Aircraft grey water re-use system and its application on civil aircraft, aircraft

Abstract

The application relates to an aircraft grey water recycling system and its application in a civil aircraft, and an aircraft. A grey water collecting tank water quantity sensor part is arranged in a grey water collecting tank, and the grey water collecting tank water quantity sensor is electrically connected with a centrifugal pump through a trigger switch; a grey water storage tank is communicated with the grey water collecting tank through the centrifugal pump, a normal grey water outlet of the grey water storage tank is communicated with a toilet flushing grey water inlet, and the toilet flushing grey water inlet is used for communicating with a toilet in a bathroom; and a top space of the grey water storage tank is used for communicating with an aircraft gas source main pipe high-pressure air inlet. The grey water is recycled for the toilet in the bathroom until sewage is formed, the problem of waste of limited water resources on the aircraft caused by using clean water to flush the toilet is solved, on one hand, the problem of atmospheric pollution is avoided by directly discharging the grey water to the outside of the aircraft; and on the other hand, the available amount of the water resources carried by the aircraft is relatively improved, the clean water is applied twice before becoming sewage, and from this aspect, the fuel consumption is reduced and the voyage of the aircraft is prolonged.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of aircraft grey water recycling, in particular to an aircraft grey water recycling system and its application in a civil aircraft. BACKGROUND

[0002] Aircraft flying in the air can usually only carry limited clean water, and grey water is generated during flight, which is not sewage in the conventional sense. Grey water mainly includes kitchen wastewater, lavatory hand washing water and threshold residual water, specifically, the grey water includes water generated by passenger washroom, sink and kitchen sink, and in addition, it also includes rainwater collected by service door and boarding door threshold rainwater system, etc.

[0003] If the grey water can be recycled, the volume of the clean water tank can be reduced, the weight of the aircraft can be reduced, the fuel consumption can be saved, which is helpful for the sustainable development of civil aviation and the pollution of the atmosphere.

[0004] However, traditional aircraft lack this design. For example, the Airbus A320 system, Boeing 737NG, MAX and other common aircraft types usually directly discharge the grey water to the outside of the aircraft, or for example, the Boeing 787, the aircraft only collects the grey water generated by the kitchen and lavatory hand washing as sewage and retains it, without recycling.

[0005] However, the grey water contains impurities, so directly discharging the grey water to the outside of the aircraft will cause air pollution problems.

[0006] If the grey water is not properly utilized, the aircraft carries more clean water during flight, which leads to the problem of relatively large fuel consumption. In order to meet the demand of passengers for clean water during the journey, the aircraft needs to carry enough clean water, which causes excessive fuel consumption, further causing air pollution problems.

[0007] In addition, if the aircraft carries insufficient water resources, it cannot meet the demand of passengers for clean water, thereby affecting the range of the aircraft.

[0008] The Chinese patent with the publication number CN109291864A discloses a grey water sewage collection system for a vehicle, a control method and a vehicle, which comprises a grey water discharge device, a grey water temporary storage tank, a toilet, a water tank, a grey water sewage tank, a flushing switch and an electrical control unit. The water tank is connected with the flushing pipe of the toilet through a water supply pipeline. A booster pump for increasing flushing pressure, an energy storage tank for temporarily storing pressure water and a flushing electromagnetic valve for controlling the on-off of the flushing pipe are sequentially connected on the flushing pipe. The bottom of the toilet is connected with the grey water sewage tank through a sewage pipe. The grey water discharge device is connected with the grey water temporary storage tank through a first drain pipe. The grey water temporary storage tank is connected with the grey water sewage tank through a second drain pipe. A first electric gate valve is arranged on the sewage pipe. A second electric gate valve is connected in series on the second drain pipe. An electric vacuum pump for maintaining the vacuum state of the grey water sewage tank is connected on the grey water sewage tank. The flushing switch, the flushing electromagnetic valve, the first electric gate valve, the second electric gate valve, the booster pump and the electric vacuum pump are connected with the electrical control unit.

[0009] However, the grey water sewage collection system disclosed in the patent document does not distinguish between sewage and grey water, but directly mixes sewage and grey water. On the one hand, the grey water mixed with sewage is not suitable for being reused. On the other hand, it is not suitable for use in an airplane. SUMMARY

[0010] Therefore, it is necessary to provide an aircraft grey water reuse system, an application thereof in a civil aircraft and an aircraft.

[0011] In one embodiment, an aircraft grey water reuse system comprises a grey water collection tank, a grey water storage tank, a centrifugal pump, a grey water collection tank water level sensor, a trigger switch and a toilet flushing grey water inlet.

