Abstract: An aircraft includes a fuselage defining a cabin region and a crown region. The aircraft also includes a duct disposed within the fuselage. The duct is coupled to one or more drying air vents disposed in the crown region and coupled to one or more cabin vents disposed with the cabin region. The one or more drying air vents are configured to output drying air, received via the duct, into the crown region, and the one or more cabin vents are configured to output conditioned air, received via the duct, into the cabin region. The aircraft further includes one or more valves coupled to the duct and configured to, in a first valve position, route airflow within the duct to the one or more drying air vents and configured to, in a second valve position, route the airflow within the duct to the one or more cabin vents.

Abstract: A ram air system includes a ram air inlet, a ram air outlet, a conduit fluidly coupling the ram air inlet to the ram air outlet, and a relief port disposed within the conduit. A method of controlling a ram air system includes disposing a relief port within a conduit of the ram air system, wherein the conduit fluidly couples a ram air inlet to a ram air outlet in order to minimize or otherwise reduce drag, and to control unstable airflow that can otherwise cause resonant instability.

Abstract: An aircraft includes a fuselage defining a cabin region and a crown region. The aircraft also includes a duct disposed within the fuselage. The duct is coupled to one or more drying air vents disposed in the crown region and coupled to one or more cabin vents disposed with the cabin region. The one or more drying air vents are configured to output drying air, received via the duct, into the crown region, and the one or more cabin vents are configured to output conditioned air, received via the duct, into the cabin region. The aircraft further includes one or more valves coupled to the duct and configured to, in a first valve position, route airflow within the duct to the one or more drying air vents and configured to, in a second valve position, route the airflow within the duct to the one or more cabin vents.

Abstract: Example implementations for maintaining airflow into a flight deck of an aircraft are described herein. An example method may involve detecting, at a computing system and using a flow sensor, a decrease in a level of airflow entering into the flight deck such that the level of airflow is below a threshold level. The aircraft may include air sources configured to direct airflow towards occupancy areas (e.g., the cabin and flight deck) of the aircraft. The method may further involve adjusting a control valve to cause an increase in the level of airflow entering into the flight deck based on detecting the decrease in level of airflow entering into the flight deck. The control valve may be configured to enable and disable airflow from entering into the flight deck.

Abstract: Example implementations for maintaining airflow into a flight deck of an aircraft are described herein. An example method may involve detecting, at a computing system and using a flow sensor, a decrease in a level of airflow entering into the flight deck such that the level of airflow is below a threshold level. The aircraft may include air sources configured to direct airflow towards occupancy areas (e.g., the cabin and flight deck) of the aircraft. The method may further involve adjusting a control valve to cause an increase in the level of airflow entering into the flight deck based on detecting the decrease in level of airflow entering into the flight deck. The control valve may be configured to enable and disable airflow from entering into the flight deck.

Abstract: A method for controlling compressed air sent to pneumatic systems. The method includes acquiring a set of performance demands for each of a plurality of pneumatic systems in a platform, where the performance demands indicate needs for the compressed air supplied to each of the pneumatic systems, identifying a maximum allowable air discharge temperature limit of a variable speed air compressor configured to supply compressed air to the pneumatic systems, and controlling an operation of the compressor to supply the compressed air to the pneumatic systems to meet the acquired performance demands for at least one of the pneumatic systems while operating the compressor below the maximum allowable air discharge temperature limit.

Abstract: An aircraft includes a fuselage defining a cabin region and a crown region. The aircraft also includes a duct disposed within the fuselage. The duct is coupled to one or more drying air vents disposed in the crown region and coupled to one or more cabin vents disposed with the cabin region. The one or more drying air vents are configured to output drying air, received via the duct, into the crown region, and the one or more cabin vents are configured to output conditioned air, received via the duct, into the cabin region. The aircraft further includes one or more valves coupled to the duct and configured to, in a first valve position, route airflow within the duct to the one or more drying air vents and configured to, in a second valve position, route the airflow within the duct to the one or more cabin vents.

