WO2020191131A1 - Utilisation d'un générateur de vide de système de déchets d'aéronef pour fournir de l'énergie électrique - Google Patents

Utilisation d'un générateur de vide de système de déchets d'aéronef pour fournir de l'énergie électrique Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2020191131A1
WO2020191131A1 PCT/US2020/023512 US2020023512W WO2020191131A1 WO 2020191131 A1 WO2020191131 A1 WO 2020191131A1 US 2020023512 W US2020023512 W US 2020023512W WO 2020191131 A1 WO2020191131 A1 WO 2020191131A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
vacuum generator
aircraft
impeller
vacuum
check valve
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/US2020/023512
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Robert G. Ratliff
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
MAG Aerospace Industries LLC
Original Assignee
MAG Aerospace Industries LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by MAG Aerospace Industries LLC filed Critical MAG Aerospace Industries LLC
Publication of WO2020191131A1 publication Critical patent/WO2020191131A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
    • B64D11/00—Passenger or crew accommodation; Flight-deck installations not otherwise provided for
    • B64D11/02—Toilet fittings
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
    • B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
    • B64D41/00—Power installations for auxiliary purposes
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02T—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION
    • Y02T50/00—Aeronautics or air transport
    • Y02T50/50—On board measures aiming to increase energy efficiency

Definitions

  • the field of this disclosure relates to use of an aircraft waste system vacuum generator to provide electrical power back to the aircraft.
  • a vacuum generator is required to create a pressure differential for flushing when an aircraft is on ground or at low altitude.
  • a pressure differential between the cabin and the air outside the aircraft creates the vacuum required for flushing, and the vacuum generator is not needed.
  • This disclosure identifies a way to harvest energy from the vacuum generator when it otherwise would not be in use.
  • a vacuum generator is required to create a pressure differential for a flush to move waste from the toilet bowl to an on-board waste tank. Because aircraft travel occurs at high altitudes, the on-board vacuum generator is required only to create a pressure differential when the aircraft is on ground or flying at low altitudes. When the aircraft is in flight at higher altitudes, a pressure differential between the cabin and the air outside the aircraft creates the vacuum required for flushing. In these instances during cruise (which is the majority of the duration of the flight), the vacuum generator is disabled because the cabin differential pressure is sufficient to transfer waste materials from the toilet bowl through waste lines to the waste holding tank.
  • the present inventor has identified a way to harness energy that is not currently being captured. Rather than preventing the vacuum generator impeller from spinning when the vacuum generator is not in use, this disclosure uses spinning of the vacuum generator impeller during flight in order to generate power.
  • a method for generating electrical power through a vacuum generator onboard an aircraft wherein the vacuum generator comprises an impeller that is managed by a check valve, the method comprising: deactivating the check valve when the aircraft is at a sufficient altitude that a vacuum flush can be activated without the need for activation of the vacuum generator which allows the impeller to spin freely, and harnessing energy created by spinning of the impeller.
  • the impeller may be is connected to a motor and airflow entering via the check valve can spin the impeller and cause the motor to become an air-driven electrical generator.
  • the motor is a brushless direct current motor.
  • the energy created by spinning of the impeller can be harnessed by an internal DC link storage capacitor or a battery.
  • Figure l is a diagram of an aircraft waste system.
  • Figure 2 shows a schematic of an aircraft waste system.
  • Figure 3 shows an exploded perspective view of a vacuum generator.
  • This disclosure provides a method of harnessing energy that is not currently being captured on an aircraft.
  • Aircraft are generally equipped with a vacuum generator in order to generate sufficient vacuum for toilet flushing when the aircraft is on ground or flying at low altitudes. At these times, the vacuum generator is activated in order to create a pressure differential for a vacuum flush.
  • the vacuum generator is not required to create a pressure differential, because the atmospheric pressure differential exists due to the altitude. Accordingly, when an aircraft is in flight, the impeller of the vacuum generator is prevented from spinning via a system check valve. In other words, the vacuum generator is idle for the majority of the flight.
  • FIG. 1 a general operation of the vacuum generator system is described for perspective of this disclosure.
  • pressing a flush switch will initiate a waste transfer sequence.
  • the vacuum generator 10 is started and begins to reduce the pressure in the waste tank 12 through a line 14 connecting the vacuum generator inlet to a water separator on top of the waste tank 12.
  • Tubing 16 connects the vacuum generator outlet 18 to a port that penetrates the aircraft skin.
  • a check valve 20 blocks airflow around the vacuum generator 10 during ground operation.
  • the toilet flush valve opens, providing a path from the toilet bowl 24 to the main waste line 26 that carries the contents to the waste tank 12.
  • the toilet flush valve remains open for a few more seconds and the vacuum generator 10 is then disabled.
  • the check valve 20 is activated, which prevents operation of the vacuum generator 10 by preventing the impeller from spinning.
  • the present disclosure modifies the way that the check valve 20 is operated during flight cruising altitudes, during times when the vacuum generator 10 does not need to operate (because the waste flush system operates via pressure differential created during flight at certain altitudes). If the system check valve is omitted, or activation of the system check valve(s) 20 is inhibited, a significant mass of air at a high velocity will pass overboard through the vacuum generator 10 during flushing at cruising altitude. This flow is due to the high differential pressure present at altitude due to the narrow flow path (which is typically about 2” diameter) of the waste tank vent lines. This airflow will spin the impeller 30 of the vacuum generator 10 and its connected motor 32 to create rotational energy. The motor 32 then becomes an air-driven electrical generator. In certain embodiments, the motor 32 is a brush-less direct current (BLDC) motor. Impulses from the rotor magnets passing by the stator coils of the motor may be rectified and present to the internal DC link storage capacitors.
  • BLDC brush-less direct current
  • this disclosure uses spinning of the vacuum generator impeller 30 during flight in order to generate power. Without release of the impeller 30 from its locked position, the potential energy that could be created during toilet flushing is not collected. By releasing the impeller 30 from its locked position, the energy harvested from the force of the cabin to atmosphere differential pressure across the vacuum generator 10 is not otherwise wasted or simply sent overboard. Instead, the energy can be captured and used for performing functions in relation to the waste system components or elsewhere on the aircraft. This is energy that would otherwise not be available and can be considered“free.” This waste energy can be recovered, allowing for reduction of overall power consumption by the system.
  • the peak power generated during toilet flushing is estimated to be in the range of about 3kW to 5kW for about 6 seconds.
  • the peak power generated during a sink flushing may be about lkW because the sink flush is a shorter cycle and the orifice is smaller.
  • the energy produced by this configuration is several orders of magnitude greater than the flea power available from distributed piezo MEMS harvesters which depend on aircraft vibrations for motivation.
  • exported power could be conditioned for distribution to devices powered by 28VDC.
  • Frequency of flushing depends on the flight profile, but given a means of energy storage, the total energy recovered could potentially power the waste system in flight including all toilets, sink drains, and sensors in the waste system.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • Connection Of Motors, Electrical Generators, Mechanical Devices, And The Like (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention porte sur l'utilisation d'un générateur de vide (10) de système de traitement des déchets de l'avion pour fournir de l'énergie électrique à l'avion. Typiquement, un générateur de vide est nécessaire pour créer un différentiel de pression pour le rinçage lorsqu'un aéronef est à la terre ou à basse altitude. Lorsque l'aéronef est en vol à des altitudes plus élevées, une différence de pression entre la cabine et l'air à l'extérieur de l'aéronef crée le vide nécessaire au rinçage, et le générateur de vide n'est pas nécessaire. La présente invention identifie un moyen de récolter l'énergie du générateur de vide alors qu'il ne serait pas utilisé autrement, sans augmenter la charge existante sur le système de gestion de la pression de la cabine d'air.
PCT/US2020/023512 2019-03-19 2020-03-19 Utilisation d'un générateur de vide de système de déchets d'aéronef pour fournir de l'énergie électrique Ceased WO2020191131A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US201962820781P 2019-03-19 2019-03-19
US62/820,781 2019-03-19

