Autarkic monument in an aircraft pressure cabin with decentralized operating medium supply and efficient energy conversion

Abstract

An autarkic monument in an aircraft pressure cabin supplied with the required operating mediums in a decentralized fashion by carrying along these operating mediums in the monument in operating medium reservoirs is provided. Methods for the efficient energy conversion within this autarkic monument are also provided. The efficiency is achieved such that the energy conversion is, based on the operating mediums, optimized with respect to exergo-economic and/or exergo-ecologic aspects, and such that energy conversion processes are adapted to one another if several energy conversion processes take place.

Claims

1. A self-sufficient system being configured as a self-sufficient and self-supplying unit supplying operating medium within the self-sufficient system that is connected to an aircraft structure by a mechanical mounting in an aircraft pressure cabin, the self-sufficient system comprising: operating medium reservoirs for supplying operating mediums, wherein at least one operating medium allows an energy conversion process into several energy forms on demand; energy converters for producing energy for subsystems based on the operating mediums, wherein a first energy converter is more efficient than a second energy converter in producing a first energy form, and wherein the second energy converter is more efficient than the first energy converter in producing a second energy form; and a control station for monitoring and controlling energy demand of the subsystems, that controls one of the first or the second energy converter to produce an energy form to meet the energy demand, and routes energy between the subsystems such that energy derived from the one of the first or the second energy converter is used by separate subsystems, wherein a subsystem of the system of the self-sufficient system includes a galley, and wherein the self-sufficient system is supplied with an operating medium in a decentralized fashion by carrying along the operating medium in the self-sufficient system in the operating medium reservoirs, such that the self-sufficient system is completely self-contained within with respect to an operating medium supply of the subsystem.

2. A self-sufficient system according to claim 1, wherein the self-sufficient system further comprises energy storage devices, wherein the energy converters and the energy storage devices convert and store work performed by at least one selected from the group consisting of persons, heat introduced into a cabin environment of the aircraft pressure cabin, and other energy forms such that the energy forms are made available on demand at a different time.

3. A self-sufficient system according to claim 1, wherein the galley includes an oven with catalytic combustion.

4. A self-sufficient system according to claim 3, wherein heat from the oven is generated by methanol.

5. A self-sufficient system being configured as a self-sufficient and self-supplying unit supplying operating medium within the self-sufficient system that is connected to an aircraft structure by a mechanical mounting in an aircraft pressure cabin, the self-sufficient system comprising: operating medium reservoirs for supplying operating mediums, wherein at least one operating medium allows an energy conversion process into several energy forms on demand; energy converters for producing energy for subsystems based on the operating mediums, wherein a first energy converter is more efficient than a second energy converter in producing a first energy form, and wherein the second energy converter is more efficient than the first energy converter in producing a second energy form; and a control station for monitoring and controlling energy demand of the subsystems, that controls one of the first or the second energy converter to produce an energy form to meet the energy demand, and routes energy between the subsystems such that energy derived from the one of the first or the second energy converter is used by separate subsystems, wherein a subsystem of the system of the self-sufficient system includes one of: a rest compartment, a lavatory or a like compartment for flight or cabin crew or passengers, and wherein the self-sufficient system is supplied with an operating medium in a decentralized fashion by carrying along the operating medium in the self-sufficient system in the operating medium reservoirs, such that the self-sufficient system is completely self-contained within with respect to an operating medium supply of the subsystem.

6. An aircraft with a self-sufficient system according to claim 1.

7. A method for realizing efficient energy conversion processes within a self-sufficient system supplying operating medium within the self-sufficient system, the method comprising: obtaining energy forms required for an operation of the self-sufficient system from operating mediums carried along by at least one energy conversion process, such that the self-sufficient system is completely self-sufficient with respect to an operating medium supply, wherein a first energy converter is more efficient than a second energy converter in producing a first energy form, and wherein the second energy converter is more efficient than the first energy converter in producing a second energy form; monitoring energy demand of subsystems; and control the first and second energy converters to produce an energy form to meet the energy demand, and route energy between the subsystems such that energy derived from one of the first or the second energy converter is used by separate subsystems, wherein a subsystem of the system of the self-sufficient system is installed in an aircraft pressure cabin and includes a galley, and wherein the self-sufficient system is configured as a self-contained within and self-supplying unit of the subsystem that is connected to an aircraft structure by a mechanical mounting.

