Aircraft comprising a cooling system for operation with a two-phase refrigerant

Abstract

An aircraft includes a cooling system having a cooling circuit to circulate a two-phase refrigerant therethrough, an evaporator disposed in a first section of the cooling circuit and having a refrigerant inlet and outlet, a condenser disposed in a second section of the cooling circuit and having a refrigerant inlet and outlet, a first cooling circuit control valve disposed in the cooling circuit between the refrigerant outlet of the evaporator and the refrigerant inlet of the condenser, and a second cooling circuit control valve disposed in the cooling circuit between the refrigerant outlet of the condenser and the refrigerant inlet of the evaporator. The first and the second cooling circuit control valves in their closed state seal the first section of the cooling circuit from the second section of the cooling circuit. The second section of the cooling circuit is installed in an unpressurized region of the aircraft.

1 . Aircraft comprising a cooling system, wherein the cooling system comprises:
 a cooling circuit allowing circulation of a two-phase refrigerant therethrough,   an evaporator disposed in a first section of the cooling circuit and having a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet,   a condenser disposed in a second section of the cooling circuit and having a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet,   a first cooling circuit control valve disposed in the cooling circuit between the refrigerant outlet of the evaporator and the refrigerant inlet of the condenser, and   a second cooling circuit control valve disposed in the cooling circuit between the refrigerant outlet of the condenser and the refrigerant inlet of the evaporator, the first and the second cooling circuit control valve in their closed state being adapted to seal the first section of the cooling circuit from the second section of the cooling circuit, wherein the second section of the cooling circuit is installed in an unpressurized region of the aircraft.   
     
     
         2 . Aircraft according to  claim 1 , 
       wherein the cooling system further comprises at least one of:
 a first bleed valve arrangement which in its open state is adapted to discharge refrigerant from the first section of the cooling circuit to at least one of the aircraft environment and an unpressurized region of the aircraft, and 
 a second bleed valve arrangement which in its open state is adapted to discharge refrigerant from the second section of the cooling circuit to at least one of the aircraft environment and an unpressurized region of the aircraft. 
 
     
     
         3 . Aircraft according to  claim 1 , 
       wherein a control device of the cooling system is configured to control at least one of the first and the second cooling circuit control valve, the first bleed valve arrangement and the second bleed valve arrangement in dependence on at least one sensor signal supplied to the control device, the sensor signal being indicative of at least one of
 a pressure of the refrigerant in the cooling circuit of the cooling system, 
 a concentration of the refrigerant in the ambient air in a pressurized region of the aircraft, 
 an amount of refrigerant present in the cooling circuit of the cooling system, 
 a system failure affecting proper operation of the cooling system, and 
 a predefined operating state of the aircraft. 
 
     
     
         4 . Aircraft according to  claim 1 , 
       wherein at least one component of the cooling system which is installed in a pressurized region of the aircraft comprises an encasement, the encasement being adapted to receive refrigerant leaking from the least one component of the cooling system. 
     
     
         5 . Aircraft according to  claim 1 , 
       wherein a control device of the cooling system is configured to control the operation of the cooling system upon system start-up such that refrigerant is liquefied in the condenser while the first cooling circuit control valve and the second cooling circuit control valve are closed so as to separate the first section of the cooling circuit from the second section of the cooling circuit until the amount of liquid refrigerant is sufficient to allow a flooding of cooling system components which are disposed in the cooling circuit downstream of a conveying device for conveying refrigerant through the cooling circuit with liquid refrigerant. 
     
     
         6 . Aircraft according to  claim 1 , 
       wherein a control device of the cooling system is configured to control the supply of refrigerant to the evaporator in dependence on the operational state of the evaporator such that a dry evaporation of the refrigerant occurs in the evaporator. 
     
     
         7 . Aircraft according to  claim 1 , 
       wherein a control device of the cooling system is configured to control the operation of the cooling system upon system shut-down such that the supply of refrigerant to the evaporator is interrupted while liquefaction of refrigerant in the condenser is continued until a pressure of the refrigerant in the cooling system has reached a predetermined set value. 
     
     
         8 . Aircraft according to  claim 7 , 
       wherein the predetermined set value of the pressure of the refrigerant in the cooling system is lower than a value of the pressure of the refrigerant in the cooling system during normal operation of the cooling system. 
     
     
         9 . Aircraft according to  claim 7 , 
       wherein a control device of the cooling system is configured to close the first and the second cooling circuit control valve so as to separate the first section of the cooling circuit from the second section of the cooling circuit when the pressure of the refrigerant in the cooling system has reached the predetermined set value. 
     
     
         10 . Aircraft according to  claims 1 , 
       wherein a control device of the cooling system is configured to control the operation of the cooling system upon system shut-down such that refrigerant which is liquefied in the condenser is stored in an accumulator which is installed in an unpressurized region of the aircraft. 
     
     
         11 . Aircraft according to  claim 1 , 
       wherein a pipe burst safety valve is associated with each one of the first and the second cooling circuit control valve. 
     
     
         12 . Aircraft according to  claim 1 , 
       wherein the cooling circuit comprises two first sections which are at least partially installed in a pressurized region of the aircraft, wherein an evaporator is disposed in each of the two first sections, and wherein two first cooling circuit control valves as well as two second cooling circuit control valves in their closed state are adapted to seal the two first sections of the cooling circuit from the second section of the cooling circuit. 
     
     
         13 . Aircraft according to  claim 12 , 
       wherein a control device of the cooling system is configured to control at least one of the two first cooling circuit control valves and the two second cooling circuit control valves in such a manner that only one of the two first sections of the cooling circuit is connected to the second section of the cooling circuit if the amount of refrigerant circulating in the cooling circuit is not sufficient to satisfy the demand of both first cooling circuit sections. 
     
     
         14 . Aircraft according to  claim 1 , 
       wherein the cooling system further comprises a first additional cooling circuit control valve connected in series with at least one of the first cooling circuit control valve and a second additional cooling circuit control valve connected in series with the second cooling circuit control valve, and/or 
       wherein at least one cooling system component which is susceptible to pipe burst is disposed between a respective pair of additional pipe burst valves. 
     
     
         15 . Aircraft according to  claim 1 , 
       wherein the cooling system further comprises a bypass line bypassing the evaporator, wherein at least one of a pressure relief valve and a control valve may be adapted to control the refrigerant flow through the bypass line.