阅读说明：本技术 用于净化飞行器机舱并提供安全再入指示的方法和系统 (Method and system for decontaminating aircraft nacelles and providing safe reentry indication ) 是由 S·M·特伦特 D·R·斯佩茨 S·K·利克特 于 2021-06-21 设计创作，主要内容包括：涉及用于净化飞行器机舱并提供安全再入指示的方法和系统。描述了用于净化飞行器机舱并且提供指示以提供在运行后再入机舱是安全的置信度的方法和系统。这些方法和系统基于利用外部空气和/或经过滤的空气来降低机舱内部的传染原浓度。在一些示例中,在发生某种污染事件(例如,在飞行中出现病人)之后和/或作为定期服务(例如,在两次飞行之间)的一部分来执行某种方法。系统运行以将化合物引入机舱的时间量是经专门计算的,以将剩余传染原的比例降低到某一希望水平以下,从而降低机舱内的污染浓度的初始浓度。净化持续时间取决于机舱容积和引入空气流率。例如,在以每小时20次换气的情况下流动引入空气9分钟后,剩余空气比例将低于5％。(To a method and system for decontaminating an aircraft cabin and providing a safe reentry indication. Methods and systems for decontaminating aircraft nacelles and providing an indication to provide a confidence that it is safe to re-enter the nacelle after operation are described. These methods and systems are based on the use of outside air and/or filtered air to reduce the concentration of infectious agents inside the cabin. In some examples, some method is performed after some contamination event occurs (e.g., a patient is present in flight) and/or as part of a periodic service (e.g., between flights). The amount of time the system is operated to introduce the compound into the cabin is specifically calculated to reduce the proportion of remaining infectious agent below a certain desired level, thereby reducing the initial concentration of the contaminating concentration within the cabin. The purge duration depends on the cabin volume and the incoming air flow rate. For example, after 9 minutes of flow-induced air with 20 ventilations per hour, the remaining air fraction will be below 5%.)

1. A method (400) of decontaminating a nacelle (150) of an aircraft (190) and providing an indication that it is safe to reenter the nacelle (150), the method (400) comprising the steps of:

receiving (410) a purge request (122) at a controller (110);

determining (420), at the controller (110), operating parameters (112) of one or more air conditioning groups (130) and one or more fans (140) of the aircraft (190),

wherein the operating parameters (112) include at least a duration of time to operate the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140), and

wherein the duration of operation of the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140) is determined based at least on a cabin volume of the aircraft (190), a combined ventilation rate provided by the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140), and a residual air threshold of the aircraft (190);

operating (430) the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140) in accordance with the operating parameters, thereby purging the nacelle (150); and

upon completion of purging the nacelle (150), a completion indication (126) is provided to an indicator (128).

2. The method (400) of claim 1, wherein the purge request (122) is received from an input device (120) communicatively coupled to the controller (110), wherein the input device (120) is one of a cockpit switch and a crew panel.

3. The method (400) of claim 1, wherein the decontamination request (122) is received from one or more biosensors (152) located within a nacelle (150) of the aircraft (190).

4. The method (400) of claim 3, wherein the purge request (122) includes a contaminant concentration input (153) exceeding a set threshold.

5. The method (400) of claim 1, wherein the operating parameters (112) further include an operating output of each of the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and each of the one or more fans (140).

6. The method (400) of claim 5, wherein the operational output of each of the one or more air conditioning groups (130) and each of the one or more fans (140) changes while the one or more air conditioning groups (130) and the one or more fans (140) are operated (430).

7. The method (400) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the method (400) further comprising the steps of:

receiving (450), at the controller (110) and from one or more biosensors (152) located in a cabin (150) of the aircraft (190) and while operating (430) the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140), a contaminant concentration (153) in the cabin (150); and

modifying (422) the operating parameter (112) based on the contaminant concentration (153) in the nacelle (150).

8. The method (400) of claim 1, the method (400) further comprising the steps of: receiving, at the controller (110) and from one or more door sensors (154), a door closing input (157) corresponding to an open-closed position of each hatch door.