8. A method according to claim 7, further comprising: utilizing the first and second energy converters as subsystems that convert energy in accordance with one or more technical principles.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is described in greater detail below with reference to preferred exemplary embodiments that are illustrated in the attached drawings. At this point, it should be emphasized that the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the figures merely elucidate the invention in a purely exemplary fashion and should, in particular, not be interpreted in a restrictive sense with respect to the scope of protection of the invention.

(2) In the individual drawings:

(3) FIG. 1a shows an autarkic galley monument;

(4) FIG. 1b shows a direct energy conversion process;

(5) FIG. 2 shows an autarkic rest compartment for the cabin crew;

(6) FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of a method for the efficient energy conversion in an autarkic galley monument; and

(7) FIG. 4 shows energy conversion chains with different efficiency (prior art).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(8) FIG. 1a shows an autarkic galley monument that carries along the operating mediums according to Claim 1 required for a self-sustaining operation in a decentralized fashion. This monument comprises the galley trolleys 101, 102, 103, 104 that have standardized dimensions, but different functionalities. A refrigerated galley trolley 101 that is loaded, for example, with cold beverages is supplied by a cooling unit 105. The cooling unit 105 is connected to an operating medium reservoir 106 that is filled with cryogenic air via a correspondingly designed (not-shown) connecting line. The cryogenic air withdrawn from the operating medium reservoir 106 is evaporated in the cooling unit 105, i.e., converted into gaseous air. The heat required for this energy conversion process is absorbed from the galley trolley 101 by means of thermal conduction. Another part of the heat is absorbed from a second galley trolley 102 that is loaded, for example, with precooked meals to be refrigerated. In this case, it would also be conceivable to realize one of the galley trolleys 101, 102, 103, 104 itself in the form of an operating medium reservoir with cooling unit that supplies the other galley trolleys or to integrate a separate operating medium reservoir and a cooling unit that can be used in case of need into each of the galley trolleys 101, 102, 103, 104.

(9) It would be conceivable that a galley trolley 103 features an integrated, electrically operated press for compacting the trash accumulating during the flight. The electric energy required for the brief operation is delivered by an accumulator 107 that is continuously recharged with electric energy generated in a methanol fuel cell 108. This methanol fuel cell is connected to the operating medium reservoir 109 filled with methanol via a (not-shown) fuel line. The electric energy generated by the fuel cell 108 is furthermore used, for example, for continuously supplying the illumination elements 110a, 110b of the galley monument with electric energy in order to illuminate the work surface 111.

(10) A catalytically operated oven, namely a so-called catalytic oven 112, is installed in the galley monument in order to heat up meals during the flight and also supplied by the operating medium reservoir 109 via a corresponding (not-shown) connecting line. The fuel from the operating medium reservoir 109 is converted into heat by means of catalytic combustion (see direct energy conversion process in FIG. 1b). The oxidant required for this process may consist, e.g., of the cabin air or preferably the gaseous air from the cooling unit 105 accumulating during the cooling process.

(11) The galley trolley 104 may serve for preheating the refrigerated meals before they are heated to consumption temperature in the oven 112. For this purpose, the trolley 104 is connected to a correspondingly designed heat exchanger 113. This heat exchanger conducts the heat generated during the continuous operation of the fuel cell 108 into the trolley 104 meals. In this way, the fuel cell 108 is advantageously cooled during its operation and the meals are simultaneously preheated.

(12) FIG. 2 shows a monument in the form of an autarkic rest compartment for the cabin crew that carries along the operating mediums according to Claim 1 required for a self-sustaining operation in a decentralized fashion. The rest compartment is equipped with several berths 201a, 201b, 201c for the cabin crew. A storage cabinet 202 is available to each member of the cabin crew for personal object. The autarkic rest compartment features a control station with a monitor 203 for monitoring and controlling the cabin systems, as well as an on-board telephone 204, both of which communicate with the cabin network via a wireless radio link.

