Aircraft, aircraft bleed air system, and method for providing thrust to an aircraft

Abstract

We provide bleed air systems for aircraft. [Solution] The bleed air system 10 comprises a bleed air turbine 20 configured to receive at least a first portion 22' of bleed air 22 from the jet engine 16 and supply it to the cabin 18, a cabin exhaust compressor 24 operably coupled to the bleed air turbine 20 and configured to receive cabin exhaust 26 from the cabin 18, and a cabin exhaust nozzle 28 configured to receive cabin exhaust 26 from the cabin exhaust compressor 24. The aircraft comprises a fuselage, wings, a jet engine 16, and the bleed air system 10.

Claims

1. A bleed air system (10) for an aircraft (12) having a jet engine (16) and a cabin (18), A bleed air turbine (20) is configured to receive at least a first portion (22') of the bleed air (22) from the jet engine (16) and to supply the at least first portion (22') of the bleed air (22) to the cabin (18). A cabin exhaust compressor (24) is operably coupled to the bleed air turbine (20) and configured to receive cabin exhaust (26) from the cabin (18), and A bleed air system (10) comprising a cabin exhaust nozzle (28) configured to receive cabin exhaust (26) from the cabin exhaust compressor (24) and thereby provide thrust to the aircraft (12).

2. To receive at least the first portion (22') of the bleed air (22) from the jet engine (16), Receiving environmental air (32) from the environment (34) via the environmental air inlet (36), To cool at least the first portion (22') of the bleed air (22), and The bleed air system (10) according to claim 1, further comprising a bleed air environmental air heat exchanger (30) configured to supply at least the first portion (22') of the bleed air (22) to the cabin exhaust compressor (24).

3. An ambient air fan (38) is operably coupled to the cabin exhaust compressor (24) and configured to receive ambient air (32) from the bleed air ambient air heat exchanger (30), and The bleed air system (10) according to claim 2, further comprising an environmental air nozzle (40) configured to receive environmental air (32) from the environmental air fan (38) and thereby provide thrust to the aircraft (12).

4. The bleed air system (10) according to claim 1, further comprising a bleed air water extractor (42) configured to receive at least a first portion (22') of the bleed air (22) from the bleed air turbine (20) and to extract bleed air water (44) from the at least first portion (22') of the bleed air (22).

5. To receive at least the first portion (22') of the bleed air (22) from the jet engine (16), Receiving environmental air (32) from the environment (34) via the environmental air inlet (36), To cool at least the first portion (22') of the bleed air (22), and The bleed air environment air heat exchanger (30) is further configured to supply at least the first portion (22') of the bleed air (22) to the cabin exhaust compressor (24), The bleed air system (10) according to claim 4, wherein the bleed air water extractor (42) is configured to supply the bleed air water (44) to the ambient air (32) in order to supply moist ambient air (32') to the bleed air ambient air heat exchanger (30).

6. Dividing the bleed air (22) into the first part (22') and the second part (22"), The first portion (22') is supplied to the bleed air turbine (20), and The bleed air system (10) according to claim 1 further comprises a bleed air divider (46) configured to supply the second portion (22") to the cabin (18).

7. Receiving the bleed air (22) from the jet engine (16), Receiving cooling air (50), and The bleed air system (10) according to claim 1, further comprising a bleed air cooler (48) configured to perform the task of cooling the bleed air (22).

8. The bleed air system (10) according to claim 7, wherein the cooling air (50) is engine fan bypass air from the jet engine (16).

9. Located upstream of the aforementioned bleed air turbine (20), Receiving the bleed air (22) from the jet engine (16), Adjusting the pressure of the bleed air (22), and Selectively shutting off the bleed air (22) in response to the input, The bleed air system (10) according to claim 1 further comprises a bleed air pressure regulating shutoff valve (54) configured to perform the following:

10. Located upstream of the aforementioned bleed air turbine (20), Receiving the bleed air (22) from the jet engine (16), and The flow of the bleed air (22) is permitted only when the pressure of the bleed air (22) exceeds a threshold pressure. The bleed air system (10) according to claim 1 further comprises a bleed air high-pressure shutoff valve (56) configured to perform the following:

11. The bleed air system (10) according to claim 1, wherein the bleed air system (10) is configured to receive the bleed air (22) from the high-pressure compressor stage (58) of the jet engine (16).

12. Aircraft (12), Torso (60), The main wing (62) is supported by the fuselage (60), The jet engine (16) is supported by the main wing (62), and An aircraft (12) comprising the bleed air system (10) described in claim 1.

13. The aircraft (12) according to claim 12, wherein the bleed air turbine (20) and the cabin exhaust compressor (24) are supported by the main wing (62).

14. A method (100) for providing thrust to an aircraft (12), To drive the cabin exhaust compressor (24), at least a first portion (22') of the bleed air (22) from the jet engine (16) of the aircraft (12) is expanded (102), Compressing cabin exhaust (26) from the cabin (18) of the aircraft (12) using the cabin exhaust compressor (24) (104), and A method (100) comprising (106) spraying the cabin exhaust (26) into the environment (34) using a nozzle.

15. The method of claim 14 (100), further comprising cooling (108) the at least first portion (22') of the bleed air (22) upstream of the expansion (102).

16. The method of claim 15 (100), further comprising pre-cooling (110) the at least first portion (22') of the bleed air (22) upstream of the cooling (108).

17. The method of claim 15 (100), further comprising reducing the pressure (112) of the bleed air (22) upstream of the cooling (108).

18. Dividing the bleed air (22) into the first part (22') and the second part (22") (114), and The method according to claim 14 (100), further comprising supplying the second portion (22") to the cabin (18) (116).

19. The method according to claim 14 (100), further comprising (118) extracting bleed air water (44) from at least a first portion (22') of the bleed air (22) downstream of the expansion (102).

20. The method (100) of claim 19, further comprising (108) cooling (108) the bleed air (22) upstream of the expansion (102), wherein the cooling (108) is performed at least partially using the bleed air water (44).

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