[0012] The grey water collection tank is used for collecting grey water.

[0013] The grey water collection tank water level sensor is partially arranged in the grey water collection tank, and the grey water collection tank water level sensor is electrically connected with the centrifugal pump through the trigger switch.

[0014] The grey water storage tank is communicated with the grey water collection tank through the centrifugal pump. The normal outlet of the grey water storage tank is communicated with the toilet flushing grey water inlet, which is used for communicating with a toilet in a lavatory.

[0015] The top space of the grey water storage tank is used for communicating with a high-pressure air inlet of an aircraft air source manifold.

[0016] The aircraft grey water recycling system can be applied to spacecraft, especially civil aircraft, and can recycle grey water to a toilet in a lavatory until the grey water becomes sewage. The aircraft grey water recycling system solves the problem of waste of limited water resources on the aircraft when using clean water to flush the toilet. On the one hand, the aircraft grey water recycling system avoids direct discharge of grey water to the outside of the aircraft, thereby avoiding air pollution. On the other hand, the aircraft grey water recycling system relatively increases the available amount of water resources carried by the aircraft, and the clean water is applied twice before becoming sewage, thereby reducing fuel consumption and prolonging the flight range of the aircraft.

[0017] In one of the embodiments, the aircraft grey water recycling system further comprises an air compressor and a one-way valve.

[0018] The top space of the grey water storage tank is connected to the air compressor through the one-way valve, and is further connected to a high-pressure air inlet of an aircraft air source main pipe through the one-way valve.

[0019] Further, in one of the embodiments, the aircraft grey water recycling system further comprises a high-pressure breather valve connected to the top space of the grey water storage tank, and configured to be started to release pressure when the internal air pressure of the grey water storage tank exceeds a threshold value.

[0020] Further, in one of the embodiments, the aircraft grey water recycling system further comprises a grey water service panel and an air compressor solenoid valve.

[0021] The grey water service panel is configured to be arranged on a lower fuselage of the aircraft, and the grey water service panel is electrically connected to the air compressor through the air compressor solenoid valve, and configured to close the air compressor through the air compressor solenoid valve when the grey water storage tank is in a water discharge state.

[0022] Further, in one of the embodiments, the aircraft grey water recycling system further comprises a grey water discharge port, a manual water discharge valve, a water discharge handle, and a proximity switch.

[0023] The grey water discharge port, the water discharge handle, and the proximity switch are arranged on the grey water service panel.

[0024] The grey water storage tank is connected to the grey water discharge port through the manual water discharge valve, and the water discharge handle is connected to the manual water discharge valve to control opening and closing of the manual water discharge valve.

[0025] The proximity switch is electrically connected to the air compressor through the air compressor solenoid valve, and the grey water service panel is controlled to close the air compressor through the proximity switch when the grey water service panel is opened or in an open state.

[0026] In one of the embodiments, the aircraft grey water recycling system further comprises a sewage tank, the sewage tank is communicated with the grey water storage tank, the grey water storage tank is used for discharging to the sewage tank when the water volume is too high.

[0027] In one of the embodiments, the aircraft grey water recycling system further comprises a high water level sensor and a grey water excess outlet electromagnetic valve.

[0028] The grey water storage tank is communicated with the sewage tank through the grey water excess outlet electromagnetic valve.

[0029] The high water level sensor is partially arranged in the grey water storage tank, and the high water level sensor is electrically connected with the grey water excess outlet electromagnetic valve for controlling the opening and closing of the grey water excess outlet electromagnetic valve; and / or,

[0030] The highest position of the sewage tank is lower than the lowest position of the grey water storage tank.

[0031] In one of the embodiments, the aircraft grey water recycling system further comprises a threshold grey water collection port, a kitchen grey water collection port and a toilet grey water collection port.

[0032] The grey water collection tank is communicated with the threshold grey water collection port, the kitchen grey water collection port and the toilet grey water collection port respectively.

[0033] The threshold grey water collection port is used for collecting the grey water of the aircraft cabin door into the grey water collection tank.

[0034] The kitchen grey water collection port is used for collecting the grey water of the kitchen grey water collection pool into the grey water collection tank.

[0035] The toilet grey water collection port is used for collecting the grey water of the toilet wash basin into the grey water collection tank.

[0036] In one of the embodiments, the aircraft grey water recycling system further comprises a flush water source manual selection knob and a toilet flush clean water inlet.

[0037] One end of the flush water source manual selection knob is used for communicating with the toilet, and the other end selects the toilet flush clean water inlet or the toilet flush grey water inlet.

[0038] The toilet flush clean water inlet is used for communicating with the clean water tank.

