Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Hobart Brothers Company

Other

University of Illinois

Ty Allan Newell

Benjamin Eric Newell

Jeffrey E Montminy

James W Mann, Iii

Richard Lawrence Hansen

Alexander Yemma Long

Kyta Insixiengmay

Evan Hurlburt

James W Mann Iii

A modular air conditioning (AC) system including one or more AC modules is provided. The AC modules may be adapted to function individually or cooperatively as part of a modular system. The AC modules may be further adapted to connect in a variety of advantageous ways to facilitate the supply of conditioned air to a variety of downstream applications.

Modular heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems and methods

Air filtration devices and systems are provided to filter conditioned air after air exits an air conditioner module located on a ground support equipment unit but prior to entering a grounded aircraft. Disclosed embodiments include a system with the air filtration unit located along a hose originating from an aircraft ground support unit and a system with the air filtration unit located along a hose originating from an aircraft. Certain embodiments of the air filtration unit include a diffuser, which is configured to couple to a filter and direct air through the filter during operation.

Air filtration for aircraft ground support equipment

A modular and compact air conditioning system is designed to be conveyed by a ground support equipment cart and to occupy minimal space within the cart. The system is constructed within a rectangular frame supporting top, bottom, left side, right side, front side, and back side panels. The top and back side panels contain thin air conditioner condensers. One of the left and right side panels contain an air outlet, and the other contains an air inlet and a duct that may be connected to an airplane to provide cooling air to the airplane. A condenser fan is mounted within the rectangular frame and is arranged to draw outside air in through the condensers and to blow the air out through the air outlet. First and second air conditioners are mounted within the rectangular frame, each including a compressor, an expansion valve, and evaporator coils, with each compressor pumping refrigerant through one of the condensers, through one of the expansion valves, and through one of the evaporator coils and back to the compressor. One of the two evaporator coils is mounted over the air inlet, and the other is mounted over the duct. A variable speed blower is mounted within the rectangular frame adjacent the air inlet, and an enclosed air passage routes air from the air inlet through one of the evaporator coils, the air passage narrowing and routing the air through the blower, the passage then widening and curving around and routing the air through the other of the evaporator coils and through the duct.

Compact, modularized air conditioning system that can be mounted upon an airplane ground support equipment cart

A ground support equipment air conditioning system detachably connects to a port on an airplane. An air conduit connects an air intake and filter to a coupling that is adapted to be connected to one end of an air duct or hose the other end of which is adapted to be connected to an airplane's port. A variable speed blower in the air conduit has its speed varied by a controller to regulate the pressure supplied to an airplane. This controller receives as inputs the pressure sensed by a pressure sensor connected to the air conduit adjacent the coupling to sense the pressure of air passing into the airplane and also a setpoint pressure which can be varied to match the requirements of different types or classes of airplane. First and second air conditioners each include a circular refrigerant conduit channeling refrigerant through a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator. The evaporators are positioned in the air conduit with the first air conditioner's evaporator preceding the blower and the second air conditioner's evaporator following the blower in the air conduit. A condenser cooling fan drives air through the two condensers and is controlled by a controller responsive to one or more pressures or temperatures measured in one of the air or refrigerant conduits or in the surrounding air.

Adjustable air conditioning control system for a universal airplane ground support equipment cart

A sensor system comprised of a diffuse light source and a sensor mounted on a transparent layer of material that is adjacent to a fluid. The refractive index of the transparent layer is greater than the refractive index of the fluid, causing a portion of the diffuse light source to be reflected from the interface of the transparent layer and the adjacent fluid. A sensor is placed at a location to intercept the reflected light. The diffuse light source and the sensor are optically coupled to the transparent layer with a transparent material wit a refractive index greater than that of the fluid. A light absorbing coating is placed ante surface of the transparent layer in order to absorb extraneous light from internal scattering of light from the fluid and light external to the sensor system.

Refractive index sensor using internally reflective light beams

A sensor system including a first layer having first and second surfaces and a first index of refraction, a second layer having a second index of refraction which is less than the first index of refraction, a mechanism for generating a first diffuse light beam which passes through the first layer from the first surface to the second surface, and a mechanism for sensing a portion of the first diffuse light beam reflected back through the first layer to the first surface as an incident of the first diffuse light beam impinging upon the second layer. Also a method of determining the properties of a medium, the method including the steps of generating a first diffuse light beam, passing the first diffuse light beam through a first surface of a first medium having a first index of refraction, causing a portion of the first diffuse light beam to pass through the first medium, to impinge upon a second medium having a second index of refraction less than the first index of refraction and to reflect back to the first surface, and sensing the portion of the first diffuse light beam reflected back to the first surface.

Growing community of inventors

Urbana, IL, United States of America

Ty Allan Newell