Method for air conditioning the cabin of an aircraft on the ground, depending on available power sources

Abstract

METHOD FOR CONDITIONING THE CABIN OF AN AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND BASED ON AVAILABLE POWER SOURCES A method (500) for conditioning the cabin of an aircraft (10) on the ground at an airport, using at least one electrical and / or pneumatic power source (20), comprising: a step (510) of real-time collection of data relating to the aircraft and its flight plan, the power sources, the airport infrastructure, etc.; a step (520) of determining the available power sources; a step (530) of evaluating the performance of each available power source based on a setpoint temperature and collected data; a step (540) of determining an optimal set comprising at least one available power source; if this optimal set is not used, the method further comprises: an alert step (560); and a step (570) recommending the use of said optimal set.Figure for the abbreviation: figure 3.

Description

Title of the invention: Method for conditioning the air in the cabin of an aircraft on the ground according to the available power sources Technical field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of air conditioning of aircraft cabins, in particular of airliners on the ground before takeoff, and relates more particularly to a method of air conditioning of the cabin of an aircraft on the ground (during the boarding phase for example) as a function of the available electrical and pneumatic power sources. State of the art

[0002] In the field of aviation, air conditioning is essential and primarily concerns air conditioning in aircraft cabins, especially when the weather conditions (outside temperature and humidity) are not favorable to the comfort of passengers and cabin crew.

[0003] However, the use of air conditioning can far exceed the actual need and cause unnecessary overconsumption of energy (waste) and therefore higher operating costs for airlines.

[0004] Excessive use of air conditioning on board aircraft is in fact frequently observed, whether through too much anticipation of departure, through prolonged use upon arrival or through simple negligence (doors left open, set temperature too low, for example).

[0005] In many stopovers and due to the thermal loads that the aircraft is subjected to (solar radiation on the skin of the fuselage, heat dissipation from on-board electronic equipment, metabolic load of passengers, etc.), the use of air conditioning becomes necessary to ensure passenger comfort.

[0006] The use of air conditioning is so important that it constitutes one of the main items determining the energy consumption of an aircraft on the ground.

[0007] When an aircraft is not connected to any external power source, it is its auxiliary power unit (APU) which provides the electrical and pneumatic energy needed for cabin air conditioning. The fuel consumption of the APU is significant (from 120 kg / hour for a single-aisle aircraft to more than 300 kg / hour for a large aircraft).

[0008] In a context of rising fuel prices and regulations imposing limits on CO2 emissions in airports, limiting the use of the APU has become a necessity and this involves in particular optimizing the use of air conditioning in an aircraft.

[0009] Indeed, some airports have strictly regulated the use of APUs by aircraft passing through them, either by prohibiting it for aircraft parked at the boarding gates or by prohibiting it completely.

[0010] Indeed, while APUs are useful in airports where ground assistance is limited, most airports have now started to install external power sources (fixed electrical power on the ground and pre-conditioned air system), generally at the boarding gates.

[0011] Connecting the aircraft to an external pneumatic power source such as a PCA (Pre-Condioned Air) or an ACU (Air Conditioning Unit) is a more economical solution and one which allows CO2 emissions to be reduced (by a factor of at least 8) for air conditioning the cabin of an aircraft. However, just as with the APU, ensuring optimal use of external power sources remains a difficult but particularly advantageous objective. Often, the cooling powers delivered by external pneumatic sources (PCA or ACU) are lower than those of the APU, so they take longer to cool the cabin.

[0012] Having replaced the APU with a PCA or an ACU, the aircraft must also be electrically powered by a ground-based electrical power unit such as a GPU (Ground Power Unit) or a FEGP (Fixed Electrical Ground Power). Whether the GPU is powered by a diesel engine or is a hybrid, it can prove more competitive than a FEGP but more emissive in terms of CO2.

[0013] There are solutions for adjusting the temperature of the cabin of an aircraft during the preparation before the flight of said aircraft.

[0014] For example, document US10752376B2 describes a pre-flight preparation system for an aircraft, comprising one or more electrical power modules, in which an integrated controller is electrically and communicatively coupled to the power modules to monitor and control them in order to provide electrical power to the subsystems of the aircraft. In this solution, a mobile device such as a smartphone can connect to the integrated controller to communicate instructions to it for preparing the aircraft before flight and to monitor the status of this preparation.Additionally, this document describes a method of preconditioning an aircraft comprising determining a load state of an APU and activating an environmental control subsystem to precondition the aircraft by adjusting a current temperature according to a preconditioning profile based on one or more of: a target temperature, a target time, a current temperature, an outside air temperature, an amount of energy, and a load state of the APU.

