Aircraft environment control system, aircraft and control method

Abstract

The invention provides an aircraft environment control system, an aircraft and a control method.The aircraft environment control system comprises an evaporation circulation refrigeration system and a pressurization air source system, the evaporation circulation refrigeration system is provided with an evaporator, and the evaporator is provided with a first A heat exchange channel and a second A heat exchange channel which can exchange heat with each other; the evaporator is connected into the evaporation circulation refrigeration system through a first A heat exchange channel; the pressurization air source system is provided with an air compressor and a mixing cavity. An exhaust port of the gas compressor selectively communicates with at least one of one end of the second A heat exchange channel and the mixing cavity; the other end of the second A heat exchange channel communicates with the mixing cavity, and the mixing cavity is provided with a first exhaust port. According to different working conditions, the exhaust port of the gas compressor can be controlled to communicate with at least one of one end of the second A heat exchange channel and the mixing cavity, so that different working modes are switched, the energy consumption of the system is reduced, and the energy-saving potential and the comprehensive refrigerating capacity of the system are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of aircraft environmental control technology, specifically relating to an aircraft environmental control system, an aircraft, and a control method. Background Technology

[0002] Aircraft environmental control systems are used to regulate and control the temperature, humidity, and pressure in the aircraft cabin, providing a comfortable cabin environment for passengers. Currently, most aircraft environmental control systems use traditional bleed air-based systems, which rely on various secondary energy sources such as air pressure, hydraulic pressure, and mechanical power. This results in complex systems with high energy consumption, low efficiency, poor reliability, and high operating and maintenance costs. With the rapid development of the aviation industry, the requirements for aircraft onboard environmental control systems are becoming increasingly stringent. To improve the overall performance of aircraft, bleed air-based environmental control systems are gradually being improved and innovated towards electric environmental control systems.

[0003] The existing aircraft environmental control system includes an evaporative cooling cycle system and a pressurized air supply system. The pressurized air supply system and the evaporative cooling cycle system are coupled and linked. The pressurized air supply system has a compressor, and the evaporative cooling cycle system has an evaporator. The compressor pressurizes the ambient air, and then delivers it to the cabin after heat exchange in the evaporator. It only has a single mode to supply air to the cabin and cannot adjust the air supply mode according to the actual situation. Therefore, this problem needs to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, the present invention provides an aircraft environmental control system, an aircraft, and a control method, which can solve the technical problem that the existing aircraft environmental control system has a single air supply mode for the cabin and cannot adjust the air supply mode according to the actual situation.

[0005] To address the above problems, the present invention provides an aircraft environmental control system, which includes an evaporative cooling cycle system and a pressurized air source system. The evaporative cooling cycle system has an evaporator, and the evaporator has a first A heat exchange channel and a second A heat exchange channel that can exchange heat with each other. The evaporator is connected to the evaporative cooling cycle system through the first A heat exchange channel.

[0006] The pressurized air source system has a compressor and a mixing chamber; the exhaust port of the compressor can be selectively connected to at least one end of the second A heat exchange channel and the mixing chamber; the other end of the second A heat exchange channel is connected to the mixing chamber, and the mixing chamber has a first exhaust port.

[0007] In some embodiments, the booster gas source system further includes a first switching valve and a second switching valve, wherein the exhaust port of the compressor is connected to one end of the second A heat exchange channel through the first switching valve, and is connected to the mixing chamber through the second switching valve;

[0008] The compressor's exhaust port can be selectively connected to at least one end of the second A heat exchange channel and the mixing chamber through the opening and closing of the first and second switching valves.

[0009] In some embodiments, the aircraft environmental control system has a fully aerodynamic operating mode, in which the first switching valve is closed and the second switch is open;

[0010] And / or, the aircraft environmental control system has a pneumatic evaporative cooling coupled operation mode, in which both the first switching valve and the second switch are open;

[0011] And / or, the aircraft environmental control system has a pure evaporative cooling cycle operation mode, in which the first switching valve is open and the second switch is closed.

[0012] In some embodiments, both the first switching valve and the second switching valve are flow regulating valves.

[0013] In some embodiments, the aircraft environmental control system further includes a heat exchanger for introducing external ram air to exchange heat with the exhaust gas from the compressor.

[0014] In some embodiments, the heat exchanger has a first B heat exchange channel and a second B heat exchange channel that can exchange heat with each other.

[0015] The aircraft environmental control system further includes a bleed air channel, which is connected to both the air inlet of the compressor and the inlet of the first B heat exchange channel. The exhaust port of the compressor is selectively connected to at least one end of the second A heat exchange channel and the mixing chamber via the second B heat exchange channel.

[0016] In some embodiments, when the booster gas source system further includes a first switching valve and a second switching valve; and when the exhaust port of the compressor is connected to one end of the second A heat exchange channel through the first switching valve and to the mixing chamber through the second switching valve, the exhaust port of the compressor is connected to the first switching valve and the second switching valve through the second B heat exchange channel respectively.

[0017] In some embodiments, the exhaust port of the compressor is connected to the second B heat exchange channel via an ozone converter.

[0018] In some embodiments, the aircraft environmental control system further includes a condensate tray and a conveying mechanism, wherein the condensate tray is used to receive condensate from the evaporator, and the conveying mechanism is used to convey the condensate in the condensate tray to the inlet of the first B heat exchange channel.

[0019] In some embodiments, the evaporative cooling cycle system further includes a compressor and a gas injection and enthalpy enhancement branch, the gas injection and enthalpy enhancement branch being connected to the gas injection port of the compressor.