(13) In this example, a hydrogen fuel cell 205 situated underneath the stairway of the rest compartment delivers the electric energy required for its operation. The fuel cell is supplied with hydrogen and oxygen by an operating medium reservoir 206 realized in the form of easily exchangeable pressure cylinders via correspondingly designed (not-shown) connecting lines. In addition to the control station with the monitor 203 and the on-board telephone 204, the illumination system 207 is also supplied with the required energy by the fuel cell 205. The water being created in the fuel cell is also used for air humidification in the rest compartment. The reading lamps 208a, 208b, 208c of the berths 201a, 201b, 201c are supplied with electric energy by an accumulator 209. This accumulator is recharged by a (not-shown) thermoelectric energy converter that is incorporated into the mattresses and converts the body heat of the crewmember resting thereon into an electric current (direct energy conversion process). The accumulator 209 is also recharged by piezoelectric elements 210a, 210b, 210c that are incorporated into the floor and convert mechanical work performed by stepping on these piezoelectric elements into an electric current. The charging and recharging of this accumulator 209 may furthermore be realized with the fuel cell unit 205.

(14) An air conditioner 211 continuously delivers conditioned breathing air that is uniformly distributed in the autarkic rest compartment by a connected air distributor 212. The electric supply of this system is also realized by means of the fuel cell unit 205. The replacement of carbon dioxide in the breathing air of the rest compartment with oxygen is based on known chemical principles and realized with chemicals that are carried along in an operating medium reservoir in the air conditioner 211. Due to this air conditioning method, the temperature control can be carried out exergo-economically. Consequently, the autarkic monument does not require any supply lines for data, electricity and air-conditioning that are permanently connected to the monument for its operation.

(15) FIG. 3 shows a flow chart of a method for the efficient energy conversion within the predefined system boundary 301 of an inventive monument such as, for example, the autarkic galley monument described with reference to FIG. 1a. In this case, the energy fluxes illustrated in the figure should be interpreted in a qualitative fashion and merely serve for elucidating the individual steps of the method.

(16) According to the second fundamental law of thermodynamics, energy consists of a portion that is referred to as exergy and can be completely converted into work and a portion that is referred to as anergy and cannot be converted into work. The method described below therefore comprises steps for the efficient energy conversion with the aid of exergy analyses for optimization purposes. In this case, the amount of usable exergy produced is maximized and the portion of unusable anergy is correspondingly minimized.

(17) In a first step, the method comprises the supply of two operating mediums in operating medium reservoir 302, 303 provided for this purpose. In the example of the galley monument, the operating medium reservoir 302 represents a tank with cryogenic air and the operating medium reservoir 303 represents a tank with methanol. In a second step, three energy converters 304, 305, 306 connected to the respective energy medium reservoirs are supplied with the required operating mediums via correspondingly designed (not-shown) connecting lines. In the described example, a cooling unit 304 generates the exergy flux .sub.QK, as well as the anergy flux .sub.VK that cannot be further utilized in the system and is created from the losses during the energy conversion in the cooling unit 304, from the supplied operating medium in a third step. .sub.QK represents the exergy flux required for removing a quantity of heat that corresponds to the anergy flux {dot over (B)}.sub.Q.sub.T from the galley trolley 307 to be refrigerated. According to the invention, all steps, operating mediums and energy converters in this process chain are chosen such that the anergy flux .sub.VK is minimized with respect to the function to be fulfilled by the process.

(18) At a different location, an oven 305 generates a heat flow within the system boundary 301 from methanol supplied by the operating medium reservoir 303, namely by means of catalytic combustion. This heat flow is transported into the meals arranged on the oven racks 308 in the form of the usable exergy flux .sub.QO and stored therein in the form of heat Q.sub.EM. The anergy flux .sub.VO that cannot be further utilized in the system is created due to losses occurring during this transport process.

(19) The fuel cell 306 is also supplied by the methanol tank 303 and generates the exergy flux .sub.elB in the form of an electric current, as well as the anergy flux .sub.VB created due to losses occurring in the fuel cell 306 during the energy conversion, e.g., due to inadvertent diffusion of the fuel through the fuel cell membrane or due to ohmic losses. The exergy flux .sub.elB is now stored in an accumulator 309 in the form of electrochemical energy E.sub.elA. Part of this energy E.sub.elA is subsequently supplied to an electrically operated trash compactor 310 in the form of the exergy flux .sub.elA and performs the plastic deformation work W.sub.P required for compacting the trash accumulating during the flight. This also creates unusable heat that is represented by the anergy flux {dot over (B)}.sub.Q.sub.A. The other part of the electrochemical energy stored in the accumulator 309 is available for other applications such as, for example, the operation of the (not-shown) lamps of the galley monument.

