A system and method for diagnosing load compressor health state for an auxiliary power unit that includes a power compressor, a combustor, a power turbine, and a load compressor is provided. The auxiliary power unit is operated and bleed air is discharged from the load compressor at a bleed air pressure. Using a pressure sensor, the bleed air pressure discharged from the load compressor is sensed and supplied to a processor. In the processor, power compressor health state is diagnosed based solely on the sensed bleed air pressure.

A compound engine assembly for use as an auxiliary power unit for an aircraft and including an engine core with internal combustion engine(s), a compressor having an outlet in fluid communication with an engine core inlet, a bleed conduit in fluid communication with the compressor outlet through a bleed air valve, and a turbine section having an inlet in fluid communication with the engine core outlet and configured to compound power with the engine core. The turbine section may include a first stage turbine having an inlet in fluid communication with the engine core outlet and a second stage turbine having an inlet in fluid communication the first stage turbine outlet. A method of providing compressed air and electrical power to an aircraft is also discussed.

The invention relates to an aircraft incorporating an enhanced power unit for generating electric, pneumatic and/or hydraulic power for the aircraft during all stages of the aircraft operation. The power unit (1) comprises: a heat engine (14) with a drive shaft (2) and a combustion gases exhaust (7). The power unit (1) also includes a Rankine cycle system (12) for recovering thermal energy from a heat source of the power unit (1) for the assistance of the heat engine (14). The heat source for the Rankine cycle system can be taken from the exhaust gases of the heat engine, from the oil coolant circuit of the heat engine or from the output of a compressor driven by the heat engine. Preferably, the aircraft cabin air is reused as a source of oxygen for the combustion. The invention reduces bleed air extraction from the aircraft main engines thereby reducing fuel consumption.

An example system for determining a performance status of an environmental control system (ECS) in a vehicle includes memory and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to determine, based on one or more of the aircraft data, the weather data, or the trending data, an estimated compressor exit temperature. The processing circuitry is configured to determine a current residual compressor exit temperature based on the estimated compressor exit temperature and a current compressor exit temperature. The processing circuitry is configured to determine whether a residual condition is met based at least in part on the residual compressor exit temperature and whether a pack condition is met based at least in part on a pack temperature. The processing circuitry is configured to provide an indication of the performance status of the ECS based on at least one of the residual condition or the pack condition being met.

An operating method of a vehicle cabin air supply device comprising taking fresh air from outside the cabin, diverting the fresh air to an air exhaust during an exhaust duration period after starting the air supply device, before injecting the fresh air into the cabin, such that the fresh air injected in the cabin after the exhaust duration period minimizes unpleasant odors in the cabin. A vehicle cabin air supply device and an aircraft comprising such a device is also provided.

Thermo-pneumatic anti-icing systems include port and starboard anti-icing subsystems operatively interconnecting heated engine bleed air discharged from port side and starboard side turboprop engines with port and starboard airfoils, respectively, associated with an aircraft to thereby provide in-flight anti-icing protection to the port and starboard airfoils, and an auxiliary power unit (APU) capable of discharging a supply of heated APU bleed air to the port and starboard anti-icing subsystems during an abnormal single engine or a single pneumatic bleed air operational condition. A controller may command respective port and starboard cross bleed valves to open and thereby allow the APU bleed air to be supplied to the one port or starboard anti-icing subsystem that is incapable of delivering heated engine bleed air from the port side turboprop engine or the starboard side turboprop engine, respectively. The port and starboard airfoils are thus each protected against inflight icing during the abnormal single engine or single pneumatic bleed air operational condition.

An integrated multimode thermal energy transfer system, method and apparatus for full-scale clean fuel electric-powered multirotor aircraft with automatic on-board-capability to provide sensor-based temperature awareness and adjustment to critical components and zones of the aircraft. Automatic computer monitoring, including by a programmed triple-redundant digital autopilot computer, controls each motor-controller and motor to produce pitch, bank, yaw and elevation, while simultaneously measuring, calculating, and adjusting temperature and heat transfer of aircraft components and zones, to protect critical components from exceeding operating parameters and to provide a safe, comfortable environment for occupants during flight. By using the results of the measurements to inform computer monitoring, the methods and systems can use byproducts including thermal energy disparities and differentials related to both battery systems and power generating systems to both add and remove heat from different aircraft zones to improve aircraft function, comfort, and efficiency.

Systems and methods of implementing a mixed-signal integrated circuit includes sourcing, by a reference signal source, a plurality of analog reference signals along a shared signal communication path to a plurality of local accumulators; producing an electrical charge, at each of the plurality of local accumulators, based on each of the plurality of analog reference signals; adding or subtracting, by each of the plurality of local accumulators, the electrical charge to an energy storage device of each of the plurality of local accumulators over a predetermined period; summing along the shared communication path the electrical charge from the energy storage device of each of the plurality of local accumulators at an end of the predetermined period; and generating an output based on a sum of the electrical charge from each of the plurality of local accumulators.

Method for air-conditioning a cabin of an aircraft on the ground at an airport, by means of at least one electrical and/or pneumatic power source, including: a step of collecting, in real time, data on the aircraft and the flight plan thereof, the power sources, and the infrastructure of the airport, etc.; a step of determining the available power sources; a step of evaluating the performance level of each available power source as a function of a setpoint temperature and of collected data; a step of determining an optimal system including at least one available power source; if this optimal system is not used, the method further includes: an alert step; and a step of recommending the optimal system be used.

A method of operating an environmental control system of an aircraft includes providing a first medium to the environmental control system including a compressor and a turbine and extracting work from a second medium provided to a second turbine operably coupled to the compressor to drive the compressor. The first medium is provided to the compressor and the turbine sequentially. In a first mode of operation, the first medium to be provided to a downstream load is output from the turbine and in a second mode of operation, at least a portion of the first medium to be provided to the downstream load bypasses the turbine.