Air distribution device with electric heating means, air distribution system and method of manufacturing an air distribution device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air distribution systems in aircraft require separate heaters with high weight and pressure loss, necessitating powerful fans and relying on bleed air from engine combustion, which is inefficient and heavy.
Innovation Solution
An air distribution device with an integrated electric heating element layer in a glass-fiber-reinforced plastic pipe, featuring a vacuum-sealed honeycomb insulation layer, which eliminates the need for separate heaters and reduces pressure loss, weight, and complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If separate external heaters are installed in the air distribution system, then heating function is provided, but weight increases and pressure loss increases requiring powerful fans
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is integrated directly into the air distribution pipe wall structure, merging the heating function with the air distribution function. This eliminates the need for separate external heaters, reducing overall system weight while maintaining effective heating capability through direct thermal coupling with the air flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The air distribution pipe is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: air distribution and heating. The heating element embedded in the pipe wall enables the pipe to function as both a conduit and a heater, reducing the need for additional dedicated heating components and thereby reducing weight.
2Temperature
If separate external heaters are installed in the air distribution system, then heating function is provided, but pressure drop increases requiring powerful fans
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the heating element into the pipe wall rather than placing separate heaters in the air flow path, the air flow cross-section remains unobstructed. This merging of heating and distribution functions eliminates the pressure drop penalty associated with air passing through separate heater assemblies.
3Temperature
If bleed air from engine compressor stages is used for temperature control, then heating is provided, but system complexity and dependency on engine systems increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is extracted from the engine bleed air system and implemented through an independent electric heating element integrated into the air distribution pipe. This separation eliminates dependency on engine compressor stages for temperature control, reducing system complexity and enabling independent thermal management.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical/engine-based bleed air heating system is replaced with an electric heating system. The electric heating element provides thermal energy through electrical resistance heating, substituting the mechanical process of extracting and conditioning bleed air from engine compressor stages.
4Stress or pressure
If heating element is laminated into the air distribution pipe with free flow cross-section, then pressure loss is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating element is laminated into the pipe wall during the manufacturing process rather than installing it separately afterward. This preliminary integration ensures the heating element is properly positioned and secured before the pipe is put into service, simplifying the overall manufacturing workflow despite the added lamination step.
Solution Approach 2:
The air distribution pipe is constructed as a composite structure with the heating element laminated into the pipe wall. This composite construction integrates multiple materials and functions (structural pipe material plus heating element) into a single unified component, achieving both pressure loss reduction and functional integration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The integrated heating element layer reduces fan power requirements, weight, and system complexity, enabling efficient electrical zone heating without bleed air, with a potential 40-50% weight savings and uniform temperature distribution across temperature zones.
Implementation Method 1
an electric heating device accommodated in the air distribution pipe for heating the air flowing through the air distribution pipe
Implementation Method 2
a thermal insulation layer arranged between the inner layer and the outer layer
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an air distributing device (10), in particular for air-conditioning an airplane. The air distributing device (10) has at least one air distributing tube (12) and an electric heating device (14) which is received in the air distributing tube (12) in order to heat the air flowing through the air distributing tube (12), wherein the heating device (14) is designed as a heating element layer (16) which is arranged on an inner wall of the air distributing tube (12) or is laminated into the air distributing tube (12), and the air distributing tube (12) has a free flow cross-section. The invention additionally relates to an air distributing system (100) for air-conditioning an airplane and to a method for producing an air distributing tube (12) of such an air distributing device (10).