US-20260125155-A1 - AIR SYSTEM FOR CABIN PRESSURIZATION

US20260125155A1US 20260125155 A1US20260125155 A1US 20260125155A1US-20260125155-A1

Abstract

In some examples, a system includes a compressor configured to provide a compressed air flow to pressurize a compartment of a vehicle, such as an aircraft. The compressor is configured to provide the compressed air flow using an electrical power provided by an electrical distribution system of the vehicle or a mechanical power provided by a turbine assembly of the vehicle. The system is configured to cause the compressor to transition from using the electrical power to using the mechanical power when the electrical power is below a threshold.

Inventors

Vinayak M. Nyamagoudar
Prashant Deshpande

Assignees

HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20250102
Priority Date: 20241105

Claims (20)

1 . A system comprising: a turbine assembly configured to couple to a vehicle body of a vehicle, the turbine assembly including a turbine configured to produce a mechanical power when the turbine receives a ram air flow; a compressor configured to receive an inlet air flow, wherein the compressor is configured to compress the inlet air flow using a compressor power to provide a compressed air flow, wherein the compressor power includes at least one of an electrical power provided by an electrical distribution system of the vehicle or the mechanical power produced by the turbine; and a clutching mechanism having an engaged configuration and a disengaged configuration, wherein the clutching mechanism is configured to limit a delivery of the mechanical power from the turbine assembly to the compressor in the disengaged configuration and increase the delivery of the mechanical power from the turbine assembly to the compressor in the engaged configuration, and wherein the clutching mechanism is configured to transition from the disengaged configuration to the engaged configuration when the electrical power provided by the electrical distribution system decreases below a threshold.
2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a control system configured to monitor the electrical power received by the compressor and cause, in response to the electrical power provided by the electrical distribution system decreasing below the threshold, the clutching mechanism to transition from the disengaged configuration to the engaged configuration.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the turbine assembly is configured to establish a deployed configuration and a stowed configuration, wherein the turbine is configured to receive the ram air flow when the turbine assembly is in the deployed configuration, and wherein the turbine assembly is configured to limit a receipt of the ram air flow by the turbine in the stowed configuration.
4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the turbine assembly is configured to transition from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration when the electrical power provided by the electrical distribution system decreases below the threshold.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the turbine assembly includes a support member coupled to the turbine, wherein: the support member is configured to position in a first position relative to the vehicle body and configured to position in a second position relative to the vehicle body, the support member is configured to place the turbine assembly in the stowed configuration when the support member is in the second position and configured to place the turbine assembly in the deployed configuration when the support member is in the first position, and the support member is configured to transition from the second position to the first position when the electrical power provided by the electrical distribution system decreases below the threshold.
6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a heat exchanger, wherein the compressor is configured to compress a first portion of the inlet air flow to provide the compressed flow and provide a second portion of the inlet air flow to the heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to receive the compressed flow from the compressor and cause a heat transfer from the compressed flow to the second portion to produce a cooled compressed flow, and wherein the heat exchanger is configured to provide the cooled compressed flow to a compartment of the vehicle.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the compressor includes a motor configured to receive the electrical power from the electrical distribution system, wherein the motor is configured to impart at least one of a torque or an axial force to a compressing element of the compressor when the motor receives the electrical power provided by the electrical distribution system, and wherein the compressor is configured to compress the inlet air flow using the compressing element when the motor imparts the at least one of the torque or the axial force.
8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the motor is configured to impart the at least one of the torque or the axial force to the compressing element using a first compressor shaft of the compressor, and wherein compressor is configured to receive the mechanical power using a second compressor shaft of the compressor, wherein the first compressor shaft and the second compressor shaft are configured to cause the compressing element to compress the inlet air flow.
9 . The system of any of claim 1 , wherein the clutching mechanism is configured to deliver the mechanical power to a compressing element of the compressor when the clutching mechanism is in the engaged configuration, and wherein the compressing element is configured to compress the inlet air flow using the mechanical power.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the turbine is a ram air turbine including a plurality of blades coupled to a shaft, wherein the turbine is configured to cause the ram air to impact the plurality of blades when the turbine receives the ram air, and wherein the plurality of blades are configured to cause rotation of the shaft when the ram air impacts the plurality of blades.