[0020] In some embodiments, the evaporative cooling cycle system further includes a condenser and an economizer. The exhaust port of the compressor is connected to one end of the condenser, and the other end of the condenser is connected to the first inlet of the economizer. The other end of the condenser is also connected to the second inlet of the economizer through a first throttling device. The first outlet of the economizer is connected to one end of the first A heat exchange channel through a second throttling device. The other end of the first A heat exchange channel is connected to the suction port of the compressor. The gas outlet of the economizer is connected to the gas supply port of the compressor through the gas supply enthalpy-increasing branch.

[0021] In some embodiments, the compressor is an electric compressor;

[0022] And / or, the aircraft environmental control system further includes a lavatory cooling channel, a cabin cooling channel, and a rear equipment compartment cooling channel, wherein the lavatory cooling channel flows through the lavatory, the cabin cooling channel flows through the cabin, and the rear equipment compartment cooling channel flows through the rear equipment compartment; the cabin cooling channel and the rear equipment compartment cooling channel are connected in series, and the rear equipment compartment cooling channel is located downstream of the cabin cooling channel; the mixing chamber is connected to both the lavatory cooling channel and the cabin cooling channel through a first exhaust port.

[0023] The present invention also provides an aircraft comprising the aircraft environmental control system described in any one of the above-described embodiments.

[0024] The present invention also provides a control method for an aircraft environmental control system according to any one of the above claims, wherein the pressurized air source system further includes a first switching valve and a second switching valve, the exhaust port of the compressor is connected to one end of the second A heat exchange channel through the first switching valve, and is connected to the mixing chamber through the second switching valve; the exhaust port of the compressor is selectively connected to at least one of the second A heat exchange channel and the mixing chamber through the opening and closing of the first switching valve and the second switching valve, the control method includes:

[0025] When both the first and second switching valves are open, it is determined whether the outlet temperature of the mixing chamber is greater than a preset temperature. If so, the flow rate of the refrigerant and the frequency of the compressor in the evaporative cooling cycle system are increased, and the temperature difference between the outlet and inlet temperatures of the mixing chamber is obtained. If the temperature difference between the outlet and inlet temperatures of the mixing chamber is greater than a first preset value, the opening of the first switching valve is increased, while the opening of the second switching valve remains unchanged. If the temperature difference between the outlet and inlet temperatures of the mixing chamber is less than or equal to the first preset value, the openings of the first and second switching valves remain unchanged.

[0026] In some implementations, when the air temperature in the common intake passage of both the first and second switching valves is greater than a first preset temperature, the first switching valve is controlled to open and the second switching valve is controlled to close.

[0027] When the air temperature in the common air intake channel of the front ends of the first and second switching valves is less than or equal to the first preset temperature and greater than the second preset temperature, both the first and second switching valves are controlled to open.

[0028] When the air temperature in the common intake channel of the first and second switching valves is less than or equal to the second preset temperature, the first switching valve is closed and the second switching valve is opened.

[0029] The aircraft environmental control system, aircraft, and control method provided by this invention have the following beneficial effects:

[0030] 1. The present invention can control the compressor exhaust port to be connected to at least one end of the second A heat exchange channel and the mixing chamber according to different operating conditions, such as different ambient temperatures, so that the aircraft environmental control system of the present invention is in different working modes. Thus, the air supply mode of the aircraft environmental control system can be adjusted according to the actual situation to reduce system energy consumption, improve system energy saving potential and system comprehensive cooling capacity.

[0031] 2. The pneumatic evaporative refrigeration coupling operation mode of this invention can reasonably match and control the air flow rate entering the evaporator. The evaporative refrigeration cycle system will automatically adjust the refrigerant flow rate and compressor frequency in the evaporative refrigeration cycle system according to the air flow rate and the mixing chamber outlet temperature, thereby reducing system energy consumption and improving the overall cooling capacity of the system. Attached Figure Description

[0032] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. The drawings described below are merely exemplary, and those skilled in the art can derive other embodiments based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of an aircraft environmental control system provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] The attached figures are labeled as follows:

[0035] 1. Compressor; 2. Ozone converter; 3. Heat exchanger; 4. Inlet gas passage; 5. First switch valve; 6. Second switch valve; 7. Evaporator; 8. Condensate pan; 9. Mixing chamber; 10. Compressor; 11. Condenser; 12. Liquid storage tank; 13. Economizer; 14. First throttling device; 15. Second throttling device; 16. Condenser fan; 17. First exhaust valve; 18. Second exhaust valve; 19. Laundry cooling channel; 20. Cabin cooling channel; 21. Aft equipment compartment cooling channel; 22. Make-up gas enthalpy increase branch; 31. First B heat exchange channel; 32. Second B heat exchange channel; 71. First A heat exchange channel; 72. Second A heat exchange channel; 91. First exhaust port; 721. One end of the second A heat exchange channel; 722. The other end of the second A heat exchange channel. Detailed Implementation

[0036] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the present invention or its application or use. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0037] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is generally based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this invention; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0038] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "above," "on top of," "on the upper surface of," "above," etc., are used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of a device or feature as shown in the figures to other devices or features. It should be understood that spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation beyond the orientation of the device as described in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures were inverted, a device described as "above" or "on top of" other devices or structures would subsequently be positioned as "below" or "under" other devices or structures. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both "above" and "below." The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0039] Furthermore, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this invention.

[0040] See also Figure 1 As shown, according to an embodiment of the present invention, an aircraft environmental control system is provided, comprising an evaporative cooling cycle system and a pressurized air source system. The evaporative cooling cycle system has an evaporator 7, which has a first A heat exchange channel 71 and a second A heat exchange channel 72 capable of exchanging heat with each other. The evaporator 7 is connected within the evaporative cooling cycle system via the first A heat exchange channel 71. The pressurized air source system has a compressor 1 and a mixing chamber 9. The exhaust port of the compressor 1 is selectively connected to at least one end 721 of the second A heat exchange channel and the mixing chamber 9. The other end 722 of the second A heat exchange channel is connected to the mixing chamber 9, which has a first exhaust port 91. The mixing chamber 9 can supply cool air to the cabin through this first exhaust port 91.

