressor (38), a cooling turbine (34), a motor/generator (36), and a power turbine (40) all mounted on a single shaft (32). The power turbine receives bleed air from the aircraft's engine (12) and has a variable geometry inlet nozzle (42) that adjusts the air flow rate therethrough without significant throttling. Downstream of the nozzle the power turbine extracts the expansion energy from the bleed air while cooling it. This is used to drive the other components of the air cycle machine, and in particular the motor/generator which generates electricity.

Integrated power and cooling environmental control system

An environmental control system for an aircraft cabin includes a plurality of electrically-driven ported shroud cabin air compressors, each cabin air compressor compressing ram air received from the aircraft exterior, a heat exchange circuit comprising a primary heat exchanger receiving airflow from at least one of the cabin air compressors, and the secondary heat exchanger supplying airflow to the aircraft cabin, and an air cycle machine comprising a compressor adapted to receive airflow from the primary heat exchanger and supply compressed air to the secondary heat exchanger. The environmental control system may further comprise an air recirculation system, having an aft recirculation fan adapted to receive a portion of recirculation air from the aircraft cabin, and a recirculation heat exchanger, disposed in the heat exchange circuit in series with the primary and secondary heat exchangers, and adapted to receive airflow from the aft recirculation fan.

Katherine J. Clarke

Papers

Integrated power and cooling environmental control system

Low energy electric air cycle with portal shroud cabin air compressor

Integrierte stromversorgung und klimaregelungssystem