[0015] However, this solution relies solely on the use of the APU which is an internal source of power, and does not take into account the presence of external sources. of power and does not offer the possibility of optimizing the choice of the power source(s) available to condition the cabin area.

[0016] Document FR3019358B1 describes a method and a device for the optimized overall management of an energy network of an aircraft comprising a plurality of energy equipment, characterized in that it comprises a module for selecting at least one optimization objective from among a plurality of predetermined objectives, a module for receiving equipment data, a module for receiving aircraft data, and a module for determining operating instructions for the energy equipment from the equipment data and the aircraft data adapted to achieve at least one selected optimization objective.

[0017] This solution also does not concern air conditioning optimized according to the internal and external sources of power available when the aircraft is on the ground. Presentation of the invention

[0018] The present invention aims to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art set out above and proposes a solution making it possible to recommend the optimal power source(s) for air conditioning an aircraft cabin on the ground, taking into account consumption and therefore energy cost and carbon footprint.

[0019] Thus, an objective of the present invention is to optimize the air conditioning of a cabin of an aircraft on the ground by defining and recommending the correct use of energy necessary to reach a set temperature as a function of multiple parameters including in particular said set temperature, an outside temperature, an inside temperature, a departure time of the aircraft, etc.

[0020] Another objective of the present invention is to achieve an optimum both in the choice of the pneumatic and electric power source to be used on the ground and in terms of its time of use when preparing an aircraft before its departure.

[0021] To this end, the present invention relates to a method for conditioning the air in a cabin of an aircraft on the ground in an airport, by means of at least one source, internal or external, of electrical and / or pneumatic power, remarkable in that it comprises:

[0022] • a step of real-time data collection including aircraft parameters, power source parameters, aircraft flight data, airport infrastructure and equipment data; • a step of determining the internal and external sources of power available, from a database of airport equipment; • an evaluation step, using specific algorithms, of a performance of each power source available based on a set temperature to be reached in the cabin and data collected; • a step of determining an optimal power set comprising at least one power source among the available power sources; • a step of verifying the use of the optimal set; and • conditional steps of alerting and recommending the use of said optimal set, in the event of non-use being detected.

[0023] Advantageously, the aircraft parameters include an interior cabin temperature, an exterior temperature, parameters of a main engine and an APU, and the set temperature.

[0024] According to the invention, the external power sources comprise a GPU, an ACU, a PCA and a FEGP.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the step of determining the available internal and external power sources implements algorithms for automatic detection of connection between the aircraft and any power source.

[0026] According to an advantageous embodiment, the performance of a power source includes its ability and the time required for said source to achieve cabin air conditioning at the set temperature.

[0027] Advantageously, the step of determining the optimal set presents for each power source a level of selection according to the performance of the source, a level of selection according to an energy or monetary cost of using the source and a level of selection according to pollutant emissions (CO2) during use of the source.

[0028] According to one embodiment, the step of determining the optimal set is carried out by machine learning.

[0029] The present invention also relates to a digital platform comprising computing and storage means, capable of communicating on a network, and configured to implement a method for conditioning the air in a cabin of an aircraft on the ground as presented.

[0030] The fundamental concepts of the invention having just been set out above in their most elementary form, other details and characteristics will emerge more clearly on reading the description which follows and with reference to the appended drawings, giving by way of non-limiting example an embodiment of a method for conditioning the air in a cabin of an aircraft on the ground, in accordance with the principles of the invention. Presentation of the drawings

[0031] The figures are given purely for illustrative purposes for the understanding of the invention. and do not limit the scope thereof. The various elements are represented schematically and are not necessarily to the same scale. In all figures, identical or equivalent elements bear the same numerical reference.

[0032] It is thus illustrated in:

[0033] [Fig-1]: a top view of an aircraft parked on the ground and near which find external sources of power;

[0034] [Fig.2]: a side view of an aircraft parked on the ground;

[0035] [Fig.3]: a flowchart of the main steps of a method for conditioning air in an aircraft cabin according to the invention;

[0036] [Fig.4]: an example of implementation of the air conditioning process according to the invention. Detailed description of embodiments

[0037] It should be noted that certain technical elements well known to those skilled in the art are described herein to avoid any insufficiency or ambiguity in the understanding of the present invention.

[0038] In the embodiment described below, reference is made to a method for conditioning air in the cabin of an aircraft on the ground, intended mainly for airliners during their ground parking phase. This non-limiting example is given for a better understanding of the invention and does not exclude the implementation of the method in other types of aircraft which may also use external power sources.