[0041] When the ambient temperature is low, the air source temperature after passing through compressor 1 is still low and can be directly sent to mixing chamber 9. Then, the air is supplied to the cabin via the first exhaust port 91 of mixing chamber 9, eliminating the need for further cooling through the evaporative cooling cycle. In this condition, the exhaust port of compressor 1 can be controlled to connect with both end 721 of the second A heat exchange channel and mixing chamber 9, allowing the aircraft environmental control system to operate in a fully aerodynamic mode. When the ambient temperature is insufficient to supply cooling to the cabin alone, further cooling through the evaporative cooling cycle is required. In this condition, the exhaust port of compressor 1 can be controlled to connect with both end 721 of the second A heat exchange channel and mixing chamber 9, allowing the aircraft environmental control system to operate in a coupled aerodynamic evaporative cooling cycle mode. When the ambient temperature is high, it is impossible to use the ambient temperature to provide air conditioning for the cabin. The exhaust of compressor 1 cannot be directly sent into mixing chamber 9. At this time, it is necessary to use the evaporative cooling system to cool the exhaust of compressor 1. Under this condition, the exhaust port of compressor 1 can be controlled to connect with one end 721 of the second A heat exchange channel and one end 721 of the second A heat exchange channel in mixing chamber 9.

[0042] In the above example, since the exhaust port of the compressor 1 can be connected to at least one of the two, namely the end 721 of the second A heat exchange channel and the mixing chamber 9, according to different operating conditions, such as different ambient temperatures, the aircraft environmental control system of the present invention can be in different working modes. Thus, the air supply mode of the aircraft environmental control system can be adjusted according to the actual situation to reduce system energy consumption, improve system energy saving potential and system comprehensive cooling capacity.

[0043] To enable the compressor 1's exhaust port to selectively connect with at least one of the second A heat exchange channel 721 and the mixing chamber 9, in some embodiments, such as Figure 1 As shown, the aforementioned booster gas source system may further include a first switching valve 5 and a second switching valve 6. The exhaust port of the compressor 1 is connected to one end 721 of the second A heat exchange channel through the first switching valve 5, and the exhaust port of the compressor 1 is connected to the mixing chamber 9 through the second switching valve 6. The exhaust port of the compressor 1 can be selectively connected to at least one of the second A heat exchange channel (end 721) and the mixing chamber 9 through the opening and closing of both the first switching valve 5 and the second switching valve 6.

[0044] In the above example, the exhaust port of compressor 1 can be connected to one end 721 of the second A heat exchange channel and the mixing chamber 9 by opening the first switch valve 5 and closing the second switch valve 6; the exhaust port of compressor 1 can be connected to both one end 721 of the second A heat exchange channel and the mixing chamber 9 by opening both the first switch valve 5 and the second switch valve 6; the exhaust port of compressor 1 can be connected to the mixing chamber 9 of the second A heat exchange channel by closing the first switch valve 5 and closing the second switch valve 6. Thus, the first switch valve 5 and the second switch valve 6 work together to achieve the function of selectively connecting the exhaust port of compressor 1 to at least one of the two ends 721 of the second A heat exchange channel and the mixing chamber 9.

[0045] In some embodiments, the aforementioned aircraft environmental control system has a fully aerodynamic operating mode, in which the first switching valve 5 is closed and the second switch 6 is open. And / or, the aircraft environmental control system has a pneumatic evaporative cooling coupled operating mode, in which both the first switching valve 5 and the second switch 6 are open. And / or, the aircraft environmental control system has a pure evaporative cooling operating mode, in which the first switching valve 5 is open and the second switch 6 is closed.

[0046] In the above example, the first switching valve 5 and the second switching valve 6 work together to enable the aircraft environmental control system of the present invention to operate in different modes to adapt to different operating conditions, thereby reducing system energy consumption and improving the overall cooling capacity of the system.

[0047] In some embodiments, the aforementioned first switching valve 5 and second switching valve 6 can both be flow regulating valves to control the flow rate on their respective flow paths, determining whether the evaporative cycle refrigeration system or the pressurized and heated air from the pressurized air source system is directly sent into the mixing chamber 9 during coupled operation. Ultimately, by controlling their respective flow rates, the system can reduce energy consumption and improve the overall cooling capacity of the system while meeting the requirement of supplying cooling air to the cabin.

[0048] In some implementations, such as Figure 1 As shown, the aforementioned aircraft environmental control system may also include a heat exchanger 3, which is used to introduce external ram air and exchange heat with the exhaust of the compressor 1 to reduce the exhaust temperature of the compressor 1 and make full use of the cold energy in the external ram air.

[0049] It should be noted that the term "ram air" mentioned above is a technical term in the field of aircraft aviation, referring to the air in the external environment of the aircraft.

[0050] To achieve the goal of allowing external compressed air to be introduced into the heat exchanger 3 to cool the exhaust gas from the compressor 1, in some embodiments, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the aforementioned heat exchanger 3 has a first B heat exchange channel 31 and a second B heat exchange channel 32 that can exchange heat with each other. The aforementioned aircraft environmental control system also includes a bleed air channel 4, which is connected to both the air inlet of the compressor 1 and the inlet of the first B heat exchange channel 31. The exhaust port of the aforementioned compressor 1 is selectively connected to at least one of the second A heat exchange channel 721 and the mixing chamber 9 via the second B heat exchange channel 32.

[0051] In the above example, the exhaust gas from compressor 1 and the external ram air can exchange heat within heat exchanger 3, so that heat exchanger 3 can introduce external ram air to cool the exhaust gas from compressor 1. In addition, since the air inlet of compressor 1 and the inlet of the first B heat exchange channel 31 both introduce external ram air through the same bleed air channel 4, this has the advantage of simplifying the bleed air structure.