11 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a gear assembly, wherein the gear assembly is configured to receive the mechanical power from the turbine assembly as an input rotational power acting around a first axis, wherein the gear assembly is configured to transfer the mechanical power to the clutching mechanism as an output rotational power acting around a second axis, and wherein the second axis is angularly displaced from the first axis.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the gear assembly includes a bevel gear assembly configured to receive at least a portion of the input rotational power around the first axis and provide at least a portion of the output rotational power around the second axis.
13 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising the vehicle body, wherein the vehicle body supports at least the turbine assembly, the compressor, and the clutching mechanism.
14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the compressor is configured to provide the compressed air flow to a compartment supported by the vehicle.
15 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a control system configured to monitor a pressure in a compartment supported by the vehicle; and an outflow valve configured to issue a discharge air flow comprising the compressed air flow from the compartment to an external environment surrounding the vehicle body, wherein the control system is configured to control a position of the outflow valve based on the pressure in the compartment.
16 . A system comprising: a turbine assembly including a turbine, the turbine assembly configured to establish a deployed configuration relative to an aircraft body of an aircraft and establish a stowed configuration relative to the aircraft body, wherein the turbine is configured to receive a ram air flow and produce a mechanical power using the ram air flow when the turbine assembly is in the deployed configuration, and wherein the turbine assembly is configured to limit a receipt of the ram air flow by the turbine when the turbine assembly is in the stowed configuration; a compressor configured to receive an air flow, wherein the compressor is configured to compress the air flow to provide a compressed air flow using a compressor power, wherein the compressor is configured to produce the compressor power using at least one of an electrical power provided by an electrical distribution system of the aircraft or the mechanical power produced by the turbine; and a clutching mechanism having an engaged configuration and a disengaged configuration, wherein the clutching mechanism is configured to limit a delivery of the mechanical power from the turbine to the compressor in the disengaged configuration and increase the delivery of the mechanical power from the turbine to the compressor in the engaged configuration, wherein the clutching mechanism is configured to transition from the disengaged configuration to the engaged configuration when the electrical power provided by the electrical distribution system decreases below a threshold, wherein the turbine assembly is configured to transition from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration when the electrical power provided by the electrical distribution system decreases below the threshold, and wherein the system is configured to provide the compressed air flow to a compartment supported by the aircraft.
17 . The system of claim 16 , further comprising a heat exchanger, wherein the compressor is configured to compress a first portion of the air flow to provide the compressed flow and provide a second portion of the air flow to the heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger is configured to receive the compressed flow from the compressor and cause a heat transfer from the compressed flow to the second portion to produce a cooled compressed flow, and wherein the heat exchanger is configured to provide the cooled compressed flow to the compartment.
18 . The system of claim 16 , further comprising: a control system configured to monitor a pressure in the compartment; and an outflow valve configured to issue a discharge air flow comprising the compressed air flow from the compartment to an external environment surrounding the aircraft body, wherein the control system is configured to control a position of the outflow valve based on the pressure in the compartment.
19 . A method, comprising: compressing, by a compressor using electrical power from an electrical distribution system of an aircraft, an inlet air flow, wherein the compressor is configured to compress the inlet air flow using at least one of the electrical power or a mechanical power produced by a turbine assembly; and causing, when the electrical power decreases below a threshold, and by transitioning a clutching mechanism from a disengaged configuration to an engaged configuration, the compressor to compress the inlet air flow using the mechanical power, wherein the clutching mechanism is configured to limit a delivery of the mechanical power from the turbine assembly to the compressor in the disengaged configuration and increase the delivery of the mechanical power from the turbine assembly to the compressor in the engaged configuration.
20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising causing, using the system, the turbine assembly to transition from a stowed configuration to a deployed configuration when the electrical power provided by the electrical distribution system decreases below the threshold, wherein a turbine is configured to receive a ram air flow and produce the mechanical power using the ram air flow when the turbine assembly is in the deployed configuration, and wherein the turbine assembly is configured to limit a receipt of the ram air flow by the turbine when the turbine assembly is in the stowed configuration.

