Sundstrand Corporation

John N Rice

Alexander Cook

Richard W Reynolds

Steven E Squier

Robert Grennan

David H Hitt

Jarvis J Yeh

Redundant components, and their volume and weight, used in on board gas generating systems are avoided in a fully integrated system for generating oxygen enriched air (OEA) and nitrogen enriched air (NEA) for a variety of purposes. A first separator (16) may provide OEA to a second separator (24) directly to provide oxygen for crew consumption or alternatively may provide OEA to a compressor (42) which in turn provides high pressure OEA to storage vessels (70), (72). The separator (16) also provides NEA alternatively to aircraft fuel tanks (60) for inerting them by direct flow or, after being compressed by the compressor (42) to an NEA storage system (50). NEA from the storage system (50) may additionally be used for fuel expulsion in a fuel system (96) associated with an auxiliary power unit/emergency power unit including a hot gas generator (74), the latter also receiving oxidant for the fuel in the form of OEA from one of the OEA storage tanks (72).

Fully integrated inert gas and oxidizer replenishment system

A propulsion engine (12) which combusts propellant received from the storage tank (24) in which a portion (28) of the tank contains propellant in the liquid state and in which an ullage (26) in a remaining portion of the tank contains the propellant in a gaseous state including a first propellant circuit (34) coupling liquid propellant stored in the tank to an evaporator (30); a second propellant circuit (36), coupling the gaseous propellant from the evaporator to the propulsion engine combustor and to the ullage; at least one power generating device (14 and 16) disposed in the second propellant circuit between the evaporator and the ullage, for providing a power output from energy of the gaseous propellant flowing in the second propellant circuit controlled by at least one control valve controlling a flow of gaseous propellant to the at least one device under the control of at least one valve control signal; a bypass circuit (40) coupled in parallel with the at least one power generating device containing a bypass valve (42) controlling flow of gaseous propellant through the bypass circuit from the evaporator to the ullage in response to a bypass valve control signal; and a controller (44) coupled to the bypass valve and the at least one control valve, for generating the valve control signal controlling the flow of gaseous propellant through the valves to produce a controlled mass flow of gaseous propellant into the ullage independent of variation of a mass of gas flow through the valves.

Direct drive gaseous hydrogen turbo actuator

A power generating system (10) in accordance with the present invention includes a converter (14) for producing an AC output (16) including a fundamental and at least one harmonic of the fundamental; a frequency analyzer (18), having at least one input coupled to the AC output, for providing an analysis of a frequency spectrum of the AC output; a processor (36), coupled to the frequency analyzer, for calculating at least one switching frequency, each switching frequency being used for transforming a different harmonic within the AC output back to the fundamental; a controller (34), responsive to the at least one calculated switching frequency, for producing control signals at the at least one calculated frequency for transforming the at least one harmonic back to the fundamental; a separating filter (24), coupled to the AC output, for separating the fundamental and that at least one harmonic; at least one converter (30 and 32), coupled to the at least one harmonic from the converter and to the controller, each converter being switched by control signals from the controller which have a calculated switching frequency for transforming at least one of the at least one harmonic to the fundamental; and outputs from the at least one converter being combined with the fundamental from the separating filter.

High efficiency power generating system

An emergency on board power source (28) for jet aircraft having high (22) and low speed (14) spools is disclosed for operation above altitudes where auxiliary power units (14) are operational. A power takeoff (56) is provided from the low speed spool of the jet engine to drive an emergency power unit (28) for supplying electrical and/or hydraulic on board power to the aircraft to maintain control during emergency conditions during which the auxiliary power unit is not operational or is not operational to supply sufficient power to maintain hydraulic or elecrical on board power to uninterruptible electrical and hydraulic power loads.

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Rockford, IL, United States of America

John N Rice