Bleed air

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(June 2009)

Bleed air in gas turbine engines is compressed air taken from within the engine, after
the compressor stage(s) and before the fuel is injected in the burners. While in theory
bleed air could be drawn in any gas turbine engine, its usage is generally restricted to
jet engines used in aircraft. Bleed air is valuable in an aircraft for two properties: high
temperature and high pressure (typical values are 200-250°C and 275 kPa (40 PSI),
for regulated bleed air exiting the engine pylon for use throughout the aircraft).[1] This
compressed air can be used within the aircraft in many different ways, from de-icing,
to pressurizing the cabin, to pneumatic actuators. However, bleed air is quite hot and
when being used in the cabin or other low temperature areas, it must first be cooled or
even refrigerated by the aircraft's environmental control system (ECS). Newer aircraft
rely more on electricity, reducing the need for compressed air. Since most gas turbine
engines use multiple compressor stages, some newer engines have the bleed air inlet
between compressor stages to reduce the temperature of the compressed air.

Contents
[hide]

• 1 Merits of bleed air

• 2 Recent developments in civil aircraft
• 3 Controversy
• 4 References

• 5 See also

[edit] Merits of bleed air

Cabin pressure and bleed air controls in a Boeing 737-800
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In civil aircraft, bleed air's primary use is to provide pressure for the aircraft cabin by
supplying air to the Environmental Control System. Additionally, bleed air is used to
keep critical parts of the aircraft (such as the wing leading edges) ice-free.

Bleed air is used on many aircraft systems because it is easily available, reliable, and
a potent source of power. For example, air turbine starters used to start large jet
engines are much smaller and lighter than an electric motor of equivalent power
output. Bleed air for starting is provided by an on board Auxiliary Power Unit (APU)
or an external huffer if the APU is inoperative. Once a single engine is started, its
bleed air can be used to drive the starter on the remaining engines. Lavatory water
storage tanks are pressurized by bleed air that is fed through a pressure regulator.
Even the outside air probe on some aircraft utilize bleed air to drive a venturi pump to
draw outside air in to a temperature sensor chamber. Early jet aircraft even used bleed
air to drive the gyroscopes in their cockpit artificial horizons.

When used for cabin pressurization, the air from the engine must first be cooled (as it
exits the compressor stage at temperatures as high as 300°C) by passing the bleed air
through an air-to-air heat exchanger cooled by cold outside air. It is then fed to an air
cycle machine unit which regulates the temperature and flow of air into the cabin,
keeping the environment comfortable.

Bleed air is also used to heat the engine intakes. A small amount of bleed air is taken
from the engine, and is piped to the engine pod shroud where it heats the back side of
the fan case. This prevents ice from accumulating and breaking loose, and being
ingested by the engine, possibly damaging it.

A similar system is used for wing de-icing by the 'hot-wing' method. In icing
conditions, water droplets condensing on a wing's leading edge can freeze. This build-
up of ice adds weight and changes the shape of the wing, causing a degradation in
performance, and possibly a critical loss of control or lift. To prevent this, warm bleed
air is pumped through the inside of the wing's leading edge. This heats up the metal,
preventing the formation of ice. The air then exits through small holes in the wing
edge. Alternatively, bleed air may be used to inflate a rubber boot on the leading edge,
breaking the ice loose.

[edit] Recent developments in civil aircraft

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(October 2008)

Bleed air systems have been in use for several decades in passenger jets. Boeing
announced that its new aircraft, the 787 would operate without use of bleed air (and
the two engines proposed for the aircraft, the General Electric GEnx and the Rolls-
Royce Trent 1000, are designed with this in mind). This represents a departure from
traditional aircraft design, and proponents state that eliminating bleed air improves
engine efficiency, as there is no loss of mass airflow and therefore energy from the
engine, leading to lower fuel consumption.

In a bleed air system, air is compressed to several atmospheres by the engines, only to
then be cooled and expanded (energy "lost") to a narrow pressure and temperature
margin (requires complex systems to regulate temperature and pressure) to be piped
around the plane, only then to be cooled or expanded again (energy "lost") to roughly
one atmosphere of pressure. Additionally, eliminating bleed air reduces the aircraft's
mass by removing a whole series of ducts, valves, heat exchangers and other heavy,
maintenance intensive equipment.