9. The method (400) of claim 8, wherein operating (430) the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140) is activated based on the door close input (157).

10. The method (400) of claim 8, wherein the operating parameters (112) of the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140) are determined further based on the door close input (157).

11. The method (400) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the completion indicator (128) is located outside the aircraft (190) and visible to a person outside the aircraft (190).

12. The method (400) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the completion indicator (128) comprises or is coupled to a wireless transmitter.

13. The method (400) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein operating (430) at least the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140) is performed while the aircraft (190) is stopped, empty and free of passengers.

14. A system (100) for decontaminating a nacelle (150) of an aircraft (190) and providing an indication that it is safe to reenter the nacelle (150), the system (100) comprising:

one or more air conditioning packs (130), the one or more air conditioning packs (130) configured to receive ambient air from outside the aircraft (190) and to supply the ambient air into the cabin (150) of the aircraft (190);

one or more filters (142);

one or more fans (140), the one or more fans (140) configured to receive cabin air from the cabin (150) of the aircraft (190), pass the cabin air through the one or more filters (142) to generate filtered air, and supply the filtered air into the cabin (150);

a controller (110), the controller (110) communicatively coupled to the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140), and the controller configured to receive a decontamination request (122) and determine operating parameters (112) of the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140) to perform decontamination,

wherein the operating parameters (112) include a duration of time to operate the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140), and

wherein the duration of operation of the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140) is determined based on one or more of: (a) a cabin volume of the aircraft (190), (b) a combined ventilation rate provided by the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140), and (c) an acceptable proportion of remaining air in the aircraft (190); and

an indicator (128), the indicator (128) communicatively coupled to the controller (110) and configured to receive a completion indication (126) from the controller (110) and present the completion indication (126) to the indicator (128) to indicate that it is safe to reenter the nacelle.

15. The system (100) according to claim 14, the system (100) further comprising an input device (120), the input device (120) communicatively coupled to the controller (110) and configured to send a purge request (122) to the controller (110), wherein the input device (120) is one of a cockpit switch and a crew panel.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a method and a system for decontaminating (deconfiguring) an aircraft cabin and providing a safe reentry indication.

Background

Contaminants may be introduced or present in various areas, rendering these areas unsuitable for further use. For example, with the increasing popularity of air and other types of travel and new destinations, the likelihood of infectious disease transmission has increased dramatically.

Disclosure of Invention

Methods and systems for decontaminating a nacelle and providing an indication that it is safe to reenter the nacelle are described herein. These methods and systems are based on replacing the air inside the cabin with outside air and/or filtered air. In some examples, some method is performed after some contamination event occurs (e.g., a patient is present in flight) and/or as part of a periodic service (e.g., between flights). The amount of air introduced into the cabin is specifically calculated to reduce the proportion of remaining air (fraction) below a certain desired level, thereby reducing the concentration of pollution in the cabin. The purge duration depends on the cabin volume and the incoming air flow rate (flowrate). For example, after 10 minutes of flow-induced air with 20 air changes per hour, the remaining air fraction will be below 5%.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an aircraft including a system for decontaminating an aircraft cabin and providing an indication that reentry into the aircraft cabin is safe, according to some examples.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the aircraft of FIG. 1 illustrating various components of a system for decontaminating an aircraft cabin and providing an indication that reentry into the aircraft cabin is safe, according to some examples.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a controller of a system for decontaminating an aircraft cabin and providing an indication that reentry into the aircraft cabin is safe, illustrating various inputs and outputs of the controller, according to some examples.

FIG. 4 is a process flow diagram of a method for decontaminating an aircraft cabin and providing an indication that reentry into the aircraft cabin is safe, according to some examples.

FIG. 5 illustrates a plot of the proportion of air remaining as a function of time for two different flow rates.

FIG. 6 is a process flow diagram corresponding to a method of manufacturing and servicing an aircraft.

Fig. 7 illustrates a block diagram of an example aircraft, according to some examples.

Detailed Description

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the presented concepts. In some examples, the presented concepts are practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps have not been described in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure the described concepts. While some concepts will be described in conjunction with specific examples, it will be understood that these examples are not intended to be limiting.