[0052] In some implementations, such as Figure 1 As shown, when the booster gas source system also includes a first switching valve 5 and a second switching valve 6; when the exhaust port of the compressor 1 is connected to one end 721 of the second A heat exchange channel through the first switching valve 5 and to the mixing chamber 9 through the second switching valve 6, the exhaust port of the compressor 1 is connected to the first switching valve 5 and the second switching valve 6 through the second B heat exchange channel 32, so as to achieve the purpose of selectively connecting the exhaust port of the compressor 1 to at least one of the two, the end 721 of the second A heat exchange channel and the mixing chamber 9, through the second B heat exchange channel 32.

[0053] In some embodiments, the exhaust port of the aforementioned compressor 1 can be connected to the second B heat exchange channel 32 via the ozone converter 2. The ozone converter can use catalysis to convert ozone in the air, thereby purifying the air.

[0054] In some implementations, such as Figure 1 As shown, the aforementioned aircraft environmental control system may further include a condensate tray 8 and a conveying mechanism. The condensate tray 8 is used to receive condensate from the evaporator 7, and the conveying mechanism is used to convey the condensate in the condensate tray 8 to the inlet of the first B heat exchange channel 31, so as to use the condensate to cool the exhaust gas of the compressor 1, thereby making full use of the cooling capacity of the condensate. In addition, it can also enhance the heat exchange inside the heat exchanger 3 and improve the heat exchange capacity of the heat exchanger 3.

[0055] In some embodiments, the aforementioned conveying mechanism may include a pipe to convey condensate from the condensate pan 8 to the inlet of the first B heat exchange channel 31. The pipe may be equipped with a pump or similar device to provide the power for the condensate to flow along the pipe.

[0056] In some implementations, such as Figure 1 As shown, the aforementioned evaporative cycle refrigeration system also includes a compressor 10 and a gas replenishment and enthalpy enhancement branch 22, which is connected to the gas replenishment port of the compressor 10.

[0057] In the example above, the cooling capacity of the evaporative cycle refrigeration system can be improved by setting the gas replenishment and enthalpy increase branch 22.

[0058] In a specific application example, such as Figure 1 As shown, the aforementioned evaporative cooling cycle system also includes a condenser 11 and an economizer 13. The exhaust port of the compressor 10 is connected to one end of the condenser 11, and the other end of the condenser 11 is connected to the first inlet of the economizer 13. The other end of the condenser 11 is also connected to the second inlet of the economizer 13 via a first throttling device 14. The first outlet of the economizer 13 is connected to one end of the first A heat exchange channel 71 via a second throttling device 15, and the other end of the first A heat exchange channel 71 is connected to the suction port of the compressor 10. The gas outlet of the economizer 13 is connected to the gas supply port of the compressor 10 via the aforementioned gas supply enthalpy-increasing branch 22.

[0059] In the above example, the evaporative cycle refrigeration system uses the economizer 13 to replenish the enthalpy of the compressor 10 suction port, thereby improving the refrigeration capacity of the evaporative cycle refrigeration system.

[0060] It should be noted that the first throttling device 14 and the second throttling device 15 mentioned above can both be throttling valves, such as electronic expansion valves.

[0061] In some embodiments, the aforementioned compressor 1 can be an electric compressor, thus making the aforementioned booster air source system an electric booster system. This electric booster system is coupled and linked with the evaporative cycle refrigeration system, eliminating the need for the use of traditional pneumatic compressors and turbines, which have complex and inefficient mechanical structures for air compression, expansion, and refrigeration.

[0062] In some implementations, such as Figure 1 As shown, the aforementioned aircraft environmental control system may further include a lavatory cooling channel 19, a cabin cooling channel 20, and a rear equipment bay cooling channel 21. The lavatory cooling channel 19 flows through the lavatory to cool it. The cabin cooling channel 20 flows through the cabin to cool it. The rear equipment bay cooling channel 21 flows through the rear equipment bay to cool it. The cabin cooling channel 20 and the rear equipment bay cooling channel 21 are connected in series, with the rear equipment bay cooling channel 21 located downstream of the cabin cooling channel 20. The aforementioned mixing chamber 9 is connected to both the lavatory cooling channel 19 and the cabin cooling channel 20 via a first exhaust port 91.

[0063] In the example above, energy efficiency can be improved by using the air that has been heated by the passenger cabin to cool the relevant electronic equipment in the aft equipment compartment.

[0064] like Figure 1 As shown, both the aforementioned lavatory cooling channel 19 and the aft equipment compartment cooling channel 21 exhaust air through the second exhaust valve 18.

[0065] In some implementations, such as Figure 1 As shown, the aforementioned aircraft environmental control system may further include a condenser fan 16 and a first exhaust valve 17. The condenser fan 16 is disposed on the outlet flow path of the first B heat exchange channel 31, and the first exhaust valve 17 is also disposed on the outlet flow path of the first B heat exchange channel 31 to facilitate exhaust.

[0066] In some embodiments, the present invention also provides an aircraft that may include the aircraft environmental control system of any of the above.