[0039] In one of the embodiments, the aircraft grey water recycling system further comprises a grey water volume sensor, the grey water volume sensor is partially arranged in the grey water storage tank for sensing the water volume in the grey water storage tank.

[0040] In one of the embodiments, the aircraft grey water re-use system further comprises a grey water volume indicator electrically connected to the grey water volume sensor, and the grey water volume indicator is adjacent to the lavatory toilet.

[0041] In one of the embodiments, an aircraft comprises a fuselage and the aircraft grey water re-use system of any of the embodiments disposed within the fuselage.

[0042] In one of the embodiments, the aircraft grey water re-use system of any of the embodiments is used in a civil aircraft. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0043] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or the prior art description will be briefly introduced as follows. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only some of the embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without any creative effort on the basis of these drawings.

[0044] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of an embodiment of the aircraft grey water re-use system described in the present application.

[0045] Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the aircraft grey water re-use system described in the present application.

[0046] Figure 3 A structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the aircraft grey water re-use system described in the present application.

[0047] Figure 4 A structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the aircraft grey water re-use system described in the present application.

[0048] Figure 5 A structural schematic diagram of another embodiment of the aircraft grey water re-use system described in the present application. Figure 4 A partial structural schematic diagram of the embodiment shown.

[0049] Figure 6 A partial structural schematic diagram of the embodiment shown. Figure 4 A partial structural schematic diagram of the embodiment shown.

[0050] Reference: grey water collection tank 1, grey water storage tank 2, sewage tank 3, centrifugal pump 4, air compressor 5, flush source manual selection knob 6, grey water volume indicator 7, one-way valve 8, high pressure vent valve 9, high water level sensor 10, grey water excess outlet solenoid valve 11, grey water volume sensor 12, air compressor solenoid valve 13, aircraft air source manifold high pressure air inlet 14, cabin floor 15, aircraft lower fuselage 16, grey water collection tank volume sensor 17, threshold grey water collection port 18, galley grey water collection port 19, lavatory grey water collection port 20, trigger switch 21, aircraft cabin door 22, galley grey water collection sink 23, lavatory sink 24, lavatory toilet 25, lavatory 26, toilet flush clean water inlet 27, toilet flush grey water inlet 28, grey water service panel 29, grey water drain 30, grey water normal outlet 31, manual drain valve 32, drain handle 33, proximity switch 34. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] In order to make the above objectives, features and advantages of the present application more clear and comprehensible, specific embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present application. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present application can be practiced without using some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the present application.

[0052] It is to be noted that when an element is referred to as being "on" or "connected to" another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements can also be present. In addition, the term "connected" and / or "coupled" to one another is used herein to describe both an indirect and direct electrical connection or coupling between two elements in the drawing where, for example, the coupling or connection between the two elements can be achieved by means of one or more intermediary elements. The use of the term "about" in the present description and claims is intended to mean that amounts, size, formulations, parameters, and other quantities and characteristics are not and need not be exact, but can be approximated and / or

[0053] In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are used herein only to describe all of the possible combinations. The terms "first", "second", etc. can not necessarily indicate or imply relative importance or a number of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first", "second", etc. can explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality of" is at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise specifically limited.

[0054] In the present application, unless specifically defined and limited otherwise, the first feature is "on", "under", "above" or "over" the second feature, which can be that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or the first feature is indirectly in contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature is "above", "over" and "on" the second feature, which can be that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or only indicates that the first feature is higher than the second feature in horizontal height. The first feature is "below", "under" and "under" the second feature, which can be that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or only indicates that the first feature is lower than the second feature in horizontal height.

[0055] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in the specification of the present application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one skilled in the art to which the present application belongs. The terms used in the specification of the present application are only for the purpose of describing the specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present application. The term "and / or" used in the specification of the present application includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items.

[0056] The present application discloses an aircraft grey water recycling system, which comprises part or all of the following embodiments; that is, the aircraft grey water recycling system comprises part or all of the following technical features. In one embodiment of the present application, an aircraft grey water recycling system comprises a grey water collection tank, a grey water storage tank, a centrifugal pump, a grey water collection tank water level sensor, a trigger switch and a toilet flushing grey water inlet; the grey water collection tank is used to collect grey water; the grey water collection tank water level sensor is partially disposed in the grey water collection tank, and the grey water collection tank water level sensor is electrically connected to the centrifugal pump through the trigger switch; the grey water storage tank is connected to the grey water collection tank through the centrifugal pump, the normal outlet of the grey water storage tank is connected to the toilet flushing grey water inlet, and the toilet flushing grey water inlet is used to connect to the toilet in the bathroom; the top space of the grey water storage tank is used to connect to the high-pressure air inlet of the aircraft air source manifold. The above-mentioned aircraft grey water recycling system can be applied to spacecraft, especially civil aircraft, and the grey water is reused for the toilet in the bathroom until it becomes sewage, solving the problem of waste of limited water resources on the aircraft when using clean water to flush the toilet. On the one hand, it avoids directly discharging grey water to the outside of the aircraft, thereby avoiding air pollution; on the other hand, it relatively increases the available amount of water resources carried by the aircraft, and the clean water is applied twice before becoming sewage, which is conducive to reducing fuel consumption and prolonging the range of the aircraft. The following will be described in detail Figures 1 to 6 The aircraft grey water recycling system is described in detail.