Introduction to

Systems and methods for decontamination of an aircraft cabin and external identification of completion of the decontamination process (e.g., when the aircraft cabin is free of infectious agents/diseases) are described herein. In some examples, the systems and methods rely at least in part on an existing Environmental Control System (ECS) of the aircraft while providing new instructional features for various users (e.g., airlines, flight crews, maintenance crews, ground crew).

For example, when there is no personnel in the aircraft cabin, the decontamination system is enabled and, in some examples, the doors are closed. The controller determines a desired output of the one or more air conditioning packs and the one or more fans to deliver air into the cabin, thereby defining a total induction flow rate. In some examples, the total incoming flow rate is presented in number of breaths per hour, where 1 breath per hour represents a flow rate corresponding to a volume of the aircraft divided by an hour. It should be noted that as the incoming air flows into the nacelle, it displaces air that is present within the nacelle and that may include contaminants. Initially, the displaced air is mainly the original air in the cabin, i.e. the air before the system is started. As the purge continues to advance, the raw air represents a small proportion of the air being displaced because the proportion of raw air in the cabin drops. This ratio is referred to as the residual air ratio. The cleaning process involves achieving a certain minimum level of proportion of remaining air by replacing the original air in the cabin. This minimum level of residual air ratio is selected, for example, based on the type of contaminants, the likelihood of contamination, and other similar factors.

The total introduction flow rate, the volume of the aircraft and the desired level of residual air proportion are used by the controller to determine the duration of the decontamination process. In some examples, additional inputs to the controller (e.g., from one or more biosensors located in the aircraft cabin) are used to determine the duration (e.g., extend the decontamination process if contaminants are still present above an allowable level).

Upon completion of the decontamination process, the controller provides an input to an external indicator (e.g., located outside of the nacelle) indicating that the decontamination process is complete and that the nacelle is safe for access. It should be noted that, in some examples, entering the aircraft cabin during the decontamination process may interfere with the decontamination process (e.g., change air circulation) and/or be potentially unsafe to the entering personnel (e.g., contaminants suspended in the air). In some examples, the external indicator is a light positioned closest to the aircraft door.

In some examples, the system is manually activated and controlled. For example, a switch at the cockpit is used to start the process. In some examples, the system is automatically started and controlled. For example, a door sensor is used to initiate the process when all doors are detected as being closed. In some examples, a biosensor is used to provide input to the controller (e.g., based on the level of contaminants in the nacelle). Also, in some examples, the biosensor checks the recently cleaned/cleaned cabin air to ensure that the timer and controller are effective in fully cleaning and cleaning the cabin air. In some examples, a controller is used to control the speed of the ECS system fan to achieve a high flow rate through the nacelle, thereby reducing turn time. A new variable speed fan may replace the fixed speed fan in the system to assist in this high flow method.

Example of purification System

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an aircraft 190, according to some examples, the aircraft 190 including a system 100 for decontaminating an aircraft cabin 150 and providing an indication that reentry into the aircraft cabin 150 is safe. FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the aircraft 190 of FIG. 1 illustrating the various components of the system 100 included.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, the system 100 includes one or more air conditioning packs 130 configured to receive ambient air from outside the aircraft 190 and supply the ambient air into the cabin 150 of the aircraft 190. The system 100 also includes one or more filters 142 and one or more fans 140, the one or more fans 140 configured to receive cabin air from a cabin 150 of the aircraft 190, pass the cabin air through the one or more filters 142 to generate filtered air, and supply the filtered air into the cabin 150. In some examples, the one or more air conditioning packs 130, the one or more fans 140, and the one or more filters 142 are part of an ECS of the aircraft 190. In other words, the one or more air conditioning packs 130, the one or more fans 140, and the one or more filters 142 are also used during other operations of the aircraft 190 (such as during flight).