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2020191131A1 true WO2020191131A1 (fr) 2020-09-24

Family

ID=70296025

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2020/023512 Ceased WO2020191131A1 (fr) 2019-03-19 2020-03-19 Utilisation d'un générateur de vide de système de déchets d'aéronef pour fournir de l'énergie électrique

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2020191131A1 (fr)

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4357719A (en) * 1979-08-20 1982-11-09 Rogerson Aircraft Controls Non recirculating method of disposing of waste products for aircrafts
US4713847A (en) * 1987-02-02 1987-12-22 Oy Wartsila Ab Vacuum toilet system
EP2465775A2 (fr) * 2010-12-14 2012-06-20 Airbus Operations SAS Avion comprenant une machine électrique rotative réversible
US20150061375A1 (en) * 2013-08-27 2015-03-05 Goodrich Corporation Energy harvesting system for an aircraft
US20170341770A1 (en) * 2016-05-31 2017-11-30 The Boeing Company Aircraft Cabin Pressurization Energy Harvesting

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4357719A (en) * 1979-08-20 1982-11-09 Rogerson Aircraft Controls Non recirculating method of disposing of waste products for aircrafts
US4713847A (en) * 1987-02-02 1987-12-22 Oy Wartsila Ab Vacuum toilet system
US4713847B1 (en) * 1987-02-02 1996-05-28 Waertsilae Oy Ab Vacuum toilet system
EP2465775A2 (fr) * 2010-12-14 2012-06-20 Airbus Operations SAS Avion comprenant une machine électrique rotative réversible
US20150061375A1 (en) * 2013-08-27 2015-03-05 Goodrich Corporation Energy harvesting system for an aircraft
US20170341770A1 (en) * 2016-05-31 2017-11-30 The Boeing Company Aircraft Cabin Pressurization Energy Harvesting

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