[0067] In some embodiments, the present invention also provides a control method for any of the above-described aircraft environmental control systems, wherein the pressurized air source system further includes a first switching valve 5 and a second switching valve 6, the exhaust port of the compressor 1 is connected to one end 721 of the second A heat exchange channel through the first switching valve 5, and is connected to the mixing chamber 9 through the second switching valve 6; when the exhaust port of the compressor 1 is selectively connected to at least one of the second A heat exchange channel 721 and the mixing chamber 9 through the opening and closing cooperation of the first switching valve 5 and the second switching valve 6, the control method includes:

[0068] When both the first switching valve 5 and the second switching valve 6 are open, it is determined whether the outlet temperature of the mixing chamber 9 is greater than the preset temperature. If so, it indicates that the outlet temperature of the mixing chamber 9 is too high to meet the cooling demand. In this case, it is necessary to adjust and increase the flow rate of the refrigerant in the evaporative cooling cycle system and the frequency of the compressor 10 to increase the cooling capacity of the evaporative cooling cycle system and meet the cooling demand. At the same time, the temperature difference between the outlet temperature and the inlet temperature of the mixing chamber 9 is obtained. If the temperature difference between the outlet temperature and the inlet temperature of the mixing chamber 9 is greater than the first preset value, it indicates that the temperature difference between the inlet and outlet of the mixing chamber 9 is too large, and the air temperature in the flow path where the second switching valve 6 is located is too high. In this case, it is necessary to increase the opening of the first switching valve 5 while keeping the opening of the second switching valve 6 unchanged to increase the air flow rate of the second A heat exchange channel 72, so that more air can exchange heat with the evaporator 7. This helps to reduce the outlet temperature of the mixing chamber 9 and meet the cooling demand. If the temperature difference between the outlet temperature and the inlet temperature of the mixing chamber 9 is less than or equal to the first preset value, it means that the air temperature in the flow path of the first switching valve 6 and the second switching valve 5 is similar. In this case, the opening degree of the first switching valve 5 and the second switching valve 6 can be kept unchanged.

[0069] In the above example, when both the first switching valve 5 and the second switching valve 6 are open, the aircraft environmental control system operates in the aerodynamic evaporative cycle refrigeration coupled operation mode. It can adjust the refrigerant flow rate and compressor frequency in the evaporative cycle refrigeration system according to the air flow rate through the second A heat exchange channel 72 and the outlet temperature of the mixing chamber 9, so as to reduce system energy consumption and improve the overall system cooling capacity while meeting the requirement of supplying cooling air to the cabin.

[0070] In a specific application example, the preset temperature can be 16℃, and the first preset value can be 5℃.

[0071] In some embodiments, the aforementioned control method further includes: when the air temperature in the shared intake channel of the first switching valve 5 and the second switching valve 6 is greater than a first preset temperature, it indicates that the air temperature is too high. In this case, the first switching valve 5 is opened and the second switching valve 6 is closed, causing the aircraft environmental control system to enter a pure evaporative cooling cycle operation mode. When the air temperature in the shared intake channel of the first switching valve 5 and the second switching valve 6 is less than or equal to the first preset temperature but greater than the second preset temperature, it indicates that the air in the front end has a certain amount of cooling capacity and can be utilized. In this case, both the first switching valve 5 and the second switching valve 6 are opened, causing the aircraft environmental control system to enter a pneumatic evaporative cooling cycle coupled operation mode. When the air temperature in the shared intake channel of the first switching valve 5 and the second switching valve 6 is less than or equal to the second preset temperature, it indicates that the air temperature in the front end is extremely low and can be directly used for cooling. In this case, the first switching valve 5 is closed and the second switching valve 6 is opened, causing the aircraft environmental control system to enter a fully aerodynamic operation mode.

[0072] In a specific application example, the first preset temperature mentioned above can be 25℃, or the first preset temperature mentioned above can be 10℃.

[0073] For ease of understanding, the overall structure of the present invention will be described below, and its working principle will be explained.

[0074] like Figure 1As shown, the aircraft environmental control system of the present invention includes a compressor 1, an ozone converter 2, a heat exchanger 3, an evaporator 7, a first switching valve 5, a second switching valve 6, a mixing chamber 9, a condenser fan 16, a first exhaust valve 17, and a second exhaust valve 18. The compressor 1 can be an electric compressor, which, driven by electricity, pressurizes external ram air to obtain a high-temperature, high-pressure air source, which is then supplied to the ozone converter 2. The ozone converter uses catalysis to convert ozone in the air, thereby purifying the air. The heat exchanger 3 uses ram air from the external environment to cool the high-temperature, high-pressure air pressurized by the compressor 1. The cooled air then enters the evaporator 7 and the mixing chamber 9 through the first switching valve 5 and the second switching valve 6, respectively. Both the first switching valve 5 and the second switching valve 6 can be flow control valves, which can regulate the airflow entering the evaporator 7 and directly entering the mixing chamber 9 according to the outlet temperature of the heat exchanger 3 after cooling. The evaporative cooling cycle system includes an evaporator 7, a compressor 10, a condenser 11, a liquid receiver 12, an economizer 13, a first throttling device 14, a second throttling device 15, a condensate pan 8, and a temperature sensor. Both the evaporator 7 and the condenser 11 can be finned tube heat exchangers or microchannel heat exchangers, etc. Both the evaporator 7 and the condenser 11 are refrigerant-air heat exchangers, each with refrigerant and air passages. The refrigerant passages of the evaporator 7, compressor 10, condenser 11, liquid receiver 12, first throttling device 14, economizer 13, and second throttling device 15 are sequentially connected to form a loop. A condensate pan 8 is located below the evaporator 7, and the condensate pan 8 is connected to the inlet of the first B heat exchange channel 31 of the heat exchanger 3 via a water pipe to enhance heat exchange inside the heat exchanger 3.