The system 100 also includes a controller 110, the controller 110 communicatively coupled to one or more air conditioning packs 130 and one or more fans 140. The system 100 is configured to receive a decontamination request 122 and determine operating parameters 112 of one or more air conditioning packs 130 and one or more fans 140 to perform decontamination of an aircraft cabin 150. Various types of operating parameters 1121 are within a range. For example, the operating parameters 112 include a duration of time for operating one or more air conditioning packs 130 and one or more fans 140. In some examples, the one or more air conditioning packs 130 are operated for the same duration as the one or more fans 140 are operated. Alternatively, the one or more air conditioning packs 130 are operated for a different duration than the one or more fans 140. For example, one or more air conditioning packs 130 may be operated for a longer duration than one or more fans 140. In another example, one or more air conditioning packs 130 are operated for a shorter duration than one or more fans 140. In some examples, the period of operation of the one or more air conditioning packs 130 and the period of operation of the one or more fans 140 coincide. Alternatively, the periods of operation of the one or more air conditioning packs 130 and the periods of operation of the one or more fans 140 are staggered. For example, the process begins with only operating one or more air conditioning packs 130, and only turning on one or more fans 140 at a later time. Alternatively, the process begins with only operating one or more fans 140, and only turning on one or more air conditioning packs 130 at a later time.

In some examples, the duration of operation of the one or more air conditioning packs 130 and the one or more fans 140 is determined based on one or more of the following: (a) cabin volume, (b) the combined ventilation rate provided by the one or more air conditioning packs 130 and the one or more fans 140, and (c) an acceptable proportion of the remaining air in the aircraft 190. This determination will be further described below with reference to fig. 4 and 5. Generally, a larger cabin volume requires a longer purge time and vice versa. A smaller combined ventilation rate requires a longer purge time and vice versa. A lower acceptable proportion of the remaining air requires a longer purge time and vice versa.

The system 100 also includes an indicator 128, the indicator 128 communicatively coupled to the controller 110 and configured to receive the completion indication 126 from the controller 110 and present the completion indication 126 to the indicator 128 to indicate that reentry into the nacelle is safe. In some examples, the completion indicator 128 is located outside of the aircraft 190 and is visible to personnel outside of the aircraft 190. For example, the completion indicator 128 is located on one or more of a jet bridge (jet bridge), jet nacelle (jet bay), or airport gate (airport gate). In some examples, the completion indicator 128 includes or is coupled to a wireless transmitter, for example, to notify remote users and systems of the completion of the decontamination process. For example, the departure time of an airline flight depends on the completion of the decontamination process.

In some examples, the system 100 further includes an input device 120, the input device 120 communicatively coupled to the controller 110 and configured to send a purge request 122 to the controller 110. For example, the input device 120 is one of a cockpit switch and a crew panel. However, other examples are also within the scope.

In some examples, the system 100 also includes one or more biosensors 152 located within the nacelle 150 of the aircraft 190. The one or more biosensors 152 are configured to measure one or more contaminants present in the nacelle 150 or more specifically, the concentration of the contaminants. One or more biosensors 152 are communicatively coupled to the controller 110 and configured to provide a contaminant concentration input 153 to the controller 110. In these examples, controller 110 is configured to use pollution concentration input 153 to trigger operation of one or more air conditioning packs 130 and one or more fans 140. For example, one or more biosensors 152 determine that the contaminant concentration exceeds a certain threshold and notify the controller 110 of the event. This part of the process is performed at any time. In some embodiments, one or more biosensors 152 continuously monitor the nacelle 150 for contaminants. Upon receiving the contaminant concentration input 153 from the one or more biosensors 152, the controller 110 schedules a decontamination process, which may or may not occur immediately. For example, when a contamination event is detected, the cabin 150 is still occupied, in which case the decontamination process is scheduled in the future, e.g., when the cabin 150 is free of passengers.

In some examples, controller 110 is configured to use pollution concentration input 153 to modify operating parameters 112 of one or more air conditioning packs 130 and one or more fans 140. For example, the initially determined duration of operation of one or more air conditioning packs 130 and one or more fans 140 is modified based on pollution concentration input 153 (e.g., the duration is shortened if pollution concentration input 153 indicates that the pollutant concentration decays faster, or the duration is lengthened if pollution concentration input 153 indicates that the pollutant concentration decays slower).

