Aircraft air conditioning system

Claim 1

In an air conditioner system for powered aircraft having at least one engine within an aerodynamically defined engine compartment cowling, the engine compartment containing an engine being a horizontally opposed reciprocating engine having two opposed banks of cylinders (the banks of cylinders being longitudinally offset such that the right bank ends forwardly of the left bank of cylinders), a main starter ring, and driving means for a propeller located along the center axis of the engine immediately forwardly of the opposed banks of cylinders, and an electrical generating means located alongside the starter ring gear and forwardly of the right cylinder bank, and wherein the air conditioner system comprises a refrigerant compressor and means for powering the refrigerant compressor from the engine; the improvement wherein the electrical generating means and the compressor are generally elongated structures extending longitudinally along axes located laterally outwardly from the starter ring gear and forwardly of the right bank of cylinders, and both of the electrical generating means and the compressor being mechanically powered by the engine, the compressor and alternator being so placed that the total frontal surface area of the engine compartment cowling is not increased by the placement of the compressor in such location, and comprising bracket mounting means secured to a lateral surface of the engine, forwardly of the right bank of cylinders and rearwardly of the main starter ring gear, the bracket mounting means comprising a first bracket extending outwardly and downwardly from the lateral wall of the engine and located beneath the horizontally extending cylinders, and a second bracket extending laterally outwardly beyond the first bracket; the electrical generating means being secured to and supported by the first bracket and extending below the right cylinder bank, and the second bracket being secured to and supporting the refrigerant compressor adjacent the electrical generating means; a first belt-driven means operatively connected to the electrical generating means, first driving belt means operatively connected between the first belt-driven means and the starter ring gear such that the electrical generator means is mechanically powered by the engine; belt driving means operatively connected to the first belt-driven means; second belt-driven means operatively secured to the refrigerant compressor; and second driving belt means operatively connected between the second belt driven means and the belt driving means whereby the mechanical power from the engine is indirectly used to drive the refrigerant compressor.