Cabin Environmental Control System Matthew Skelton

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Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University *

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271

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Mechanical Engineering

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Jan 9, 2024

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docx

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Cabin Environmental Control System Matthew A. Skelton Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University AMNT 271: Airframe Systems & Application Dr. B.G. Martin December 10, 2022 1
Cabin Environmental Control Systems By design aircraft are meant to fly at high altitudes in order to be more efficient, and to reduce risk of turbulence and weather. At high altitudes air pressure is decrease and oxygen starts becoming scarcer. This can take a toll on the human body as a lack of oxygen can lead to hypoxia. In order to combat this change of pressure, a subsystem of the cabin environmental control systems maintains the pressure inside of the cabin to allow for easier breathing of oxygen and prevent the physical effects on the human body. Pressurization The aircraft pressurization system is responsible for maintaining cabin pressure. There are three components that comprise the pressurization system and they are the pressure hull, compressor and an outflow valve (Pilot Institute, 2021). The pressure hull is essentially the areas of the aircraft in which are pressurized and sealed so that the air cannot escape those areas include the cabin, cockpit, toilets, and cargo bay (Pilot Institute, 2021). The compressor works by taking compressed air from the engine from the compressor stage and ducted into the air conditioning packs to expand and cool down after which it is ducted into the cabin (Pilot Institute, 2021). The last component is the outflow valve which controls the level of pressurization but allowing air out, this valve allows for the proper pressurization while in flight (Pilot Institute, 2021). Human Physiology There are three main effects caused by a pressure drop as the result of an altitude increase. The first being a reduction of usable oxygen, as altitude rises, and pressure drops the amount of usable oxygen also decreases so the human body is not able to get the amount of oxygen it requires (Pilot Institute, 2021). The second effect is the physical effects of the differing 2
pressures between the human body and the pressure outside of the body, this change leads to decompressions on any part of the body that holds gases like the gut, sinuses, and ears (Pilot Institute, 2021). The last effect is the drastic change in temperature, at higher altitudes air temperatures are much colder than on the ground and there have been cases where people have tried to conceal themselves in the landing gear and have frozen due to these extreme temperature changes (Pilot Institute, 2021). Conclusion Cabin environmental control systems are crucial to keeping passengers and crews safe and comfortable in flight. Pressurization is one of the biggest parts of this as it aids in keeping the human body at a comfortable pressure so that it doesn’t decompress and allows for more usable oxygen inside of the cabin. If the system were to fail, then the passengers and crew would only have a limited time to descend to a safe level before hypoxia would set in. 3
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References Pilot Institute. (2021, December 20). Aircraft pressurization systems: How they work and when they are required. Pilot Institute . https://pilotinstitute.com/aircraft-pressurization-systems/ 4