In some examples, the operating parameters 112 also include operating outputs of individual ones of the one or more air conditioning packs 130 and individual ones of the one or more fans 140. It should be noted that the combined ventilation rate is based on the ventilation rate of each air conditioner of the one or more air conditioning groups 130 and the ventilation rate of each fan of the one or more fans 140. In some examples, the ratio of the ventilation rate of each air conditioner of the one or more air conditioning packs 130 to the ventilation rate of each fan of the one or more fans 140 is 50%/50%. In some examples, the ratio is in the range of 10%/90% to 90%/10%. For example, the ratio is selected based on the condition of one or more filters 142, external weather conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity), and the like.

In some examples, the system 100 also includes one or more door sensors 154 located at each hatch door. One or more door sensors 154 are configured to determine whether each hatch door is closed or open. It should be noted that the decontamination process has different efficiencies depending on the position of the door. Also, closing the door helps control the spread of contaminants. In some examples, the purging process is initiated only when all of the doors are closed.

One or more door sensors 154 are communicatively coupled to the controller 110 and configured to provide a door closing input 157 to the controller 110. The controller 110 is configured to operate the one or more air conditioning packs 130 and the one or more fans 140 based on the door close input 157. For example, the controller 110 delays the run until all hatches are closed. In some examples, the process continues while one or more doors remain open. In some examples, the operating parameters 112 of the one or more air conditioning packs 130 and the one or more fans 140 are determined further based on the door close input 157. For example, if one or more doors are open, a higher combined ventilation rate is used.

Fig. 3 illustrates various inputs and outputs of the controller 110. For example, the controller 110 receives (or stores) cabin volume information that is used to determine (e.g., calculate) an operating parameter 112, such as an operating duration 113. In the same or other examples, the controller 110 receives (or stores) a combined ventilation rate that is also used to determine an operating parameter 112, such as an operating duration 113. In the same or other examples, the controller 110 receives (or stores) a residual air threshold that is also used to determine an operating parameter 112, such as an operating duration 113. Other examples of controller inputs include purge requests, contaminant concentrations, door close inputs. The controller uses this information to determine operating parameters 112 that are communicated to one or more air conditioning packs 130 and one or more fans 140 during the performance of the decontamination process. Further, the controller 110 generates a completion indication 126, and the completion indication 126 is communicated to, for example, an indicator 128.

Example of purification method

FIG. 4 is a process flow diagram of a method 400 for decontaminating an aircraft cabin 150 and providing an indication that reentry of the aircraft cabin 150 is safe, according to some examples. The various operations of method 400 are performed using system 100, which is described above with reference to fig. 1-3.

The method 400 includes the steps of: a scrub request 122 is received (block 410) at the controller 110. For example, the input device 120 sends a decontamination request 122 to the controller 110, e.g., based on identification of a contamination event in the aircraft cabin 150. Various examples of identifying a contamination event are within the scope, such as a passenger presenting or reporting a symptom, receiving an external report based on a passenger list, receiving input from one or more biosensors 152, and so forth. For example, the purge request 122 is received from an input device 120 communicatively coupled to the controller 110, wherein the input device 120 is one of a cockpit switch and a crew panel. In another example, the decontamination request 122 is received from one or more biosensors 152 located within a nacelle 150 of the aircraft 190. More specifically, the purge request 122 includes a contaminant concentration input 153 that exceeds a set threshold.

The method 400 includes the steps of: the operating parameters 112 of the one or more air conditioning packs 130 and the one or more fans 140 of the aircraft 190 are determined (block 420) at the controller 110. The operating parameters 112 include at least a duration of time for operating the one or more air conditioning packs 130 and the one or more fans 140. Other examples of operating parameters include: the operational output (e.g., ventilation rate) of each of the one or more air conditioning packs 130 and each of the one or more fans 140, the order in which the one or more air conditioning packs 130 and the one or more fans 140 are operated, and the like. The duration of operation of the one or more air conditioning packs 130 and the one or more fans 140 is determined based on at least: (a) a cabin volume of the aircraft 190, (b) a combined ventilation rate provided by the air conditioning pack 130 and the one or more fans 140, and (c) a residual air threshold in the aircraft 190. The residual air threshold reflects the concentration of residual contaminants in the aircraft cabin.

