Environmental Control System

Environmental Control System deals with the following requirements to be met for the aircraft cabin. Ventilation Temperature control Humidity control Pressurization Also, ECS system provides cooling for the Avionics Bay as well as heat load transfer from hydraulic, fuel and oil systems. ECS system provides de-misting, anti-icing, anti-g and rain dispersal services.

Air Conditioning & Pressurization

Air conditioning system refers to the first 3 of the above requirements ,namely, control of ventilation, temperature and humidity. For aircraft flying at low altitudes up to 10,000 ft., air conditioning alone is adequate whereas pressurization is required for high altitude aircraft to ensure required pressure of oxygen for breathing. ARP 1270 outlines aircraft cabin pressurization control criteria.

Air conditioning system

Air Conditioning refers to adequate supply of air to the cabin with controlled temperature and humidity. As the aircraft is operated at different levels in different temperature zones, the air conditioning system must be capable of taking extremely cold air and warming it, or extremely hot humid air and cooling it and dehumidifying it. For comfort the average requirements are  About 1lb of air per minute per person for ventilation  Temperature between 18 C to 24 C  Relative humidity of 30% to 60%

 Some light aircraft have only ventilation along with ram air heating systems using exhaust gas from engines. The hot air supplied as required to the cabin through a control box. Some other light aircraft uses dedicated combustion heater to heat ram air. These systems are suitable upto a maximum of 16000 ft.

 For aircraft flying at higher altitudes above 16000 ft., some kind of air conditioning system is used. As the ambient temperature is a variable, the air conditioning systems use heated ambient air for its cycle. Heating of the ambient air is either by dedicated means, or hot bleed air is taken from a gas turbine compressor. This hot air is then split and a portion cooled before it is mixed together to achieve the desired temperature and supplied to the cabin.

Heating system

Fig. Ram air muffler type heat exchanger

Cooling system
Cooling of air is done by two ways Air cycle machines Vapor cycle machines Air cycle machines In this, heat is removed by a heat exchanger from compressed hot air which is then expanded in a turbine resulting in cold air. An Air Cycle machine is also called Cold Air Unit (CAU) Different types of CAU are: Bootstrap Brake turbine Turbofan

Air conditioning system schematic

Fig. Bootstrap system with blower

Fig. Bootstrap system with bleed air

 In the bootstrap CAU, the hot charge air is generated by a blower or bleed air from gas turbine engine is taken. The air is passed through flow control valve, bypass valve, primary heat exchanger, cold air unit and water separator. The cold air is then mixed with hot air as required and supplied to cabin. The charge air from blower or from compressor is at a high pressure and temperature. Bypass valve controls the amount of air that enters the heat exchanger One more bypass valve controls the amount of air that enters the cold air unit. Both are controlled by temperature sensors. The primary heat exchanger cooled by ram air cools the charge air at constant pressure.

 The bootstrap cold air unit has 3 components, compressor, heat exchanger and turbine. Compressor and turbine are linked together. The system is referred to as a bootstrap as it is able to self start. As soon as air flows across the turbine it starts to rotate and then its compressor increases the airflow which accelerates the turbine. Due to increased load from the turbine they self regulate. The output from the compressor is passed through secondary heat exchanger before supplied to turbine. The air that is expanded in the turbine is cold air.

Vapor Cycle system for cooling

Vapor Cycle system is a closed loop system where heat load is absorbed by evaporation of a liquid refrigerant such as Freon. The refrigerant passes through a compressor and then cooled in a condenser. It flows back to the evaporator via an expansion valve. Vapor cycle machines, though more efficient, are heavier than Air cycle machines.

Cabin Air conditioning

Water extractor removes excess moisture. Water particles are removed through a diffuser that slows the airflow and guides it over a coalescer and the water is extracted. Dried air leaving water separator is then mixed with hot air and supplied to the cabin.

Pressurization system
Cabin pressurization is done to safeguard humans from effects of hypoxia at high altitudes. Hypoxia is the sickness caused due to reduced partial pressure of oxygen. Partial pressure of oxygen above 8000ft. altitude is not comfortable, and hence ambient pressure in cabin is to be maintained at 10.92 psi (8000ft. cabin altitude) or higher. Maximum safe altitude for pilots to operate without supplementary oxygen is 15000ft. Above 20,000ft. loss of consciousness sets in.

 Maintaining cabin differential pressure causes stress on aircraft structure and an upper limit of 9.5 psi is fixed by airworthiness regulations. So to protect aircraft from structural damage due to excessive pressure differential, two outward relief valves called safety valves and two inward relief valves are fitted. Cabin is pressurized by using ventilation air from the air conditioning system. The inflow is considered fixed. The cabin pressure is determined by controlling the outflow of this air.

