Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation

Beakal T Woldemariam

Eric Surawski

Donald E Army

James R Doherty

David Anderson, Jr

Darryl A Colson

Roberto J Perez

Xiaohong Liao

Earl Jean LaVallee, Iii

Erin G Kline

Brian R Shea

Gregory R Leaper

An air separation module includes a separator, a canister, and a nominal-length end cap. The separator is arranged to separate ambient air into an oxygen-enriched air fraction and a nitrogen-enriched air fraction. The canister supports the separator and has a canister end flange, a canister intermediate flange and a canister end, the canister intermediate flange arranged between the canister end flange and the canister end. The nominal-length end cap is fixed to the canister end flange, and the separator extends between the canister end flange and the canister end. Nitrogen generation systems and methods of generating nitrogen-enriched air flows are also described.

Air separation modules, nitrogen generation systems, and methods of making air separation modules

Fuel tank inerting systems are described. The systems include a fuel tank having an inerting system flow path connected to the fuel tank. A catalytic reactor is arranged along the inerting system flow path configured to receive a reactant mixture of first reactant and a second reactant to generate inert gas. A condenser heat exchanger is arranged between the catalytic reactor and the fuel tank to cool an output from the catalytic reactor. A first ejector is configured to receive the first reactant and the second reactant and output the reactant mixture through an outlet. A second ejector is configured to receive an inert gas and the second reactant to output a mixture of the second reactant and the inert gas.

Catalytic fuel tank inerting systems

An air separation module includes a canister extending between a first end and an opposite second end, a separator fixed within the canister to separate a compressed air flow into an oxygen-enriched air flow fraction and an oxygen-depleted air flow fraction, and a one-piece cap. The one-piece cap is connected to the first end of the canister and has a filter module mount portion on a side of the one-piece cap opposite the separator to support a filter module with the air separation module. Nitrogen generation systems and methods of making air separation modules are also described.

Fuel tank inerting systems are described. The systems include a fuel tank, a catalytic reactor arranged to receive a reactant mixture comprising a first reactant and a second reactant to generate an inert gas to be supplied to the fuel tank to fill an ullage space of the fuel tank, a condenser heat exchanger arranged between the catalytic reactor and the fuel tank and configured to cool an output from the catalytic reactor, and a fan assembly arranged within an inerting system flow path upstream of the catalytic reactor, wherein the fan assembly is arranged within a gas flow having a temperature of at least 185&#xb0; C.

An air separation module includes a cylindrical canister and a separator. The cylindrical canister has a longitudinal axis, an inlet, an oxygen-depleted air outlet, and a drain portion with an oxygen-enriched air outlet. The separator is arranged within the cylindrical canister to separate a compressed air flow into an oxygen-depleted air flow fraction and an oxygen-enriched air flow fraction, the oxygen-depleted air flow fraction provided to the oxygen-depleted air outlet and the oxygen-enriched air flow fraction to the drain portion of the canister. The drain portion extends tangentially from the cylindrical canister to issue the oxygen-enriched air flow fraction with entrained condensate from the oxygen-enriched air outlet with a tangential flow component. Nitrogen generation systems and methods of removing condensate from air separation modules are also described.

Air separation modules and methods of removing condensate from air separation modules

Cabin outflow temperature control systems and methods for use on aircraft are described. The systems include an aircraft cabin, a heat load source, a heat exchanger configured to receive cabin outflow air from the aircraft cabin and heat load discharge air, the heat exchanger configured to enable thermal transfer from the heat load discharge air to the cabin outflow air to generate high temperature cabin outflow air and low temperature discharge air as outputs from the heat exchanger, and one or more downstream operation systems configured to receive the high temperature cabin outflow air and perform a downstream operation using said high temperature cabin outflow air.

Aircraft cabin air outflow temperature control for downstream operations

An air cycle machine includes a housing having an exterior wall and an interior wall, a scavenging turbine supported for rotation within the housing, and an ambient air fan. The ambient air fan is supported for rotation within the housing and is operably associated with the scavenging turbine. The interior wall defines therethrough a turbine-fan port that fluidly couples the ambient air fan to the scavenging turbine for communication of an overboard air flow to an ambient air flow without external ducting. Environmental control systems and methods of flowing fluid through air cycle machines are also described.

Air cycle machines and methods of communicating fluid through air cycle machines

An air cycle machine includes a housing, a scavenging turbine, and an ambient air fan. The housing has an exterior wall defining an overboard air inlet, an ambient air inlet, and an ambient air outlet. The scavenging turbine is arranged within the housing, is supported for rotation about a rotation axis, and is in fluid communication with the overboard air inlet. The ambient air fan is arranged within the housing, is supported for rotation about the rotation axis within the housing, and has a radially inner spoked portion and radially outer bladed portion. The bladed portion of the ambient air fan fluidly couples the ambient air inlet to the ambient air outlet and the spoked portion of the ambient air fan fluidly couples the scavenging turbine to the ambient air fan within the housing. Environmental control systems and fluid communication methods are also described.

Growing community of inventors

South Windsor, CT, United States of America

Beakal T Woldemariam