Fig. 5 illustrates a plot of the proportion of air remaining as a function of time for two different flow rates (flowrates). Specifically, line 500 corresponds to a flow rate of 20 ventilations per hour, while line 510 corresponds to a flow rate of 30 ventilations per hour. Line 520 represents an example of the residual air ratio threshold, set at 10% in this example. At a flow rate of 20 ventilations per hour, the threshold is reached in about 7 minutes. At a flow rate of 30 ventilations per hour, the threshold is reached in about 4 minutes. The threshold value depends on the type of contaminant and other similar parameters.

The method 400 continues with operating (block 430) the one or more air conditioning packs 130 and the one or more fans 140 according to the operating parameters to clean the nacelle 150. In some examples, the operational output (e.g., ventilation rate) of each of the one or more air conditioning packs 130 and each of the one or more fans 140 changes while the one or more air conditioning packs 130 and the one or more fans 140 are operated (block 430).

In some examples, the operation of the one or more air conditioning packs 130 and the one or more fans 140 is performed while the aircraft 190 is stopped. Also, in some examples, the operation is performed when the aircraft 190 is empty and no passengers are present (decision block 426 in fig. 4). For purposes of this disclosure, the term "passenger" is defined as a human or animal capable of carrying a contaminant on board the aircraft 190.

If the cabin is not empty, the method 400 continues with evacuating (vacating) (block 428) passengers from the aircraft cabin 150. In some examples, the method 400 further comprises the steps of: before performing the operation (block 430) of the one or more air conditioning packs 130 and the one or more fans 140, it is confirmed (block 424) that the cabin 150 of the aircraft 190 is empty and free of passengers.

The method 400 continues by providing (block 440) a completion indication 126 to the indicator 128 upon completion of purging the nacelle 150. For example, the completion indicator 128 is located outside of the aircraft 190 and is visible to personnel outside of the aircraft 190. More specifically, the completion indicator 128 is located on one or more of a jet bridge, jet nacelle, or airport door. In some examples, the completion indicator 128 includes or is coupled to a wireless transmitter.

In some examples, the method 400 further comprises the steps of: a contaminant concentration 153 in the nacelle 150 is received (block 450). The contaminant concentration 153 is received at the controller 110 and from one or more biosensors 152 located in the cabin 150 of the aircraft 190. Also, contaminant concentration 153 is received while operating (block 430) one or more air conditioning packs 130 and one or more fans 140. For example, one or more biosensors 152 continuously monitor the concentration of contaminants during the decontamination process. Method 400 continues with modifying (block 422) operating parameter 112 based on contaminant concentration 153 in nacelle 150.

In some examples, the method 400 further comprises the steps of: a door closing input 157 corresponding to the open-closed position of each door is received (460) at the controller 110 and from the one or more door sensors 154. In a more specific example, operation of one or more air conditioning packs 130 and one or more fans 140 (block 430) is initiated or adjusted based on the door close input 157 (see decision block 426 in fig. 4). In some examples, the operating parameters 112 of the one or more air conditioning packs 130 and the one or more fans 140 are determined further based on the door close input 157.

Aircraft example

In some examples, the methods and systems described above are on board an aircraft and are more generally used by the aerospace industry. In particular, these methods and systems may be used during aircraft manufacturing as well as during aircraft maintenance and service.

Accordingly, the apparatus and methods described above are applicable to aircraft manufacturing and service method 900 as shown in FIG. 6 and aircraft 902 as shown in FIG. 7. During pre-production, method 900 includes specification and design 904 of aircraft 902 and material procurement 906. During production, component and subassembly manufacturing 908 and system integration 910 of aircraft 902 may occur. Thereafter, the aircraft 902 undergoes certification and delivery 912 in order to be placed in service 914. When used by a customer, aircraft 902 is scheduled for routine maintenance and service 916, which also includes modification, reconfiguration, refurbishment, and so on.