(20) Heat accumulating during the operation of the fuel cell 306 is transported to a heat exchanger 311 in the form of the exergy flux .sub.QB. In the heat exchanger 311, this exergy flux is divided into the exergy flux .sub.QW and the anergy flux {dot over (B)}.sub.Q.sub.W that cannot be further utilized in the system. The exergy flux .sub.QW is subsequently transported into the galley trolley 312 and stored in the meals arranged therein in the form of heat Q.sub.TM.

(21) All anergy fluxes that exceed the system boundary 301 of the galley monument consist of thermal energy that cannot be further utilized in the system. They can be combined into the overall heat flow {dot over (Q)}.sub.u that is released into the immediate vicinity by the galley monument. {dot over (Q)}.sub.u is composed of the waste heat flow {dot over (Q)}.sub.u.sub.K of the cooling unit 304, the heat flow {dot over (Q)}.sub.u.sub.T removed from the galley trolley 307, the waste heat flow {dot over (Q)}.sub.u.sub.O of the oven 305, the waste heat flow {dot over (Q)}.sub.u.sub.B of the fuel cell 306, the heat flow {dot over (Q)}.sub.u.sub.A of the trash compactor 309 and the heat flow {dot over (Q)}.sub.u.sub.W of the heat exchanger 311. According to Claim 2, an inventive autarkic monument is designed in such a way that this overall heat flow {dot over (Q)}.sub.u is minimized.

(22) A modular design of the cabin that allows a flexible and simple installation of the cabin monuments is desired in modern commercial aircraft. With respect to the arbitrary positioning of monuments in the cabin, as well as their simple installation and removal, the operating medium supply that originates at central locations in the aircraft and is structured in a strictly hierarchic fashion so far represented a significant obstacle because supply lines and connections cannot be planned, installed and connected to the monument with unrestricted flexibility.

(23) The invention therefore pertains to an autarkic monument in an aircraft pressure cabin that is supplied with the required operating mediums in a decentralized fashion by carrying along these operating mediums in the monument in operating medium reservoirs. The invention furthermore pertains to a method for the efficient energy conversion within this autarkic monument. The efficiency is achieved in that the energy conversion is, based on the operating mediums, optimized with respect to exergo-economic and/or exergo-ecologic aspects, and in that energy conversion processes are adapted to one another if several energy conversion processes take place.

(24) In connection with known methods for the flexibilisation of the monument installation that can be improved, e.g., due to mechanical flexibilisation of the mounting or a radio data link, the invention makes it possible to realize a monument that is completely autarkic with respect to the operating medium supply and therefore can be arbitrarily positioned, as well as easily installed and removed, wherein said monument supplies and sustains itself by means of exergo-economically and/or exergo-ecologically optimized energy conversion processes.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

(25) 101 Refrigerated galley trolley 102 Refrigerated galley trolley 103 Electrically operated galley trolley 104 Galley trolley supplied with heat 105 Cooling unit 106 Operating medium reservoir 107 Accumulator 108 Fuel cell 109 Operating medium reservoir 110 Illumination element 111 Work surface 112 Catalytic oven 113 Heat exchanger 201 Berth 202 Storage cabinet 203 Control station with monitor 204 On-board telephone 205 Fuel cell 206 Operating medium reservoir 207 Illumination system 208 Reading lamp 209 Accumulator 210 Piezoelectric element 211 Air conditioner 212 Air distributor 301 System boundary 302 Operating medium reservoir 303 Operating medium reservoir 304 Cooling unit 305 Oven 306 Fuel cell 307 Galley trolley 308 Oven racks 309 Accumulator 310 Trash compactor 311 Heat exchanger 312 Galley trolley 401 Energy conversion chain 1 402 Energy conversion chain 2 403 Energy conversion chain 3