 During aircrafts climb, air has to be allowed to escape from the cabin at a greater rate than inflow from the air conditioning system to allow the cabin altitude to climb. When the aircraft and the cabin altitudes arrive at their predetermined level, the outflow must equal inflow. The major component in the cabin pressurization system is the outflow or discharge valve. Rate of Change Rate of change is the value in ft/minute by which the cabin altitude is allowed to ascend or descend. The maximum allowed rate of change for human comfort due to human ear physiology is 500 fpm for ascent, and 300 fpm for descent.

Pressurization system schedule

Fig . Rate of Change of Cabin Pressure

Pressurization system methods

Cabin pressure control systems There are 3 types Pneumatic Electro Pneumatic Electronic The cabin pressure controller has controls for rate of change and cabin altitude, according to selected cabin altitude and rate of change. The controller also ensures that the valve is fully open on landing to ensure that the aircraft does not land pressurized.

Electronic pressure control system In this, the discharge valve is a totally electronically operated system with electrical motors. This system has the advantage of reduced pilot work load and more comfort. Decompression Loss of cabin pressure is called decompression. - Explosive : in 0 to 4 seconds due to structure failure - Rapid : in 5 to 7 seconds, (supplementary oxygen to be given) - Normal

Anti g system
Another use of ECS, air in a fighter aircraft is to provide anti-g protection to the pilot. At high g levels encountered in a highly maneuverable fighter aircraft, heart becomes unable to supply adequate supply of oxygenated blood to the brain leading to a black out. Anti g trousers consisting of inflatable air bladders with ECS air and control valves are used to restrict the flow of blood away from brain. With anti g trousers, pilot can perform maneuvers up to 8 g.

Aircraft Icing
Icing is caused either by freezing on to aircraft surfaces of some form of precipitation, this usually occurs on the ground; or by supercooled liquid water droplets found in clouds or rain solidifying on impact with aircraft structure, which is at a sufficiently low temperature during flight. This accretion occurs on areas of the airframe where the airflow is near to stagnation, i.e., close to a rest such as wing or tail plane leading edges and engine intakes. For the ground icing hazard de-icing fluids are universally used to ensure the aircraft surface is free of ice at take-off.

 The method of countering the airborne icing hazard varies depending on the nature of the aircraft and its operational requirements as those aircrafts requiring ice protection and those not. A distinction is made between an anti-icing system where ice accretion is prevented, and de-icing system where a limited amount of accretion is allowed before some action is taken to shed it. These systems are used in conjunction with an ice detector.

Anti-ice Systems
Hot bleed air where continuously or when icing conditions are present, hot air is projected on the inside of a surface subject to ice accretion such as wing leading edge or engine bullet. Electrical heating where elements are embedded in the structure susceptible to icing to achieve a continuous surface temperature above freezing level. Liquid ice protection where a freezing point depressant liquid is deposited on a surface or extruded through a porous surface to prevent freezing

De-Icing System
Pneumatic boots where a reinforced synthetic rubber layer is overlaid on the susceptible surface and periodically inflated in conditions of ice accretion thereby breaking and shedding the ice. Electrical heating which can be used in de-icing made by switching on and off periodically during exposure to icing conditions. Electro expulsive system which utilises opposing magnetic fields or eddy currents induced by conductors embedded in a flexible surface to create relative movement and hence the breakage and shedding of the accreted ice. Electro-magnetic impulse de-icing which utilises coils inside the leading edge inducing eddy currents in metal skin with the result that the surface is deformed, breaking the ice.

Rain Dispersal
A pilot must have clear vision through the windscreen under all weather conditions, particularly on approach to landing. The use of windscreen wipers can be effective up to higher subsonic speeds, particularly on large screen. Wipers used in conjunction with washing fluid to clean the screen of insect debris, dust, dirt and salt spray etc. However wipers are not suitable for use with plastic windscreen since they tend to scratch the surface and disadvantage of increasing drag. Hot air jets for rain dispersal can be used up to much higher speeds than wipers and are suitable for use on glass and plastic. The air is discharged at high velocity over the outside surface of the screen from a row of nozzles at the base. The hot air is supplied from ECS system at temperature of at least 1000C. Such high temperatures are to evaporate the water.

Anti-Misting and De-Misting

Misting will occur when the surface temperature of the transparency falls below the dew point temperature of the surrounding air. Misting typically occurs when an aircraft which has been cruising at an altitude where air is cold and relatively dry. When aircraft descends into a warmer and more humid atmosphere, misting will occur on the surfaces which have not had enough time to warm up to a temperature above the dew point of the air. An anti-misting system can be provided to keep the surface temperature of the transparency above the dew point and thus preventing misting.

 A system of nozzles blowing air at about 1000C ocer the canopy from its base can be used, or alternatively an electrically heated gold or metal oxide film can be deposited on the transparency surface or placed between laminations. A transparency de-mist system can be provided to clear the transparency of mist should misting occur suddenly or if the anti-mist system fails. The de-misting system consists of nozzles blowing ECS air at high flow rate across the transparency.

THANK YOU