Air distribution system for small commercial airplane

摘要

An air distribution system for an aircraft that has a simplified construction that saves space in the aircraft, reduces the weight of the air distribution system from that of currently employed air distribution systems, handles the mixing of interior aircraft cabin air with exterior fresh air and the drainage of moisture from the air, and improves aircraft cabin air quality. The system employs a mixing chamber having a conical configuration with an apex of the conical configuration at the bottom of the chamber and a base of the conical configuration at the top of the chamber. Inside the chamber first and second separate interior volumes separated by an interior wall of the mixing chamber wrap around each other. The interior air and exterior air are mixed as they spiral around the interior volumes and are directed toward two discharge openings from the two volumes at the top of the mixing chamber. From the discharge openings the mixed air is directed to air diffusers in the aircraft cabin. Moisture removed from the air in the mixing chamber drains downwardly through the two interior volumes to a drain opening at the bottom of the mixing chamber.

主权项

1. An aircraft comprising:
an aircraft cabin having seating for passengers; a first set of diffusers in the aircraft cabin; a second set of diffusers in the aircraft cabin; a supply of interior air taken from the aircraft cabin; a supply of exterior air taken from outside the aircraft cabin; a mixing chamber, mixing chamber having an exterior wall with a conical configuration that spirals around a center axis of the mixing chamber and gives the mixing chamber a conical configuration with an apex of the conical configuration at a bottom of the mixing chamber and a base of a conical configuration at a top of the mixing chamber, the mixing chamber having a first interior volume and a second interior volume, the first and second interior volumes being separate, the mixing chamber having an interior wall inside the exterior wall of the mixing chamber, the interior wall having a conical configuration that spirals around the center axis of the mixing chamber, the interior wall separating the first interior volume and the second interior volume, the mixing chamber having a moisture drain opening at the apex of the conical configuration of the mixing chamber, the mixing chamber having a first discharge opening at the base of the conical configuration of the mixing chamber and the mixing chamber having a second discharge opening at the base of the conical configuration of the mixing chamber; the first interior volume communicating with the first set of diffusers, the supply of interior air and the supply of exterior air; the second interior volume communicating with the second set of diffusers, the supply of interior air and the supply of exterior air; and, a controller operatively connected with the mixing chamber, the controller being operable to control the supply of interior air to the first and second interior volumes and control the supply of exterior air to the first and second interior volumes and thereby control a first percentage mixture of interior air and exterior air supplied to the first interior volume and discharged through the first set of diffusers into the aircraft cabin and control a second percentage mixture of interior air and exterior air supplied to the second interior volume and discharged through the second set of diffusers into the aircraft cabin.