[0075] The evaporative cycle refrigeration system is a gas-fuel-injection enthalpy-increasing system. The refrigerant's working principle in this system is as follows: After being compressed by compressor 10, the refrigerant becomes a high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas. It then enters condenser 11 and exchanges heat with compressed air, becoming a high-pressure, medium-temperature refrigerant liquid. This liquid then enters receiver 12, which stores the liquid refrigerant. The receiver 12 can adjust the refrigerant flow rate according to the refrigeration system's requirements. A small amount of refrigerant from receiver 12 is throttled by the first throttling device 14 and enters economizer 13. There, it exchanges heat with the main flow of refrigerant before entering the compressor 10's suction port, increasing the system's intermediate pressure refrigerant and enhancing the system's cooling capacity. The main flow of refrigerant from receiver 12 exchanges heat with a small amount of refrigerant in economizer 13 and then passes through the second throttling device 15 before entering evaporator 7. In evaporator 7, it exchanges heat with air, becoming a refrigerant gas, which then enters the compressor 10's suction port. A condensate pan 8 is placed under the evaporator 7 to collect condensate, which is then piped into the pressurized air passage (i.e., the aforementioned first B heat exchange passage 31) on the cold side (low temperature side) of the heat exchanger 3 to enhance heat exchange inside the heat exchanger 3 and improve its heat exchange capacity. Temperature sensors are used to monitor the temperature at various locations in the system, facilitating automatic adjustment of the system's operating mode. Both the first switching valve 5 and the second switching valve 6 mentioned above can be electrically controlled valves for easy implementation of electrical control.

[0076] The aircraft environmental control system of this invention can realize a fully aerodynamic operation mode, an aerodynamic evaporative cooling coupled operation mode, and a pure evaporative cooling operation mode. These three operation modes can be automatically adjusted according to changes in the outdoor ram air ambient temperature, or they can be manually set. The following is a detailed description of these three operation modes.

[0077] I. Fully pneumatic operation mode.

[0078] like Figure 1 As shown, in full-start operation mode, the first switch valve 5 is closed and the second switch valve 6 is open. The ram air, after being pressurized by compressor 1, becomes a high-temperature, high-pressure gas. After purification in ozone converter 2, it enters heat exchanger 3 to exchange heat with the low-temperature ram air that has not been pressurized by compressor 1. The cooled air then enters mixing chamber 9 through the second switch valve 6. Air exiting mixing chamber 9 enters either the lavatory or the passenger cabin air supply. The low-temperature air, after heat exchange in the passenger cabin, enters the aft equipment compartment to cool related electronic equipment, and is then discharged through the second exhaust valve 18. The ram air that has not been pressurized by compressor 1 enters heat exchanger 3 to be cooled as a high-temperature, high-pressure gas, and is then discharged through condenser fan 16 and the first exhaust valve 17. This mode operates when the ambient ram air environment is low.

[0079] During high-altitude operation, the ambient temperature and pressure are low. According to flight envelope data for some aircraft, the ambient temperature can reach -40℃. When the external ambient temperature is low, the air is heated and pressurized by compressor 1 and then exchanges heat with the low-temperature ambient air (which has not been heated and pressurized by the electric compressor) in heat exchanger 3. The air then enters mixing chamber 9 for comprehensive temperature regulation and distribution to various areas. When the external ambient temperature is still low, the pressurized air source, which can still generate a low-temperature booster after heat exchange in heat exchanger 3, can be directly sent to mixing chamber 9 without needing to undergo further cooling through an evaporative cooling cycle system.

[0080] II. Pneumatic evaporative cycle refrigeration coupled operation mode.

[0081] like Figure 1 As shown, in the pneumatic evaporative cooling coupled operation mode, both the first switching valve 5 and the second switching valve 6 are open. The ram air enters the compressor 1 and becomes a high-temperature, high-pressure gas. After purification in the ozone converter 2, it enters the heat exchanger 3 to exchange heat with the low-temperature ram air that has not been pressurized by the compressor 1. Then, part of it enters the evaporator 7 through the first switching valve 5, and part enters the mixing chamber 9 through the second switching valve 6. The air entering the evaporator 7 through the first switching valve 5 absorbs heat through refrigerant evaporation in the evaporator 7, becoming low-temperature air, which then enters the mixing chamber 9 and mixes with the air entering the mixing chamber 9 through the second switching valve 6. The air exiting the mixing chamber 9 enters either the lavatory or the passenger cabin air supply. The low-temperature air exchanges heat in the passenger cabin and then enters the aft equipment compartment to cool related electronic equipment. Both are then discharged through the second exhaust valve 18. The ram air that has not been pressurized by the compressor 1 enters the air passages of the heat exchanger 3 and the condenser 11, where it is cooled by the high-temperature, high-pressure gas and refrigerant, and then discharged through the condenser fan 16 and the first exhaust valve 17.

[0082] In this operating mode, the opening degree of the first switching valve 5 and the second switching valve 6 is controlled and adjusted by the air temperature collected by the temperature sensor at the front end of the first switching valve 5 and the second switching valve 6, as well as the sampling temperature at the outlet of the mixing chamber 9, so as to reasonably distribute the air flow into the evaporator 7. The evaporative cycle refrigeration system will automatically adjust the refrigerant flow and compressor 10 frequency in the evaporative cycle refrigeration system according to the air flow and the outlet temperature of the mixing chamber 9. The pneumatic evaporative cycle refrigeration coupled operation can reduce system energy consumption and improve the overall refrigeration capacity of the system.

[0083] In the pneumatic evaporative cooling coupled operation, the pressurized and heated gas after heat exchange in heat exchanger 3 has two flow directions: one goes to the evaporator 7 of the evaporative cooling system, where it is processed into low-temperature air and then sent into the mixing chamber 9; the other goes directly into the mixing chamber 9. The reason for this two-way flow depends on the air temperature collected by the temperature sensors at the front ends of the first and second switching valves 5 and 6, which determines whether the evaporative cooling system or the pressurized and heated air after heat exchange in heat exchanger 3 is the primary source of air during coupled operation.

