AN AIR CYCLE COOLING APPARATUS FOR AEROSPACE APPLICATION

摘要

In providing a flow of air for cooling an equipment bay the mass flow rate of the cooling air must be kept above a predetermined minimum value while the temperature of the cooling air is kept below a predetermined maximum value, to provide both the required ventilation and heat sink capacity in relation to the enclosure and the heat produced by the equipment. A method and apparatus for air cycle cooling is disclosed. The apparatus (10) has a system air inlet (11) connected to a system air outlet (16) by way of a regenerative heat-exchanger (14) and an air expansion turbine (13). A control valve (17) responsive to temperature of system outlet air is arranged to control a coolant flow path to the heat-exchanger for system air that has been cooled by the turbine. A bypass (23) controlled by the control valve (17) may be included to allow a major portion of the system air when at a suitable temperature to flow from the system inlet direct to the system outlet bypassing the heat-exchanger and the turbine.