Air supply for an aircraft
View Patent ↗Nowadays in aircraft on-board inert gas generation systems (OBIGGS) are used to generate inert gases. Cooled bleed air of engines or auxiliary turbines is fed to said OBIGGS systems. According to an embodiment of the present invention, an air supply device for an OBIGGS system in an aircraft is proposed that comprises a bleed position ( 1,2 ). By way of the bleed position ( 1,2 ), air from an air conditioning unit ( 4,5 ) on board the aircraft can be bled and can be fed to the OBIGGS system. There is thus no need for an additional heat exchanger and an additional ram-air channel. Maintenance expenditure and air resistance are thus reduced.
1. An air supply device for a system for generating inert gas in an aircraft, comprising:
a first bleed position;
wherein, by the first bleed position, first air is bleedable from a first air conditioning unit; and
wherein the first bled air is supplyable to the system for generating inert gas;
a second bleed position;
wherein, by the second bleed position, second air is bleedable from the first air conditioning unit;
wherein the first bled air has a first temperature;
wherein the second bled air has a second temperature; and
wherein the second bled air is mixable with the first bled air and, after completion of mixing, is supplyable to the system for generating inert gas;
a third bleed position and a fourth bleed position;
a first valve;
wherein, by the third bleed position, third air is bleedable from a second air conditioning unit;
wherein, by the fourth bleed position, fourth air is bleedable from the second air conditioning unit;
wherein the third bled air has a third temperature;
wherein the fourth bled air has a fourth temperature;
wherein the third bled air is mixable with the fourth bled air and, on completion of mixing, is supplyable to the system for generating inert gas;
wherein the third bled air is brought together with the first bled air prior to mixing by the first valve; and
wherein the fourth bled air is brought together with the second bled air prior to mixing by the first valve.
2. The air supply device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first temperature is higher than a temperature required for the system for generating inert gas;
wherein the second temperature is lower than the temperature required for the system for generating inert gas; and
wherein a first pressure of the first bled air and a second pressure of the second bled air are higher than a pressure required for the system for generating inert gas.
3. The air supply device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first bleed position is arranged at an exit of a compressor of the first air conditioning unit; and
wherein the second bleed position is arranged at an exit of a main heat exchanger of the first air conditioning unit.
4. The air supply device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first temperature sensor;
wherein, by the first valve, a mixing ratio of first bled air to second bled air is controllable or regulable;
wherein, by the first valve, an air supply to the system for generating inert gas can be blocked off;
wherein, by the first temperature sensor a fifth temperature is measurable; and
wherein the fifth temperature is the temperature of the air supplied to the system for generating inert gas.
5. The air supply device according to claim 4 ,
wherein a second temperature sensor is provided; and
wherein, if the first temperature sensor fails, the second temperature sensor takes over the function of the first temperature sensor.
6. The air supply device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second valve;
wherein, by the second valve, the total quantity of first bled air and second bled air is controllable or regulable;
wherein, by the second valve, the air supply to the system for generating inert gas can be blocked off; and
wherein, if the first valve fails, the second valve takes over shutoff of the air supply to an On-Board Inert Gas Generation System of the first valve, and vice-versa.
7. The air supply device according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a first controller and a second controller;
wherein the first controller is of a design that differs from that of the second controller;
wherein the first or the second controller controls or regulates the first valve or the second valve or measures the fifth temperature by the first temperature sensor; and
wherein, if the first controller fails, the second controller takes over the function of the first controller.
8. An aircraft comprising an air supply device for generating inert gas in the aircraft, the air supply device comprising:
a first bleed position;
wherein, by the first bleed position, first air is bleedable from a first air conditioning unit; and
wherein the first bled air is supplyable to the system for generating inert gas;
a second bleed position;
wherein, by the second bleed position, second air is bleedable from the first air conditioning unit;
wherein the first bled air has a first temperature;
wherein the second bled air has a second temperature; and
wherein the second bled air is mixable with the first bled air and, after completion of mixing, is supplyable to the system for generating inert gas;
a third bleed position and a fourth bleed position;
a first valve;
wherein, by the third bleed position, third air is bleedable from a second air conditioning unit;
wherein, by the fourth bleed position, fourth air is bleedable from the second air conditioning unit;
wherein the third bled air has a third temperature;
wherein the fourth bled air has a fourth temperature;
wherein the third bled air is mixable with the fourth bled air and, on completion of mixing, is supplyable to the system for generating inert gas;
wherein the third bled air is brought together with the first bled air prior to mixing by the first valve; and
wherein the fourth bled air is brought together with the second bled air prior to mixing by the first valve.
9. A method for supplying air of a system for generating inert gas in an aircraft, comprising:
bleeding a first air from a first air conditioning unit by a first bleed position;
feeding the first bled air to the system for generating inert gas;
bleeding a second air from the first air conditioning unit by a second bleed position;
mixing the first bled air with the second bled air;
supplying the mixture of first bled air and second bled air to the system for generating inert gas;
wherein the first bled air has a first temperature;
wherein the second bled air has a second temperature;
bleeding a third air and a fourth air from a second air conditioning unit;
wherein the third bled air has a third temperature;
wherein the fourth bled air has a fourth temperature;
wherein the third bled air is mixable with the fourth bled air and, on completion of mixing, is supplyable to the system for generating inert gas;
wherein the third bled air is brought together with the first bled air prior to mixing by a first valve so that the redundancy in the case of failure of an air conditioning unit is ensured; and
wherein the fourth bled air is brought together with the second bled air prior to mixing by the first valve so that the redundancy in the case of failure of an air conditioning unit is ensured.