Air conditioning system

Claim 2

An air conditioning system for a substantially enclosed space (14) having an inlet (38) and outlets (40,42) comprising an air duct (24,26,28,30) for supply of air to the inlet (38), a heat exchanger (18) having a primary (32) in the air duct, and an exhaust duct (54) leading from one outlet (40) to the secondary (34) of the heat exchanger.

Claim 3

An air conditioning system as claimed in Claim 1 including an expansion turbine (22) or other energy extraction means in the air duct.

Claim 4

An air conditioning system as claimed in Claim 2 in which the turbine is downstream of the heat exchanger.

Claim 5

An air conditioning system as claimed in any of the preceding claims including a recirculation duct (56) leading from the other outlet (42) to the air duct.

Claim 6

An air conditioning system as claimed in Claim 4' in which the recirculation duct (56) leads to the air duct downstream of the turbine (22).

Claim 7

An air conditioning system as claimed in Claim 4 or Claim 5 including a pump (36,62,70 or 74) positioned in the air duct or the recirculating duct for driving recirculating air.

Claim 8

An air conditioning system as claimed in any of the preceding claims including a second heat exchanger (16) with a primary in the air duct and a secondary connected to a source of ram air.

Claim 9

An air conditioning system as claimed in any of Claims 2-7 in which the turbine is arranged to operate to expand air substantially adiabatically from a pressure substantially that of the source of air to a pressure substantially that of the enclosed space.

Claim 10

An air conditioning system as claimed in any of Claims 2-8 including a pump (50) driven by the turbine (22) for driving air through the heat exchanger secondary, or secondaries.

Claim 11

An air conditiong system as claimed in any of the preceding claims in which the output from the heat exchanger secondary (34) leads to a sink (49) of fluid at a pressure lower than that in the enclosed space.

Claim 12

An air conditioning system as claimed in any of the preceding claims including a water trap (20) downstream of the heat exchanger primary (32).

Claim 13

An air conditioning system as claimed in Claim 11 in which the water trap (20) leads to a discharge nozzle (60) in the exhaust duct (54).

Claim 14

A fluid conditioning system for a working fluid provided by a source thereof to an enclosed space having a fluid inlet and a plurality of fluid outlet port means, comprising (a) passageway means defining a flowpath for the working fluid, and having inlet means coupled to the source and outlet means coupled to the inlet port means of the enclosed space; (b) fluid conditioning unit means disposed in said flowpath and adapted to change the energy state of the fluid from that of the fluid at the source to that useable in the enclosed space, said fluid conditioning unit means comprising heat exchange means having first and second passageway means providing heat exchange between the fluid flowing through said passageways, said first passageway means being disposed in said flowpath; (c) first fluid flowpath means coupling the interior of the enclosed space with said flowpath through one of the outlet port means of the enclosed space; and (d) second fluid flowpath means coupling the interior of the enclosed space with the exterior thereof through the other of port means of the enclosed space.

Claim 15

A fluid conditioning system for a working fluid provided by a source thereof to an enclosed space having a fluid inlet and a plurality of fluid outlet port means, comprising (a) passageway means defining a flowpath for the working fluid, and having inlet means coupled to the source and outlet means coupled to the inlet port means of the enclosed space; (b) fluid conditioning unit means disposed in said flowpath and adapted to change the energy state of the fluid from that of the fluid at the source to that useable in the enclosed space, said fluid conditioning unit means comprising heat exchange means having first and second passageway means providing heat exchange between the fluid flowing through said passageways, said first passageway means being disposed in said flowpath; (c) first fluid flowpath means coupling the interior of the enclosed space with said flowpath through one of the outlet port means of the enclosed space; and (d) second fluid flowpath means coupling the interior of the enclosed space with the exterior thereof through the other of port means of the enclosed space.

Claim 16

An aircraft having its cabin air conditioned by an air conditioning system as claimed in any of the preceding claims.

Claim 19

In an aircraft providing pressurised ventilation air from a source thereof through heat exchange and turbine or other air expansion means to a compartment, wherein the compartment has an inlet port and a pair of outlet ports, the method of conditioning the air, comprising the steps of; (a) directing the flow of pressurised air through a main flowpath including first passageway means of the heat exchange means and the expansion passageway of the turbine, from the source to the air inlet port of the compartment; (b) directing, to ambient atmosphere compartment airflow from one of the compartment outlet ports; (c) recirculating, to the main flowpath at a point downstream from the outlet of the turbine expansion pathway, compartment airflow from one of the compartment outlet ports; and (d) directing to the inlet of second passageway means of the heat exchange means to effect heat exchange between the fluids in said first and second passageway means, compartment airflow from one of the compartment outlet ports.

Claim 20

In an aircraft providing pressurised ventilation air from a source thereof through heat exchange and turbine or other air expansion means to a compartment, wherein the compartment has an inlet port and a pair of outlet ports, the method of conditioning the air, comprising the steps of; (a) directing the flow of pressurised air through a main flowpath including first passageway means of the heat exchange means and the expansion passageway of the turbine, from the source to the air inlet port of the compartment; (b) directing, to ambient atmosphere compartment airflow from one of the compartment outlet ports; (c) recirculating, to the main flowpath at a point downstream from the outlet of the turbine expansion pathway, compartment airflow from one of the compartment outlet ports; and (d) directing to the inlet of second passageway means of the heat exchange means to effect heat exchange between the fluids in said first and second passageway means, compartment airflow from one of the compartment outlet ports.