In some examples, each of the processes of method 900 is performed or carried out by a system integrator, a third party, and/or an operator (e.g., a customer). For purposes of this description, a system integrator includes, but is not limited to, any number of aircraft manufacturers and major-system subcontractors; third parties include, without limitation, any number of vendors, subcontractors, and suppliers; and the operator may be an airline, leasing company, military entity, service organization, and so on.

As shown in fig. 7, an aircraft 902 produced according to method 900 includes a fuselage 918 having a plurality of systems 920 and an interior 922. Fuselage 918 comprises the wings of aircraft 902. Examples of system 920 include one or more of the following: a propulsion system 924, an electrical system 926, a hydraulic system 928, and an environmental system 930. Any number of other systems may be included.

During any one or more of these stages of method 900, the apparatus and methods presented herein may be employed. For example, an assembly or subassembly corresponding to manufacturing 908 is fabricated or manufactured in a manner similar to an assembly or subassembly produced while aircraft 902 is in use. Moreover, one or more of the apparatus examples, the method examples, or a combination thereof may be utilized during manufacturing 908 and system integration 910, for example, by substantially expediting assembly of the aircraft 902 or reducing the cost of the aircraft. Similarly, when the aircraft 200 is in use, one or more of the apparatus examples, the method examples, or a combination thereof are utilized for maintenance and service 916, for example and without limitation.

Further, the present disclosure includes embodiments according to the following clauses:

1. a method (400) of decontaminating a nacelle (150) of an aircraft (190) and providing an indication that it is safe to reenter the nacelle (150), the method (400) comprising the steps of:

receiving (410) a purge request (122) at a controller (110);

determining (420), at the controller (110), operating parameters (112) of one or more air conditioning groups (130) and one or more fans (140) of the aircraft (190),

wherein the operating parameters (112) include at least a duration of time to operate the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140), and

wherein the duration of operation of the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140) is determined based at least on a cabin volume of the aircraft (190), a combined ventilation rate provided by the air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140), and a remaining air threshold of the aircraft (190);

operating (430) the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140) in accordance with the operating parameters, thereby purging the nacelle (150); and

upon completion of purging the nacelle (150), a completion indication (126) is provided to an indicator (128).

2. The method (400) of clause 1, wherein the decontamination request (122) is received from an input device (120) communicatively coupled to the controller (110), wherein the input device (120) is one of a cockpit switch and a crew panel.

3. The method (400) of clause 1 or 2, wherein the decontamination request (122) is received from one or more biosensors (152) located within a cabin (150) of the aircraft (190).

4. The method (400) of clause 3, wherein the decontamination request (122) includes a contaminant concentration input (153) exceeding a set threshold.

5. The method (400) of any of clauses 1-4, wherein the operating parameters (112) further include operating outputs of individual ones of the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and individual ones of the one or more fans (140).

6. The method (400) of clause 5, wherein the operational output of each of the one or more air conditioning groups (130) and each of the one or more fans (140) changes while the one or more air conditioning groups (130) and the one or more fans (140) are operated (430).

7. The method (400) according to any of clauses 1 to 6, the method (400) further comprising the steps of:

receiving (450), at the controller (110) and from one or more biosensors (152) located in a cabin (150) of the aircraft (190) and while operating (430) the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140), a contaminant concentration (153) in the cabin (150); and

modifying the operating parameter (112) based on the contaminant concentration (153) in the nacelle (150).

8. The method (400) according to any of clauses 1 to 7, the method (400) further comprising the steps of: receiving, at the controller (110) and from one or more door sensors (154), a door closing input (157) corresponding to an open-closed position of each hatch door.

9. The method (400) of clause 8, wherein operating (430) the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140) is activated based on the door close input (157).

10. The method (400) of clause 8, wherein the operating parameters (112) of the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140) are determined further based on the door close input (157).

11. The method (400) of any of clauses 1-10, wherein the completion indicator (128) is located outside of the aircraft (190) and is visible to a person outside of the aircraft (190).