Abstract: An aircraft includes a fuselage defining a cabin region and a crown region. The aircraft also includes a duct disposed within the fuselage. The duct is coupled to one or more drying air vents disposed in the crown region and coupled to one or more cabin vents disposed with the cabin region. The one or more drying air vents are configured to output drying air, received via the duct, into the crown region, and the one or more cabin vents are configured to output conditioned air, received via the duct, into the cabin region. The aircraft further includes one or more valves coupled to the duct and configured to, in a first valve position, route airflow within the duct to the one or more drying air vents and configured to, in a second valve position, route the airflow within the duct to the one or more cabin vents.

Abstract: A method for controlling compressed air sent to pneumatic systems. The method includes acquiring a set of performance demands for each of a plurality of pneumatic systems in a platform, where the performance demands indicate needs for the compressed air supplied to each of the pneumatic systems, identifying a maximum allowable air discharge temperature limit of a variable speed air compressor configured to supply compressed air to the pneumatic systems, and controlling an operation of the compressor to supply the compressed air to the pneumatic systems to meet the acquired performance demands for at least one of the pneumatic systems while operating the compressor below the maximum allowable air discharge temperature limit.

Abstract: An Environmental Control Systems (ECS) for an aerospace vehicle comprises an air supply airflow path inputting, monitoring, and conditioning air from external to the vehicle, and a recirculation airflow path inputting, monitoring, filtering, and moving air from one portion of the interior of the vehicle to another portion. The air supply airflow can include a dynamically controlled VOC/ozone converter, which can be operated when the aerospace vehicle is on the ground. The recirculation airflow path can include a dynamically controlled regenerative gas contaminant filter and/or VOC/CO2 removal device. The filter/adsorption media of the controlled regenerative gas contaminant filter and/or VOC/CO2 removal device can be regenerated by suppling hot air or a vacuum, and gaseous contaminants can be broken down for removal from the regenerative gas contaminant filter by controlling UV irradiation. The controller can alert a flight crew if air quality falls outside predetermined or programmable parameters.

Abstract: An Environmental Control Systems (ECS) for an aerospace vehicle comprises an air supply airflow path inputting, monitoring, and conditioning air from external to the vehicle, and a recirculation airflow path inputting, monitoring, filtering, and moving air from one portion of the interior of the vehicle to another portion. The air supply airflow can include a dynamically controlled VOC/ozone converter, which can be operated when the aerospace vehicle is on the ground. The recirculation airflow path can include a dynamically controlled regenerative gas contaminant filter and/or VOC/CO2 removal device. The filter/adsorption media of the controlled regenerative gas contaminant filter and/or VOC/CO2 removal device can be regenerated by suppling hot air or a vacuum, and gaseous contaminants can be broken down for removal from the regenerative gas contaminant filter by controlling UV irradiation. The controller can alert a flight crew if air quality falls outside predetermined or programmable parameters.

Abstract: There are provided aircraft air conditioning systems and methods. The aircraft air conditioning system has a duct in an aircraft connected to an aircraft cabin and configured to flow pressurized cabin outflow air from the aircraft cabin. The aircraft air conditioning system further has a turbine connected to the duct and configured to reduce a temperature of the pressurized cabin outflow air and to generate power, and further has a compressor configured to generate a compressed inlet air stream, and further has an air conditioning pack configured to receive a reduced temperature cabin outflow air from the turbine and configured to receive the compressed inlet air stream from the compressor. The air conditioning pack has a cooling cycle system, a humidity control system, and one or more heat exchangers configured to use the reduced temperature cabin outflow air as a heat sink.

Abstract: A turbo-compressor (TC) system for extracting energy from an aircraft engine. The TC system has a TC assembly with a turbine mechanically coupled to at least one compressor. The TC system has a TC inlet in fluid communication with a bleed air system in the aircraft engine and a TC outlet in fluid communication with an air conditioning (AC) pack of an aircraft air conditioning system and configured to extract reduced temperature pack inlet air from the TC assembly into the air conditioning pack. The TC system has a ram air inlet coupled to the at least one compressor. The TC system has a TC control valve, and a TC check valve or a TC shutoff valve, both coupled to the TC assembly via a plurality of connective ducts. The TC system extracts energy from the bleed air to reduce bleed air flow and AC pack ram air usage.

