초록 ▼

Bleed air systems for use with aircrafts and related methods are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a turbo-compressor including a compressor has a compressor inlet fluidly coupled to a low-pressure compressor of an aircraft engine and an intermediate port of a high-pressure compressor of the

Bleed air systems for use with aircrafts and related methods are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a turbo-compressor including a compressor has a compressor inlet fluidly coupled to a low-pressure compressor of an aircraft engine and an intermediate port of a high-pressure compressor of the aircraft engine. The compressor inlet to receive fluid from either the low-pressure compressor or the high-pressure compressor based on a first system parameter of the aircraft. A turbine has a turbine inlet fluidly coupled to the intermediate port of the high pressure compressor and a high-pressure port of the high pressure compressor of the aircraft engine. The turbine inlet to receive fluid from either the intermediate port of the high-pressure compressor or the high-pressure port of the high-pressure compressor based on a second system parameter of the aircraft.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An apparatus comprising: a turbo-compressor including: a compressor having a compressor inlet fluidly coupled to (1) a bleed air port of a low-pressure compressor of an aircraft engine and (2) an intermediate port of a high-pressure compressor of the aircraft engine, the compressor inlet to recei

1. An apparatus comprising: a turbo-compressor including: a compressor having a compressor inlet fluidly coupled to (1) a bleed air port of a low-pressure compressor of an aircraft engine and (2) an intermediate port of a high-pressure compressor of the aircraft engine, the compressor inlet to receive fluid from either the low-pressure compressor or the high-pressure compressor based on a first system parameter of the aircraft; anda turbine having a turbine inlet fluidly coupled to (1) the intermediate port of the high-pressure compressor of the aircraft engine and (2) a high-pressure port of the high-pressure compressor of the aircraft engine, the turbine inlet to receive fluid from either the intermediate port of the high-pressure compressor or the high-pressure port of the high-pressure compressor based on a second system parameter of the aircraft, wherein the turbo-compressor is to increase a pressure of fluid received from either the bleed air port of the low-pressure compressor or the intermediate port of the high-pressure compressor, and wherein the high-pressure compressor has a higher pressure than the low-pressure compressor. 2. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first system parameter is substantially similar to the second system parameter. 3. An apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second system parameters comprises a speed of the aircraft. 4. An apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first system parameter comprises a first pressure value and the second system parameter comprises a second pressure value. 5. An apparatus of claim 4, wherein the compressor inlet is to receive fluid from the low-pressure compressor when a pressure of the fluid from the low-pressure compressor is greater than the first pressure value and the compressor inlet is to receive fluid from the intermediate port of the high-pressure compressor when a pressure of the fluid from the low-pressure compressor is less than the first pressure value. 6. An apparatus of claim 4, wherein the turbine inlet is to receive fluid from the intermediate port of the high-pressure compressor when a pressure of the fluid from the high-pressure port is greater than the second pressure value and the turbine inlet is to receive fluid from the high-pressure port of the high-pressure compressor when a pressure of the fluid from the high-pressure port is less than the second pressure value. 7. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a first inlet passageway to fluidly couple the low-pressure port and the compressor inlet and a second inlet passageway to fluidly couple the intermediate port and the compressor inlet. 8. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, further comprising a third inlet passageway to fluidly couple the high-pressure port and the turbine inlet and a fourth inlet passageway to fluidly couple the intermediate port and the turbine inlet. 9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, further comprising flow control members to control fluid flow between the first, second, third and fourth fluid inlet passageways. 10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the flow control members comprise a first check valve fluidly coupled to the first inlet passageway between the low-pressure port and the compressor inlet, and a first shut-off valve fluidly coupled to the second inlet passageway between the intermediate port and the compressor inlet. 11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the flow control members comprise a second shut-off valve fluidly coupled to the third inlet passageway between the high-pressure port and the turbine inlet, and a second check valve fluidly coupled to the fourth inlet passageway between the intermediate port and the turbine inlet. 12. An apparatus comprising: a turbo-compressor comprising a compressor and a turbine, the compressor to increase a pressure of bleed air extracted from an aircraft engine at a first lower pressure to a second higher pressure to provide pressurized bleed air to a system of the aircraft;a first inlet passageway to fluidly couple a low-pressure port of a low-pressure compressor from the aircraft engine to a compressor inlet of the turbo-compressor;a second inlet passageway to fluidly couple a first intermediate port from a high-pressure compressor of the aircraft engine to the compressor inlet of the turbo-compressor, wherein the high-pressure compressor has a higher pressure than the low-pressure compressor;a third inlet passageway to fluidly couple a high-pressure port from an aircraft engine to a turbine inlet of the turbine; anda fourth inlet passageway to fluidly couple a second intermediate port from the aircraft engine to the turbine inlet. 13. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the first intermediate port and the second intermediate port are common ports. 14. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein fluid flow through the first and second inlet passageways is controlled independently from the fluid flow through the third and fourth inlet passageways. 15. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, further comprising a first valve fluidly coupled to the first inlet passageway between the low-pressure port and the compressor inlet, a second valve fluidly coupled to the second inlet passageway between the intermediate port and the compressor inlet, wherein operation of the second valve between an open position and a closed position causes the first valve to move between an open position and a closed position. 16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, further comprising a third valve fluidly coupled to the third inlet passageway between the high-pressure port and the turbine inlet, a fourth fluid valve fluidly coupled to the fourth inlet passageway between the intermediate port and the turbine inlet, wherein operation of the third valve between an open position and the closed position causes the fourth valve to move between an open position and a closed position. 17. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the first inlet passageway and the second inlet passageway converge upstream from the compressor inlet and downstream from the first and second valves, and the third inlet passageway and the fourth inlet passageway converge upstream from the turbine inlet and downstream from the third and fourth valves. 18. A method comprising: fluidly coupling a compressor inlet of a turbo-compressor to a low-pressure bleed air source provided by a low-pressure compressor of an aircraft engine via a first inlet passageway and fluidly coupling the compressor inlet to an intermediate bleed air source provided by a high-pressure compressor of the aircraft engine via a second inlet passageway; andfluidly coupling a turbine inlet of the turbo-compressor to a high-pressure bleed air source provided by the high-pressure compressor of the aircraft engine via a third inlet passageway and fluidly coupling the turbine inlet and the intermediate bleed air source provided by high-pressure compressor via a fourth inlet passageway, the aircraft engine comprising a housing that contains the low-pressure compressor and the high-pressure compressor of the aircraft engine, wherein the low-pressure bleed air source is provided by a low-pressure bleed air port in the housing of the aircraft engine, the intermediate bleed air source is provided by an intermediate bleed air port in the housing of the aircraft engine, and the high-pressure bleed air source is provided by a high-pressure bleed air port in the housing of the aircraft engine, wherein the turbo-compressor is to increase a pressure of bleed air received from either the low-pressure compressor or the high-pressure compressor, and wherein the high-pressure compressor has a higher pressure than the low-pressure compressor. 19. A method of claim 18, further comprising causing the compressor inlet to receive bleed air from the low-pressure bleed air source and the turbine inlet to receive bleed air from the intermediate bleed air source during a flight condition of the aircraft, and causing the compressor inlet to receive bleed air from the intermediate bleed air source and the turbine inlet to receive bleed air from the high-pressure bleed air source during a non-flight condition when the aircraft engine is idle. 20. A method of claim 18, further comprising isolating the first, second, third and fourth inlet passageways via flow control devices.