[0057] In one embodiment, an aircraft grey water recycling system comprises Figure 1As shown, it comprises a grey water collection tank 1, a grey water storage tank 2, a centrifugal pump 4, a grey water collection tank water level sensor 17, a trigger switch 21 and a toilet flushing grey water inlet 28; it can be understood that the aircraft grey water recycling system is applied to an aircraft, which can be a civil aircraft or other aircraft, and in one embodiment, the aircraft is an airplane. In combination Figure 4 The grey water collection tank 1, the grey water storage tank 2, the centrifugal pump 4, the grey water collection tank water level sensor 17 and the trigger switch 21 are arranged in the space below the cabin floor 15 of the aircraft.

[0058] In each embodiment, the grey water collection tank 1 is used to collect grey water; the grey water storage tank 2 is used to store grey water; the centrifugal pump 4 is used to transport the grey water from the grey water collection tank 1 into the grey water storage tank 2; the grey water collection tank water level sensor 17 is partially arranged in the grey water collection tank 1, and the grey water collection tank water level sensor 17 is electrically connected to the centrifugal pump 4 through the trigger switch 21. The grey water collection tank water level sensor 17 is used to sense the water level of the grey water in the grey water collection tank 1, and further, in one embodiment, when the water level exceeds a preset threshold, the centrifugal pump 4 is started through the trigger switch 21 to transport the grey water from the grey water collection tank 1 into the grey water storage tank 2 until the water level of the grey water in the grey water collection tank 1 is lower than the preset threshold. For easy collection, the grey water collection tank 1 is installed at the bottom of the aircraft fuselage, and the traditional grey water pipeline directly discharged to the outside of the aircraft is connected to the grey water collection tank 1 for collection. The grey water collection tank water level sensor 17 is installed in the grey water collection tank 1, and when the storage amount of grey water in the grey water collection tank 1 reaches a certain amount, the grey water collection tank water level sensor 17 automatically triggers the working switch of the centrifugal pump 4, i.e. the trigger switch 21; then the grey water in the grey water collection tank 1 is pumped out by the centrifugal pump 4 and discharged to the grey water storage tank 2.

[0059] Further, in one embodiment, the grey water collection tank water level sensor 17 is used to sense the water level of the grey water in the grey water collection tank 1, and when the water level of the grey water in the grey water collection tank 1 exceeds a preset first threshold, the trigger switch 21 is enabled to start the centrifugal pump 4 to transport the grey water from the grey water collection tank 1 into the grey water storage tank 2 until the water level of the grey water in the grey water collection tank 1 is lower than a preset second threshold, and the trigger switch 21 is disabled to close the centrifugal pump 4. Such a design is beneficial to protect the centrifugal pump 4, avoid frequent starting of the centrifugal pump 4 and ensure the service life of the centrifugal pump 4.

[0060] In the embodiments, the grey water storage tank 2 is connected to the grey water collecting tank 1 through the centrifugal pump 4, the normal outlet 31 of the grey water storage tank 2 is connected to the toilet flushing grey water inlet 28, and the toilet flushing grey water inlet 28 is used to connect to the toilet 25. The top space of the grey water storage tank 2 is used to connect to the aircraft air source main high pressure air inlet 14. Generally, the top space of the grey water storage tank 2 is provided with a connecting pipeline, and the grey water storage tank 2 is connected to the aircraft air source main high pressure air inlet 14 through the connecting pipeline of the top space. It should be noted that the top space is the space located at the highest position or adjacent to the highest position in the direction of gravity after the grey water storage tank 2 is fixed, because water is heavier than air. When the grey water storage tank 2 is fixed, water is located below and air is located above in the direction of gravity, so air pressure can be applied above to transport the grey water in the grey water storage tank 2 to the toilet flushing grey water inlet 28 through the normal outlet 31.