Description

This application claims the benefit of Indian Provisional Patent Application No. 202411084641, filed Nov. 5, 2024, and entitled “AIR SYSTEM FOR CABIN PRESSURIZATION,” the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to air supply systems, such as pressurized air supply systems on-board an aircraft. BACKGROUND Vehicles, such as aircraft, may include a pressurized air supply system to supply a vehicle with air and provide climate control (e.g., temperature and pressure) within one or more compartments of the vehicle. In the case of an aircraft, the pressurized air supply system may receive an air flow and condition the air flow prior to providing the air flow to the compartment. In examples, the pressurized air system cools the air flow and provides for recirculation among the compartments of the vehicle. In some examples, the pressurized air system may provide pressurization to the aircraft interior for the comfort and/or safety of passengers and crew. SUMMARY In examples, a system comprises a turbine assembly configured to couple to a vehicle body of a vehicle, the turbine assembly including a turbine configured to produce a mechanical power when the turbine receives a ram air flow; a compressor configured to receive an inlet air flow, wherein the compressor is configured to compress the inlet air flow using a compressor power to provide a compressed air flow, wherein the compressor power includes at least one of an electrical power provided by an electrical distribution system of the vehicle or the mechanical power produced by the turbine; and a clutching mechanism having an engaged configuration and a disengaged configuration, wherein the clutching mechanism is configured to limit a delivery of the mechanical power from the turbine assembly to the compressor in the disengaged configuration and increase the delivery of the mechanical power from the turbine assembly to the compressor in the engaged configuration, and wherein the clutching mechanism is configured to transition from the disengaged configuration to the engaged configuration when the electrical power provided by the electrical distribution system decreases below a threshold In examples, a system comprises a turbine assembly including a turbine, the turbine assembly configured to establish a deployed configuration relative to an aircraft body of an aircraft and establish a stowed configuration relative to the aircraft body, wherein the turbine is configured to receive a ram air flow and produce a mechanical power using the ram air flow when the turbine assembly is in the deployed configuration, and wherein the turbine assembly is configured to limit a receipt of the ram air flow by the turbine when the turbine assembly is in the stowed configuration; a compressor configured to receive an air flow, wherein the compressor is configured to compress the air flow to provide a compressed air flow using a compressor power, wherein the compressor is configured to produce the compressor power using at least one of an electrical power provided by an electrical distribution system of the aircraft or the mechanical power produced by the turbine; and a clutching mechanism having an engaged configuration and a disengaged configuration, wherein the clutching mechanism is configured to limit a delivery of the mechanical power from the turbine to the compressor in the disengaged configuration and increase the delivery of the mechanical power from the turbine to the compressor in the engaged configuration, wherein the clutching mechanism is configured to transition from the disengaged configuration to the engaged configuration when the electrical power provided by the electrical distribution system decreases below a threshold, wherein the turbine assembly is configured to transition from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration when the electrical power provided by the electrical distribution system decreases below the threshold, and wherein the system is configured to provide the compressed air flow to a compartment supported by the aircraft. In an example, a technique comprises compressing, by a compressor using electrical power from an electrical distribution system of an aircraft, an inlet air flow, wherein the compressor is configured to compress the inlet air flow using at least one of the electrical power or a mechanical power produced by a turbine assembly; and causing, when the electrical power decreases below a threshold, and by transitioning a clutching mechanism from a disengaged configuration to an engaged configuration, the compressor to compress the inlet air flow using the mechanical power, wherein the clutching mechanism is configured to limit a delivery of the mechanical power from the turbine assembly to the compressor in the disengaged configuration and increase the delivery of the mechanical power from the turbine assembly to the compressor in the engaged configurat