The APU (auxiliary power unit) no longer needs to supply bleed air when the main
engines are not operating. Aerodynamics are improved due to the lack of bleed air
vent holes on the wings. To pressurize the cabin, electric air compressors are used. By
driving cabin air supply compressors at the minimum required speed, no energy
wasting modulating valves are required. High temperature, high-pressure air cycle
machine (ACM) packs can be replaced with low temperature, low pressure packs to
increase efficiency. At cruise altitude, where most aircraft spend the majority of their
time, and burn the majority of their fuel, and where the outside air is typically very
cold, the ACM packs can be bypassed entirely, saving even more energy. Since no
bleed air is taken from the engines for the cabin, engine oil contamination of the cabin
air supply is eliminated.

Lastly, advocates of the design say it improves safety as heated air is confined to the
engine pod, as opposed to being pumped through pipes and heat exchangers in the
wing and near the cabin, where a leak could damage surrounding systems.

Because the aircraft has no bleed air powered engine starters, and no requirement for
bleed air for cabin pressurization during flight, there is no need to have the APU drive
a load compressor to supply bleed air to the aircraft during a period of engine loss, or
on the ground at the start of each flight. This simplifies aircraft design, eliminates
another maintenance requirement and saves weight.
In contrast, eliminating bleed air creates a requirement for another source of energy
for cabin pressurization, anti-ice/de-ice systems, and other functions previously
covered by bleed air. The other source is electricity from large generators fitted to the
main engines and APU. Therefore, from a systems point of view, this approach may
potentially be less efficient. Rather than high pressure air from the engine (pneumatic
energy) being used directly to pressurize the cabin, the pneumatic energy is converted
to mechanical energy by the engine itself, and this shaft horsepower (mechanical
energy) is taken from the engine to drive a generator (electrical energy) that is then
used to drive a motor (mechanical energy) that is used to drive a compressor
(pneumatic energy). Energy is lost at each conversion step, but despite all of these
conversions, Boeing still expects a net energy savings. In the 787, the compressor
motor is driven by the same power converters that are used to drive the electric engine
starters for major weight savings.

While the 787 is considered a "bleedless" aircraft, a minor amount of bleed air is still
used for engine pod intake de-ice. The amount of bleed air requirement for engine pod
de-ice is so small, and since engine pod deice is not used for the entire flight, the
engines are designed as if there were basically no typical bleed air requirements.

Airbus does not currently (as of November 2007) have any plans to eliminate bleed
air from its 787 competitor, the A350, and is improving its technology by improving
the quality of cabin air and reducing the amount of needed bleed air and therefore
increasing efficiency.[2] The use of improved bleed air technology improves air quality
in an aircraft pressure cabin at the same time. Airbus has received many patents in the
last two decades for improving the efficiency of bleed air and improving the quality
and security of cabin air.

[edit] Controversy
Main article: Aerotoxic syndrome

Certain neurological and respiratory ill health effects have been linked anecdotally to
exposure to contaminated bleed air on commercial and military aircraft—the alleged
associated long-term illness is known as Aerotoxic Syndrome. One potential
contaminant is Tricresyl phosphate. Academic research is ongoing, such as that by
University of New South Wales, Cranfield University, University of British
Columbia, University of Washington, University College London (Sarah Mackenzie
Ross)[3], but no formal causal relationship has been established yet by researchers.

A number of lobbying groups have been set up to raise public awareness, petition on
behalf of passengers and crew, and to try to influence regulators. These groups
include the Aviation Organophosphate Information Site (AOPIS) (2001), the Global
Cabin Air Quality Executive (2006) and the UK-based Aerotoxic Association (2007).
In a court in March 2010 in Australia, a former flight attendant won a case against her
former employer for chronic respiratory problems after she was exposed to oil fumes
on a flight in March 1992.[4]

[edit] References
1. ^ Discussion paper on the cabin air environment, COT, 2006
2. ^ Patent 20090277445: System For Improving Air Quality In An Aircraft
Pressure Cabin AIRBUS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
3. ^ Ill health Following Exposure to Contaminated Aircraft Air: Psychosomatic
Disorder or Neurological Injury?, Dr Sarah Mackenzie Ross, 2006
4. ^ Turner v Eastwest Airlines Limited (2009) at Dust Diseases Tribunal of
New South Wales