[0061] In order to adapt to different working states of the aircraft pressurization system, further, in one of the embodiments, the aircraft grey water recycling system further comprises an air compressor 5 and a one-way valve 8. The top space of the grey water storage tank 2 is connected to the air compressor 5 through the one-way valve 8, and is also used to connect to the aircraft air source main high pressure air inlet 14 through the one-way valve 8. The grey water storage tank 2 is used to store grey water, and the air compressor 5 can be used to pressurize the grey water in the grey water storage tank 2 during use. Such a design makes the grey water storage tank 2 have two pressurization sources. When the aircraft pressurization system is working, the aircraft air source system is used for pressurization; when the aircraft pressurization system is not working, the air compressor is used for pressurization. The one-way valves 8 are respectively arranged on the two pressurization source pipelines to prevent air pressure from flowing back. Moreover, such a design can use high pressure to transport the grey water in the grey water storage tank 2 to the toilet flushing grey water inlet 28 for toilet flushing, that is, the grey water is recycled. The grey water is different from sewage. On the one hand, the grey water is clean water used in the kitchen and wash basin, but is not sewage generated in the toilet. On the other hand, unlike the grey water in life, the grey water on the aircraft, especially the civil aircraft, does not contain oil, hair, dirt, food, etc., and thus is not dirty, and can be used for toilet flushing.

[0062] To ensure the normal use of the grey water in the grey water storage tank 2, further, in one embodiment, the aircraft grey water recycling system is provided with a pressure regulating device, which includes a pressure increasing device and an overpressure preventing device, the pressure increasing device is used to increase the internal pressure of the grey water storage tank 2 to deliver the grey water in the grey water storage tank 2 to the toilet flushing grey water inlet 28 through the normal grey water outlet 31, the overpressure preventing device is used to release pressure when the internal pressure of the grey water storage tank 2 exceeds a preset limit to ensure the safe use of the grey water storage tank 2, i.e. to ensure the safe use of the aircraft grey water recycling system; for the embodiment with the air compressor 5, the pressure increasing device includes the air compressor 5, and the aircraft pressurization system or the high pressure air inlet 14 of the aircraft air source manifold can also be part of the pressure increasing device. Further, in one embodiment, as shown in Figure 2 the aircraft grey water recycling system also includes a high pressure vent valve 9, which is connected to the top space of the grey water storage tank 2, and is used to start to release pressure when the internal air pressure of the grey water storage tank 2 exceeds a threshold. That is, the overpressure preventing device includes a high pressure vent valve 9, which, when the pressure in the grey water storage tank 2 is too high, overcomes the limitation of the high pressure vent valve 9, such as overcoming the spring force in the high pressure vent valve 9, and then the grey water storage tank 2 releases air through the vent, and when the pressure returns to normal, the high pressure vent valve 9 re-closes to maintain the internal air pressure of the grey water storage tank 2, so that the grey water in the grey water storage tank 2 can be delivered to the toilet flushing grey water inlet 28 through the normal grey water outlet 31.

[0063] To facilitate the collection of grey water, in one embodiment, the aircraft grey water recycling system also includes a threshold grey water collection port 18, a kitchen grey water collection port 19 and a lavatory grey water collection port 20; the grey water collection tank 1 is connected to the threshold grey water collection port 18, the kitchen grey water collection port 19 and the lavatory grey water collection port 20 respectively; the threshold grey water collection port 18 is used to collect the grey water of the aircraft cabin door 22 into the grey water collection tank 1; the kitchen grey water collection port 19 is used to collect the grey water of the kitchen grey water collection pool 23 into the grey water collection tank 1; the lavatory grey water collection port 20 is used to collect the grey water of the lavatory wash basin 24 into the grey water collection tank 1. Such a design is conducive to collecting most of the grey water into the grey water collection tank 1.

[0064] In actual use, there may be more grey water than the capacity of the grey water storage tank 2, to solve this problem, in one embodiment, as shown in Figure 4As shown, the aircraft grey water recycling system further comprises a sewage tank 3, which is communicated with the grey water storage tank 2, and is used to discharge into the sewage tank 3 when the water volume is too high. In one embodiment, the highest position of the sewage tank 3 is lower than the lowest position of the grey water storage tank 2.