[0039] In this description, certain equipment is designated by its English acronyms, commonly used in aeronautical jargon, which can be translated as follows:

[0040] • APU (Auxiliary Power Unit): auxiliary power unit; • GPU (Ground Power Unit): ground power unit or ground power unit; • ACU (Air Conditioning Unit): air conditioning unit; • PCA (Pre-conditioned Air): pre-conditioned air unit; • FEGP (Fixed Electrical Ground Power): fixed electrical power assembly on the ground.

[0041] Each of the aforementioned equipment will be generically called “electrical and / or pneumatic power source”, or simply “power source”. A power source is said to be internal when it belongs to the aircraft, and external when it does not belong to the aircraft and can only be connected to it once on the ground. Thus, the APU and the main engines of an aircraft are internal power sources, while equipment of the GPU, ACU, PCA and FEGP type are external power sources.

[0042] [Fig. 1] represents an aircraft 10 parked at a boarding gate of an airport, and preparing for example for a departure according to a predefined flight program. While it is parked on the ground, operations are carried out on the aircraft 10, in particular the boarding or disembarking of passengers, the loading or unloading of freight, refueling and maintenance.

[0043] Some of these operations, in particular passenger boarding, require air conditioning of the cabin of the aircraft 10. For this purpose, one or more internal or external sources of electrical and / or pneumatic power can be used.

[0044] As internal sources of power available on the ground, the aircraft 10 comprises at least one main engine 11 and one APU 12.

[0045] As external power sources, the aircraft 10 may have at its disposal a GPU 21, an ACU 22, a PCA 23, a FEGP 24, as well as any other similar system.

[0046] [Fig.2] represents the aircraft 10, in an airport 100 near a boarding gate, being supplied with pneumatic energy by a PCA 23 and with electrical energy by an FEGB of the airport (not visible in the figure).

[0047] Indeed, the PCA 23 is connected to an air conditioning system 15 of the aircraft 10 by means of flexible air ducts 231 connected to a suitable connection device 151 located in a lower part of the fuselage of the aircraft.

[0048] The FEGP is electrically connected to a socket on the aircraft 10 by means of electrical cables 241.

[0049] The aircraft 10 and the power sources available on the ground thus allow the implementation of a method according to the invention to optimize the air conditioning of the cabin of said aircraft as a function of several parameters.

[0050] [Fig. 3] represents the main steps of a method 500 for conditioning the air in an aircraft cabin on the ground as a function of the internal and external power sources available on the ground, said method comprising:

[0051] • a step 510 of collecting data in real time from aircraft equipment, power sources, the airport in which the aircraft is located, an airline operating the flight, etc.; • a step 520 of determining all internal and external power sources available to carry out air conditioning; • a step 530 of evaluating the capacity and performance of each of the available power sources to reach a set temperature; • a step 540 of determining an optimal set comprising at least one available power source, taking into account the evaluated performances; • a step 550 of verifying whether said optimal assembly is used or intended to provide the energy necessary for air conditioning in the cabin; • conditional alert steps 560 and recommendation of use 570, in the event of non-use or unintended use of the optimal set;

[0052] Of course, certain steps can be carried out simultaneously or in reverse order. Steps 510 and 520 can for example be reversed or carried out simultaneously, and steps 560 and 570 can be carried out simultaneously, or correspond to a single recommendation step in the form of an alert. Typically, these last two steps correspond to actions intended for the user (human operator) and can therefore be adapted and carried out according to the needs of each user.

[0053] The data collection step 510 consists of collecting in real time a multitude of parameters on which the optimization of the cabin air conditioning depends directly or indirectly. These parameters come essentially from the aircraft and its internal power sources available on the ground, external power sources, the airport and the airline operating the flight.

[0054] The aircraft parameters include, for example, engine and APU operating parameters, the interior cabin temperature, the exterior temperature measured by the aircraft, etc.

[0055] The parameters of the external sources of electrical and / or pneumatic power include their functional parameters (power, duration, consumption, availability, etc.).

[0056] The airport parameters include, for example, information relating to infrastructure, available equipment, their locations, etc.

[0057] The airline parameters mainly include information from the flight sheet (flight departure and arrival time, stopovers, stopover durations, etc.).

[0058] The real-time collection of this data is carried out via a digital platform for implementing the method, ensuring real-time connectivity with the various aforementioned data sources.

[0059] For example, certain data can be directly collected from databases accessible on a network (such as the Internet), in particular a database indicating the level of equipment in external power sources of the airport at each boarding gate, and a specialized database indicating the cost and carbon footprint of the supply of a unit of electrical power (IkW for example) for each airport.

