Aircraft air chiller with reduced profile

Abstract

An improved aircraft air chiller unit particularly suited for an aircraft galley that requires refrigerated or cooled beverage / meal carts and / or chilled storage compartments. The chiller of the present invention takes the form of a line replaceable unit (“LRU”) and incorporates a liquid-cooled refrigerant vapor compression cycle, arranged in a housing with a vertical orientation. Because of the vertical orientation, ducting on the rear surface of the chiller is omitted, reducing the overall footprint.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 885,388, filed Oct. 1, 2013, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND[0002]It is customary in the airline industry to provide food and beverages on flights to the passengers as well as the crew. Depending upon the duration of the flight, the service can be as little as beverages and a light snack to multiple meals for longer flights. To store, prepare, and serve food and beverage on an aircraft requires that provisions be made to the aircraft to safely maintain the food and drinks in a proper manner. For perishables, that means preserving the food and drinks in an environment that will keep the products fresh and viable. In most cases, this means a refrigeration system that can store and chill food and beverages until they are ready to be served to the passengers.[0003]Large commercial passenger carrying airplanes p...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006]The present invention is an improved aircraft air chiller unit that weighs less than its counterparts and has a reduced overall foot print. This compact system is particularly suited for an aircraft galley that requires refrigerated or cooled beverage / meal carts and / or chilled storage compartments. The present invention is also particularly useful for large single aisle aircraft galleys and point of use (POU) carts. The chiller of the present invention is seated in a cavity created at the side of the galley compartment below the work deck of the aircraft galley. In a preferred embodiment, the chiller takes the form of a line replaceable unit (“LRU”), in other words a component that can be replaced in the field. The chiller incorporates a liquid-cooled refrigerant vapor compression cycle, arranged in a housing with a vertical orientation. A plurality of axial fans along an upper surface draw air into the unit, where it is introduced into a vapor cycle. The axial fans can, in an alternate embodiment, be replaced with scroll type fans. The vapor cycle includes an evaporator, an expansion valve, a liquid cooled condenser, and a compressor in a compact, vertical arrangement. The chilled air re-circulates from the top of the unit to the bottom of the unit, eliminating the need for an air duct at the rear of the chiller. The elimination of the air duct reduces the required depth of the chiller compartment by at least four inches, which represents a significant space savings over existing chiller units. The chiller preferably utilizes quick disconnect valves for the condenser cooling liquid inlet and the outlet, which in turn is coupled to the aircraft heat sink. A display is provided on the unit for controlling the temperature and other operations of the unit.

[0007]The location of the chiller plays a role in both the galley foot print and weight reduction, as well as the efficient distribution of chilled air around the below work deck installed trolley or cart.

Problems solved by technology

One drawback of these various chiller systems is that they take up a large percentage of available space in the galley, which is at a premium in an aircraft for obvious reasons.

Further, the chillers tend to be very heavy, which is also a drawback to their use on aircraft.

There are also issues with condensation collection and removal, and the need for improvements in heat transfer efficiency.

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