[0065] In combination Figure 5 and Figure 6 In one embodiment, the aircraft grey water recycling system further comprises a high water level sensor 10 and a grey water excess outlet electromagnetic valve 11; the grey water storage tank 2 is communicated with the sewage tank 3 through the grey water excess outlet electromagnetic valve 11; the high water level sensor 10 is partially arranged in the grey water storage tank 2, and is electrically connected with the grey water excess outlet electromagnetic valve 11 for controlling the switch of the grey water excess outlet electromagnetic valve 11. With such design, the high water level sensor 10 and the grey water excess outlet electromagnetic valve 11 form a water volume excess regulating device, so that the aircraft grey water recycling system has the water volume excess regulating function; when the high water level sensor 10 detects that the grey water storage volume is too high, the grey water excess outlet electromagnetic valve 11, i.e. the grey water excess outlet switch, is triggered to discharge water to the existing sewage tank 3 on the aircraft, so as to prevent the grey water storage volume from being too high, and the check valve 8 is arranged to prevent the sewage from flowing back.

[0066] In one embodiment, the highest position of the sewage tank 3 is lower than the lowest position of the grey water storage tank 2, and the aircraft grey water recycling system further comprises a high water level sensor 10 and a grey water excess outlet electromagnetic valve 11; the grey water storage tank 2 is communicated with the sewage tank 3 through the grey water excess outlet electromagnetic valve 11; the high water level sensor 10 is partially arranged in the grey water storage tank 2, and is electrically connected with the grey water excess outlet electromagnetic valve 11 for controlling the switch of the grey water excess outlet electromagnetic valve 11. The remaining embodiments are similar, and will not be described herein.

[0067] In order to prevent the sewage in the sewage tank 3 from flowing back into the grey water storage tank 2 and polluting the grey water in the grey water storage tank 2, further, in one embodiment, the grey water excess outlet electromagnetic valve 11 is communicated with the sewage tank 3 through a check valve 8, i.e. the grey water storage tank 2 is communicated with the sewage tank 3 through the grey water excess outlet electromagnetic valve 11 and a check valve 8 in sequence, and the grey water excess outlet electromagnetic valve 11 is controlled to start or stop by the high water level sensor 10.

[0068] To prevent the grey water from overflowing, further, in one embodiment, the grey water storage tank 2 is further provided with a grey water drain 30 for draining the grey water in the grey water storage tank 2, for example, when the grey water storage tank 2 and the sewage tank 3 are both close to full, the grey water in the grey water storage tank 2 can be drained through the grey water drain 30 to ensure the safe use of the grey water storage tank 2, i.e. to ensure the safe use of the aircraft grey water recycling system.

[0069] In one embodiment, the aircraft grey water recycling system further comprises a grey water service panel 29 and an air compressor solenoid valve 13; the grey water service panel 29 is arranged on the aircraft lower skin 16, and the grey water service panel 29 is electrically connected to the air compressor 5 through the air compressor solenoid valve 13, and is used to close the air compressor 5 through the air compressor solenoid valve 13 when the grey water storage tank 2 is in a draining state. In one embodiment, for the embodiment of the aircraft being an airplane, the aircraft lower skin 16 is the lower fuselage skin of the airplane; the remaining embodiments are similar, and are not described in detail. As shown in the figure, the grey water service panel 29 can be arranged on the aircraft lower skin 16 or on the mounting groove provided on the aircraft lower skin 16. Figure 4

[0070] In specific applications, when the grey water service panel 29 is opened, the power supply of the air compressor 5 is disconnected through the air compressor solenoid valve 13, so that the air compressor 5 cannot work. Otherwise, once the grey water is drained, the aircraft grey water recycling system detects that the grey water in the grey water storage tank 2 is in a low pressure state, and the air compressor 5 will automatically work, so it is necessary to disconnect the power supply of the air compressor 5 when the grey water service panel 29 is opened. In a specific implementation embodiment, the proximity switch 34 is linked with the grey water service panel 29 to control the air compressor solenoid valve 13, and the power supply of the air compressor 5 is disconnected as soon as the grey water service panel 29 is opened.

[0071] ​Further, in one of the embodiments, the aircraft grey water recycling system further comprises a grey water drain 30, a manual drain valve 32, a drain handle 33 and a proximity switch 34; the grey water drain 30, the drain handle 33 and the proximity switch 34 are all arranged on the grey water service panel 29; the grey water storage tank 2 is connected to the grey water drain 30 through the manual drain valve 32, the drain handle 33 is connected to the manual drain valve 32 to control the opening and closing of the manual drain valve 32; the proximity switch 34 is electrically connected to the air compressor 5 through the air compressor solenoid valve 13, when the grey water service panel 29 is opened or in the open state, the air compressor solenoid valve 13 is controlled to close the air compressor 5 through the proximity switch 34. Further, in one of the embodiments, the proximity switch 34 is electrically connected to the air compressor 5 through the air compressor solenoid valve 13, the grey water service panel 29 is linked to the manual drain valve 32 or the drain handle 33 through the proximity switch 34, for closing the air compressor 5 through the air compressor solenoid valve 13 when the manual drain valve 32 is in the open state. With such design, the grey water drain 30, the manual drain valve 32 and the drain handle 33 form a manual drain device, when the aircraft is on the ground, the grey water can be drained out of the aircraft through the grey water drain valve, i.e. the manual drain valve 32, and the manual drain valve 32 is operated to be opened.