[0060] Step 520 of determining the internal and external sources of power available on the ground consists of listing all the power sources likely to be used to provide the energy necessary for air conditioning in the cabin.

[0061] For example, algorithms for automatic detection of the aircraft's connection with power sources can be used. With regard to internal sources (main engine and APU), these algorithms can directly detect their activity from data from the avionics systems.

[0062] Step 530 of performance evaluation consists of determining for each available power source a capability and a time necessary to reach the set cabin temperature.

[0063] For example, the capability of a power source corresponds to its capacity to produce energy in a given form: electrical and / or pneumatic; and the time required depends directly on the power and operating regime of the source.

[0064] The determination of the performance is carried out by means of specific algorithms implemented on the method implementation platform.

[0065] Step 540 of determining the optimal set then consists of choosing the best performing set taking into account a cost function to be minimized.

[0066] The cost function may in particular be the economic cost, the CO2 emission, etc.

[0067] The optimal set can of course comprise a single or several combined power sources.

[0068] The choice of the optimal set is made by selection levels, and therefore by consecutive eliminations of potential power sources as the selection progresses.

[0069] Indeed, among all the power sources, only the sets capable of providing all the necessary forms of energy are retained, then those with a necessary time respecting the delay before the departure of the aircraft (fixed by the departure time). Then, if at the end of this first selection, several sets remain possible, the economic cost and the carbon footprint will make it possible to select the optimal set.

[0070] For example, for a passenger boarding taking place at T0 + 55 min (T0 being the time of interrogation of the different power sources), the platform implementing the method analyzes all the possible options for supplying pneumatic and electric power, and evaluates the performances as follows:

[0071] [Table]: Power Source Status Time to reach set temperature Cost Carbon Footprint APU Available 25 min $75 215 kg CO2e ACU Unavailable - - - PCA Available 40 min $15 22 kg CO2e GPU Available - $13 40 kg CO2e FEGP Available - $10 11 kg CO2e

[0072] In view of this example, it is determined that the optimal solution is the use of the PCA and the FEGP. If boarding is planned at T0 + 30 min, then it is the APU that must be used.

[0073] [Fig.4] schematizes this scenario and also gives an example of a possible graphical interface for using the method on a user terminal.

[0074] This interface can be supplemented by a special display in the event of an alert, intended for ground personnel (handler in English) and technical personnel of the airline operating the flight.

[0075] The step of determining the optimal set can be carried out by machine learning so as not to compare all the evaluated performances of all the available power sources at each implementation of the method, and to more effectively recommend the optimal set based on the history of recommendations made to the users. The historical information thus constitutes increasingly important training data as the software solution associated with the method is deployed to the users.

[0076] It is clear from the present description that certain steps of the method may be modified, replaced or deleted and that certain adjustments may be made to the implementation of this method according to the objectives sought, without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims

1. Method (500) for air conditioning a cabin of an aircraft (10) on the ground in an airport (100), by means of at least one source, internal (11, 12) or external (21, 22, 23, 24), of electrical and / or pneumatic power, characterized in that it comprises: • a step (510) of collecting in real time data comprising parameters of the aircraft, parameters of power sources, flight data of the aircraft, data of infrastructure and equipment of the airport; • a step (520) of determining the internal and external sources of power available, from a database of equipment of the airport; • a step (530) of evaluating, by specific algorithms, a performance of each source of power available as a function of a set temperature to be reached in the cabin and of collected data;• a step (540) of determining an optimal power set comprising at least one power source from among the available power sources; • a step (550) of verifying the use of the optimal set; and • conditional steps of alerting (560) and recommending (570) the use of said optimal set, in the event of non-use being detected.;

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the aircraft parameters comprise an interior cabin temperature, an exterior temperature, parameters of a main engine (11) and an APU (12), and the setpoint temperature.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the external power sources comprise a GPU (21), an ACU (22), a PCA (23) and a FEGP (24).

4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the step (520) of determining the available internal and external power sources implements algorithms for automatic detection of connection between the aircraft (10) and any source of power.

5. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the performance of a power source includes its ability and the time required for said source to achieve cabin air conditioning to the set temperature.

6. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the step (540) of determining the optimal set presents for each power source a level of selection according to the performance, a level of selection according to an energy or monetary cost of the use of said source and a level of selection according to polluting emissions during the use of said source.

7. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the step (540) of determining the optimal set is performed by machine learning.

8. Digital platform comprising computing and storage means, and capable of communicating on a network, characterized in that it is configured to implement a method (500) for air conditioning a cabin of an aircraft (10) on the ground, according to any one of the preceding claims.

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