[0084] Since the air conditioning flow rate entering the evaporator 7 within the evaporative cooling cycle system is adjustable, different flow rates and temperatures result in different heat loads on the system. Therefore, the refrigerant flow rate and compressor 10 frequency in the evaporative cooling cycle system need to be dynamically adjusted according to the actual heat load. Changes in compressor 10 frequency correspond to changes in compressor speed and capacity. When both the first throttling device 14 and the second throttling device 15 are expansion valves, such as electronic expansion valves, the refrigerant flow rate can be adjusted by regulating the opening of the electronic expansion valve. If the heat load is low, the evaporative cooling cycle system does not require a large refrigerant flow rate or full-load operation of the compressor 10. Full-load operation would cause excessive wear and tear on the equipment and result in low energy efficiency.

[0085] In this system, the evaporative cooling cycle system and the pressurized and heated air after heat exchange in heat exchanger 3 are directly sent into the mixing chamber 9 to complement each other, which can reduce the system energy consumption of a single cooling method. In addition, the air flow rate entering the evaporator 7 can be dynamically adjusted through coupling to synchronously match the refrigerant flow rate and compressor frequency in the evaporative cooling cycle system, thereby improving the cooling capacity of the evaporative cooling cycle system and avoiding excessive losses and system inefficiency caused by continuous full-load operation.

[0086] III. Pure evaporative cooling cycle operation mode.

[0087] like Figure 1 As shown, in the pure evaporative cooling cycle mode, the first switch valve 5 is open and the second switch valve 6 is closed. The ram air enters the compressor 1 and becomes a high-temperature, high-pressure gas. After purification in the ozone converter 2, it enters the heat exchanger 3 to exchange heat with the low-temperature ram air that has not been pressurized by the compressor 1. Then, it enters the evaporator 7 through the first switch valve 5. After absorbing heat through refrigerant evaporation in the evaporator 7, it becomes low-temperature air and enters the mixing chamber 9. The air exiting the mixing chamber 9 enters either the lavatory or the passenger cabin air supply. After heat exchange in the passenger cabin, the low-temperature air enters the aft equipment compartment to cool related electronic equipment, and then is discharged through the second exhaust valve 18. The ram air that has not been pressurized by the compressor 1 enters the air passages of the heat exchanger 3 and condenser 11 respectively. After being cooled by the high-temperature, high-pressure gas and refrigerant, it is discharged through the condenser fan 16 and the first exhaust valve 17.

[0088] When the ambient temperature is high, such as when the aircraft is on the ground in summer, the air temperature after heat exchange in heat exchanger 3 is too high to be directly sent into mixing chamber 9. In this mode, only the pure evaporative cooling cycle operation mode is activated. The air processed by heat exchanger 3 enters the evaporator 7 side of the evaporative cooling cycle system for further cooling before being sent into mixing chamber 9.

[0089] When the aforementioned compressor 1 is an electric compressor, the aforementioned pressurized air source system becomes an electric pressurization system. This electric pressurization system, coupled with the evaporative cooling cycle system, forms the aircraft's all-electric environmental control system. This system can achieve a fully aerodynamic operation mode, an aerodynamic evaporative cooling cycle coupled operation mode, and a pure evaporative cooling cycle operation mode, providing the aircraft with a simple mechanical structure and highly efficient and energy-saving environmental control system. In the aerodynamic evaporative cooling cycle coupled operation mode, the opening degrees of the first and second switching valves 5 and 6 can be controlled and adjusted by the air temperature collected by the temperature sensors at the front ends of the first and second switching valves 6 and the sampling temperature at the outlet of the mixing chamber 9, thus rationally matching and controlling the airflow entering the evaporator 7. The evaporative cooling cycle system will automatically adjust the refrigerant flow rate and compressor 10 frequency based on the airflow rate in the evaporator 7 and the outlet temperature of the mixing chamber 9. The aerodynamic evaporative cooling cycle coupled operation can reduce system energy consumption and improve the overall cooling capacity of the system.

[0090] Traditional aircraft environmental control systems typically employ bleed air systems, utilizing engine exhaust. This means ambient air is used by the engine and then further processed by the air conditioning system, placing high demands on the air source system design and resulting in a complex system. This invention, however, uses an electric compressor to achieve electric supercharging, changing the bleed air method by directly supercharging ambient air without using engine exhaust. Furthermore, this invention employs a coupled design between the electric supercharging system and the evaporative cooling cycle, eliminating the need for the complex and inefficient air compression and expansion cooling mechanisms of traditional pneumatic compressors and turbines. Moreover, this invention can switch between multiple operating modes based on varying outdoor ambient temperatures, improving energy-saving potential.

[0091] It will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that, without conflict, the advantageous technical features of the above-mentioned methods can be freely combined and superimposed.

[0092] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention. The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An aircraft environmental control system, characterized in that: It includes an evaporative cycle refrigeration system and a pressurized gas source system. The evaporative cycle refrigeration system has an evaporator (7). The evaporator (7) has a first A heat exchange channel (71) and a second A heat exchange channel (72) that can exchange heat with each other. The evaporator (7) is connected to the evaporative cycle refrigeration system through the first A heat exchange channel (71). The pressurized air source system has a compressor (1) and a mixing chamber (9); the exhaust port of the compressor (1) is selectively connected to at least one of the second A heat exchange channel (721) and the mixing chamber (9); the other end (722) of the second A heat exchange channel is connected to the mixing chamber (9), which has a first exhaust port (91).

2. The aircraft environmental control system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The booster gas source system also includes a first switching valve (5) and a second switching valve (6). The exhaust port of the compressor (1) is connected to one end (721) of the second A heat exchange channel through the first switching valve (5) and to the mixing chamber (9) through the second switching valve (6). The exhaust port of the compressor (1) can be selectively connected to at least one of the second A heat exchange channel (721) and the mixing chamber (9) through the opening and closing of the first switching valve (5) and the second switching valve (6).