[0072] In one of the embodiments, the aircraft grey water recycling system further comprises a flush water source manual selection knob 6 and a toilet flush clean water inlet 27; one end of the flush water source manual selection knob 6 is used to connect to the toilet 25 in the bathroom 26, and the other end is used to select the toilet flush clean water inlet 27 or the toilet flush grey water inlet 28; the toilet flush clean water inlet 27 is used to connect to a clean water tank. The clean water tank is a container for storing clean water in the aircraft. With such design, the user can freely choose to use clean water or grey water, so as not to affect the user's use; and by using the flush water source manual selection knob 6 as a flush water source selection device for the toilet, the user of the bathroom can choose the source of toilet flush water and participate in water saving action. For the embodiment with the grey water amount indicator 7, the user can observe the change of the grey water amount indicator after flushing, and feel the contribution to water saving. In specific implementation, in order to reduce the trouble of manual selection and maintain the unchanged existing experience, the flush water source manual selection knob 6 can be set to still use the existing clean water source by default.

[0073] In one of the embodiments, the aircraft grey water recycling system further comprises a grey water volume sensor 12, which is partially arranged in the grey water storage tank 2, for sensing the volume of water in the grey water storage tank 2, i.e. the volume of grey water in the grey water storage tank 2. In one of the embodiments, the aircraft grey water recycling system further comprises a grey water volume indicator 7, which is electrically connected to the grey water volume sensor 12, and the grey water volume indicator 7 is adjacent to the toilet bowl 25. Such design is beneficial for the passengers or crew members to check the volume of water in the grey water storage tank 2, i.e. when using the grey water to flush the toilet bowl 25, the user can clearly determine whether the grey water is available, avoid repeatedly pressing without grey water, affect the user's use, and also avoid the resulting structural damage.

[0074] Taking the existing civil aircraft as an example, such design, in practical application, only needs to modify the pipeline in the existing grey water discharge system of the civil aircraft, by adding the grey water collection tank 1, the centrifugal pump 4, the grey water storage tank 2, the flush water source manual selection knob 6, the grey water volume indicator 7 and the grey water volume sensor 12, etc. Such design only needs to simply modify and add the existing pipeline, so as to realize the collection and storage of the grey water on the civil aircraft, and add a source of toilet flush water in the toilet 26, and increase the flush water source manual selection button in the toilet 26 to increase the participation of passengers in the global water resource saving and energy saving and emission reduction action.

[0075] In one of the embodiments, an aircraft comprises a body and the aircraft grey water recycling system of any of the embodiments, which is arranged in the body. In one of the embodiments, the aircraft is a civil aircraft such as an airplane or an airship, etc. The aircraft grey water recycling system arranged in the body includes that the aircraft grey water recycling system is entirely arranged in the body, and the aircraft grey water recycling system is mostly arranged in the body. Such design reuses the grey water for the toilet bowl 25 until the formation of sewage, solves the problem of waste of limited water resources on the aircraft by using clean water to flush the toilet bowl, on the one hand, avoids the problem of air pollution by directly discharging the grey water to the outside of the aircraft; on the other hand, relatively improves the available amount of water resources carried by the aircraft, and the clean water is applied twice before becoming sewage, which is beneficial for reducing fuel consumption and prolonging the range of the aircraft.

[0076] In one of the embodiments, the application of the aircraft grey water recycling system in the civil aircraft, i.e. an application of an aircraft grey water recycling system in a civil aircraft, can also be referred to as a method for applying an aircraft grey water recycling system in a civil aircraft, or a method for applying an aircraft grey water recycling system in a civil aircraft, wherein the aircraft grey water recycling system is the aircraft grey water recycling system of any of the embodiments. Such design can recycle the grey water to the toilet 25 until the formation of sewage, which on the one hand solves the problem of waste of limited water resources on the aircraft when using clean water to flush the toilet; on the other hand, since the grey water is no longer directly discharged from the aircraft to the outside, the problem of air pollution is solved; on the other hand, the use of clean water is reduced, the aircraft clean water tank can be reduced, and a smaller amount of clean water can be carried, which reduces the weight of the aircraft, reduces fuel consumption, and further reduces air pollution; on the other hand, it solves the problem of insufficient clean water resources on the aircraft during flight, which affects the flight range of the aircraft.