Abstract: An aircraft including a fuselage defining an upper lobe and a lower lobe, the fuselage including a wall structure that includes an outboard boundary and an inboard boundary spaced from the outboard boundary, wherein the outboard boundary and the inboard boundary define a wall volume therebetween, and at least one sealing member positioned in the wall volume.

Abstract: A turbo-compressor (TC) system for extracting energy from an aircraft engine. The TC system has a TC assembly with a turbine mechanically coupled to at least one compressor. The TC system has a TC inlet in fluid communication with a bleed air system in the aircraft engine and a TC outlet in fluid communication with an air conditioning (AC) pack of an aircraft air conditioning system and configured to extract reduced temperature pack inlet air from the TC assembly into the air conditioning pack. The TC system has a ram air inlet coupled to the at least one compressor. The TC system has a TC control valve, and a TC check valve or a TC shutoff valve, both coupled to the TC assembly via a plurality of connective ducts. The TC system extracts energy from the bleed air to reduce bleed air flow and AC pack ram air usage.

Abstract: An aircraft system for improved cooling efficiency comprises at least one air conditioning pack, coupled to an aircraft, having at least one air compression device powered by at least one power source and having an air compression device inlet. The system further comprises at least one air flow path for redirecting a first portion of a first volume of aircraft interior outflow air from an aircraft interior to the air compression device inlet. The air flow path includes a shutoff valve to enable the air flow path during ground operation of the aircraft and to disable the air flow path for flight operation of the aircraft. The air compression inlet mixes the first volume of aircraft interior outflow air with a second volume of aircraft exterior inflow air to form an air mixture. The air conditioning pack conditions and circulates the air mixture into the aircraft interior.

Abstract: A method for calculating an aircraft fuselage leakage calculation of an aircraft is provided. The method comprises determining a calculation period for an aircraft fuselage leakage value and inputting the calculation period into a computer to obtain a first input data. The method further comprises obtaining one or more outside air inflow rates and inputting the one or more outside air inflow rates into the computer to obtain a second input data. The method further comprises obtaining one or more air outflow rates and inputting the one or more air outflow rates into the computer to obtain a third input data. The method further comprises accumulating the first input data, the second input data, and the third input data in the computer to obtain an accumulated input data. The method further comprises processing the accumulated input data with a process software to obtain an output data in the form of a calculated aircraft fuselage leakage value.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is used to provide dynamic electrical power management which may minimize the potential for overload conditions and may ensure that system performance limits are maintained. The method may dynamically limit the primary load system power draw in response to the net power draw of all other electrical power users on the aircraft which may ensure that the total power levels remain below critical limits. The method may also provide predictive controls to handle rapid load transients. Additionally, if vital functions are not being met, the method may shed other selected aircraft electrical loads which may ensure that adequate power is provided to the primary load system.

Abstract: The present invention comprises systems and methods for providing conditioned air to a selected portion of an aircraft cabin. In one embodiment, a system includes a cargo compartment air recirculation system fluidly coupled to the cargo compartment and having an air moving device to extract air from the compartment and to transport the air to an air heating device and an air cooling device fluidly coupled to the cargo compartment. Air may be supplied from an air source. Extracted air maybe discharged overboard. A temperature control system is operably coupled to the air heating device and the air cooling device, the control system being configured to maintain a predetermined air temperature within the compartment in response to a sensed compartment temperature.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is used to provide dynamic electrical power management which may minimize the potential for overload conditions and may ensure that system performance limits are maintained. The method may dynamically limit the primary load system power draw in response to the net power draw of all other electrical power users on the aircraft which may ensure that the total power levels remain below critical limits. The method may also provide predictive controls to handle rapid load transients. Additionally, if vital functions are not being met, the method may shed other selected aircraft electrical loads which may ensure that adequate power is provided to the primary load system.