3. The aircraft environmental control system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The aircraft environmental control system has a full aerodynamic operation mode. In the full aerodynamic operation mode, the first switch valve (5) is closed and the second switch (6) is open. And / or, the aircraft environmental control system has an aerodynamic evaporative cooling coupled operation mode, in which the first switching valve (5) and the second switch (6) are both open; And / or, the aircraft environmental control system has a pure evaporative cooling operation mode, in which the first switch valve (5) is open and the second switch (6) is closed.

4. The aircraft environmental control system according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: Both the first switching valve (5) and the second switching valve (6) are flow regulating valves.

5. The aircraft environmental control system according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that: It also includes a heat exchanger (3), which is used to introduce external ram air to exchange heat with the exhaust gas of the compressor (1).

6. The aircraft environmental control system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The heat exchanger (3) has a first B heat exchange channel (31) and a second B heat exchange channel (32) that can exchange heat with each other; The aircraft environmental control system further includes an air intake channel (4), which is connected to the air inlet of the compressor (1) and the inlet of the first B heat exchange channel (31). The exhaust port of the compressor (1) is selectively connected to at least one of the second A heat exchange channel (721) and the mixing chamber (9) through the second B heat exchange channel (32).

7. The aircraft environmental control system according to claim 6, characterized in that: When the booster gas source system further includes a first switching valve (5) and a second switching valve (6); the exhaust port of the compressor (1) is connected to one end (721) of the second A heat exchange channel through the first switching valve (5) and to the mixing chamber (9) through the second switching valve (6), the exhaust port of the compressor (1) is connected to the first switching valve (5) and the second switching valve (6) through the second B heat exchange channel (32) respectively.

8. The aircraft environmental control system according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The exhaust port of the compressor (1) is connected to the second B heat exchange channel (32) through the ozone converter (2).

9. The aircraft environmental control system according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: It also includes a condensate pan (8) and a conveying mechanism. The condensate pan (8) is used to receive condensate from the evaporator (7), and the conveying mechanism is used to convey the condensate in the condensate pan (8) to the inlet of the first B heat exchange channel (31).

10. The aircraft environmental control system according to any one of claims 1-3 and 6-7, characterized in that: The evaporative cooling system also includes a compressor (10) and a gas replenishment and enthalpy enhancement branch (22), which is connected to the gas replenishment port of the compressor (10).

11. The aircraft environmental control system according to claim 10, characterized in that: The evaporative cooling system further includes a condenser (11) and an economizer (13). The exhaust port of the compressor (10) is connected to one end of the condenser (11), and the other end of the condenser (11) is connected to the first inlet of the economizer (13). The other end of the condenser (11) is also connected to the second inlet of the economizer (13) through a first throttling device (14). The first outlet of the economizer (13) is connected to one end of the first A heat exchange channel (71) through a second throttling device (15). The other end of the first A heat exchange channel (71) is connected to the suction port of the compressor (10). The gas outlet of the economizer (13) is connected to the gas supply port of the compressor (10) through the gas supply enthalpy-increasing branch (22).

12. The aircraft environmental control system according to any one of claims 1-3, 6-7, and 11, characterized in that: The compressor (1) is an electric compressor; And / or, the aircraft environmental control system further includes a lavatory cooling channel (19), a cabin cooling channel (20), and a rear equipment compartment cooling channel (21). The lavatory cooling channel (19) is used to flow through the lavatory, the cabin cooling channel (20) is used to flow through the cabin, and the rear equipment compartment cooling channel (21) is used to flow through the rear equipment compartment. The cabin cooling channel (20) and the rear equipment compartment cooling channel (21) are connected in series, and the rear equipment compartment cooling channel (21) is located downstream of the cabin cooling channel (20). The mixing chamber (9) is connected to both the lavatory cooling channel (19) and the cabin cooling channel (20) through a first exhaust port (91).

13. An aircraft, characterized in that: The aircraft environmental control system includes any one of claims 1-12.

14. A control method for an aircraft environmental control system according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that, When the booster gas source system further includes a first switching valve (5) and a second switching valve (6), the exhaust port of the compressor (1) is connected to one end (721) of the second A heat exchange channel through the first switching valve (5), and is connected to the mixing chamber (9) through the second switching valve (6); when the exhaust port of the compressor (1) is selectively connected to at least one of the second A heat exchange channel (721) and the mixing chamber (9) through the opening and closing of the first switching valve (5) and the second switching valve (6), the control method includes: When both the first switching valve (5) and the second switching valve (6) are open, it is determined whether the outlet temperature of the mixing chamber (9) is greater than the preset temperature. If so, the flow rate of the refrigerant in the evaporative cooling system and the frequency of the compressor (10) are adjusted to increase, and the temperature difference between the outlet temperature and the inlet temperature of the mixing chamber (9) is obtained. If the temperature difference between the outlet temperature and the inlet temperature of the mixing chamber (9) is greater than the first preset value, the opening of the first switching valve (5) is increased, and the opening of the second switching valve (6) is kept unchanged. If the temperature difference between the outlet temperature and the inlet temperature of the mixing chamber (9) is less than or equal to the first preset value, the opening of the first switching valve (5) and the second switching valve (6) are kept unchanged.

15. The control method according to claim 14, characterized in that: The control method further includes: When the air temperature in the common air intake channel of the front end of the first switch valve (5) and the second switch valve (6) is greater than the first preset temperature, the first switch valve (5) is controlled to open and the second switch valve (6) is controlled to close. When the air temperature in the common air intake channel of the front end of the first switch valve (5) and the second switch valve (6) is less than or equal to the first preset temperature and greater than the second preset temperature, the first switch valve (5) and the second switch valve (6) are both controlled to open. When the air temperature in the common intake channel of the first switch valve (5) and the second switch valve (6) is less than or equal to the second preset temperature, the first switch valve (5) is closed and the second switch valve (6) is opened.

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