[0077] It should be noted that other embodiments of the present application also include the combination of the technical features of the above embodiments, which can be implemented as an aircraft grey water recycling system and its application in a civil aircraft, and an aircraft.

[0078] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. In order to make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described, but as long as the combination of the technical features does not exist contradictory, it should be considered as the scope of the present application.

[0079] The above embodiments only express several embodiments of the present application, and the description is more specific and detailed, but it should not be understood as a limitation on the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that for ordinary skilled in the art, without departing from the concept of the present application, a number of modifications and improvements can be made, which are within the scope of the present application. Therefore, the patent protection scope of the present application should be subject to the appended claims.

Claims

1. An aircraft grey water re-use system, characterized in that, The grey water collecting tank (1), the grey water storage tank (2), the centrifugal pump (4), the grey water collecting tank water level sensor (17), the trigger switch (21) and the toilet flushing grey water inlet (28) are included. The grey water collecting tank (1) is used for collecting grey water. The grey water collecting tank water level sensor (17) is partially arranged in the grey water collecting tank (1), and the grey water collecting tank water level sensor (17) is electrically connected with the centrifugal pump (4) through the trigger switch (21). The grey water storage tank (2) is communicated with the grey water collecting tank (1) through the centrifugal pump (4), the normal outlet (31) of the grey water storage tank (2) is communicated with the toilet flushing grey water inlet (28), and the toilet flushing grey water inlet (28) is used for communicating with the toilet (25) in the bathroom. The top space of the grey water storage tank (2) is used for communicating with the aircraft air source main pipe high pressure air inlet (14). The flushing source manual selection knob (6) and the toilet flushing clean water inlet (27) are further included. One end of the flushing source manual selection knob (6) is used for communicating with the toilet (25) in the bathroom, and the other end is used for selecting the toilet flushing clean water inlet (27) or the toilet flushing grey water inlet (28). The toilet flushing clean water inlet (27) is used for communicating with the clean water tank.

2. The aircraft grey water re-use system of claim 1, wherein, The air compressor (5) and the one-way valve (8) are further included. The top space of the grey water storage tank (2) is communicated with the air compressor (5) through the one-way valve (8), and is also used for communicating with the aircraft air source main pipe high pressure air inlet (14) through the one-way valve (8).

3. The aircraft grey water re-use system of claim 1, wherein, The sewage tank (3) is further included, the sewage tank (3) is communicated with the grey water storage tank (2), and the grey water storage tank (2) is used for discharging into the sewage tank (3) when the water level is too high.

4. The aircraft grey water re-use system of claim 3, wherein, The high water level sensor (10) and the grey water excess outlet electromagnetic valve (11) are further included. The grey water storage tank (2) is communicated with the sewage tank (3) through the grey water excess outlet electromagnetic valve (11). The high water level sensor (10) is partially arranged in the grey water storage tank (2), and the high water level sensor (10) is electrically connected with the grey water excess outlet electromagnetic valve (11) and is used for controlling the opening and closing of the grey water excess outlet electromagnetic valve (11).

5. The aircraft grey water re-use system of claim 4, wherein, The highest position of the sewage tank (3) is lower than the lowest position of the grey water storage tank (2).

6. The aircraft grey water re-use system of claim 3, wherein, The highest position of the sewage tank (3) is lower than the lowest position of the grey water storage tank (2).

7. The aircraft grey water re-use system of claim 1, wherein, The threshold grey water collecting port (18), the kitchen grey water collecting port (19) and the bathroom grey water collecting port (20) are further included. The grey water collecting tank (1) is respectively communicated with the threshold grey water collecting port (18), the kitchen grey water collecting port (19) and the bathroom grey water collecting port (20). The threshold grey water collecting port (18) is used for collecting grey water of the aircraft cabin door (22) into the grey water collecting tank (1). The kitchen grey water collecting port (19) is used for collecting grey water of the kitchen grey water collecting pool (23) into the grey water collecting tank (1). The toilet grey water collecting port (20) is used for collecting the grey water of a toilet wash basin (24) into the grey water collecting tank (1).

8. The aircraft grey water re-use system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein, Further comprising a grey water volume sensor (12) partially arranged in the grey water storage tank (2) for sensing the water volume in the grey water storage tank (2).

9. The aircraft grey water re-use system of claim 8, wherein, Further comprising a grey water volume indicator (7) electrically connected to the grey water volume sensor (12), and the grey water volume indicator (7) is adjacent to the toilet bowl (25).

10. An aircraft characterized by, An aircraft grey water reusing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9 is arranged in the body.

11. Use of an aircraft grey water reusing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9 in a civil aircraft.

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