12. The method (400) of any of clauses 1-11, wherein the completion indicator (128) is located on one or more of a jet bridge, jet nacelle, or airport door, and is visible to personnel outside of the aircraft (190).

13. The method (400) according to any of clauses 1-12, wherein the completion indicator (128) includes or is coupled to a wireless transmitter.

14. The method (400) according to any of clauses 1 to 13, wherein at least operating (430) the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140) is performed while the aircraft (190) is stopped.

15. The method (400) according to any of clauses 1 to 14, wherein at least operating (430) the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140) is performed when the cabin (150) of the aircraft (150) is empty and free of passengers.

16. The method (400) according to any of clauses 1 to 15, the method (400) further comprising the steps of: confirming that the cabin (150) of the aircraft (190) is empty and free of passengers prior to performing operating (430) the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140).

17. A system (100) for decontaminating a nacelle (150) of an aircraft (190) and providing an indication that it is safe to reenter the nacelle (150), the system (100) comprising:

one or more air conditioning packs (130), the one or more air conditioning packs (130) configured to receive ambient air from outside an aircraft (190) and to supply the ambient air into the cabin (150) of the aircraft (190);

one or more filters (142);

one or more fans (140), the one or more fans (140) configured to receive cabin air from the cabin (150) of the aircraft (190), pass the cabin air through the one or more filters (142) to generate filtered air, and supply the filtered air into the cabin (150);

a controller (110), the controller (110) communicatively coupled to the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140), and the controller configured to receive a purge request (122) and determine operating parameters (112) of the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140) to perform a purge,

wherein the operating parameters (112) include a duration of time to operate the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140), and

wherein the duration of operation of the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140) is determined based on one or more of: (a) a cabin volume of the aircraft (190), (b) a combined ventilation rate provided by the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140), and (c) an acceptable proportion of remaining air in the aircraft (190); and

an indicator (128) communicatively coupled to the controller (110) and configured to receive a completion indication (126) from the controller (110) and present the completion indication (126) to the indicator (128) to indicate that it is safe to reenter the nacelle.

18. The system (100) of clause 17, the system (100) further comprising an input device (120), the input device (120) communicatively coupled to the controller (110) and configured to send a purge request (122) to the controller (110), wherein the input device (120) is one of a cockpit switch and a crew panel.

19. The system (100) according to any of clauses 17 or 18, the system (100) further comprising one or more biosensors (152) located within the nacelle (150) of the aircraft (190), the one or more biosensors communicatively coupled to the controller (110) and configured to provide a contamination concentration input (153) to the controller (110).

20. The system (100) according to clause 19, wherein the controller (110) is configured to use the pollution concentration input (153) to trigger operation of the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140).

21. The system (100) according to clause 19, wherein the controller (110) is configured to modify the operating parameters (112) of the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140) using the pollution concentration input (153).

22. The system (100) according to any one of clauses 17-21, wherein the operating parameters (112) further include operating outputs of individual ones of the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and individual ones of the one or more fans (140).

23. The system (100) according to any one of clauses 17 to 22, the system (100) further comprising one or more door sensors (154) located at each door, the one or more door sensors communicatively coupled to the controller (110) and configured to provide a door closing input (157) to the controller (110) corresponding to an open-closed position of each door.

24. The system (100) of clause 23, wherein the controller (110) is configured to operate the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140) is activated based on the door close input (157).

25. The system (100) of clause 23, wherein the operating parameters (112) of the one or more air conditioning packs (130) and the one or more fans (140) are determined further based on the door close input (157).

26. The system (100) according to any of clauses 17-25, wherein the completion indicator (128) is located outside of the aircraft (190) and is visible to a person outside of the aircraft (190).

27. The system (100) according to any of clauses 17-26, wherein the completion indicator (128) is located on one or more of a jet bridge, jet nacelle, or airport door, and is visible to personnel outside of the aircraft (190).

28. The system (100) according to any one of clauses 17 to 27, wherein the completion indicator (128) includes or is coupled to a wireless transmitter.

Conclusion

Although the foregoing concepts have been described in some detail for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims. It should be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the processes, systems, and devices described. Accordingly, the present examples are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive.