Air Conditioning B787 - Conditioned Air System ATA:21-00-03

Pack control unit The 2 pack control units (PCU) control air conditioning sub-systems. Each PCU has 2
channels and only one channel operates at a time

The PCUs control these devices:

● Cabin air compressors (CAC)
● CAC add heat valves
● CAC variable diffuser actuators (VDA)
● CAC deflector doors
● Pack valves
● Ram air door actuators
● Ram fan
● Recirculation air fans (through attached motor controllers)
● Temperature control system valves
● Zone A1 and B1 in-line supplemental Heaters.

Cabin Air Compressor.

The PCU uses data from these sources to calculate control functions:
● Temperature sensors
● Pressure sensors
● Flow sensors
● Common core system (CCS )
● airplane data and air conditioning control panel selector data.

1) Cabin air compressor deflector door:

the CAC inlet from FOD or nose gear water spray while the airplane is on Ground.

2) Cabin Air Compressor Deflector Door - Access: There is a panel forward of the deflector door for
external access to the door

3) Cabin Air Compressor Inlet Deflector Door Actuator:The deflector door actuator moves the CAC
deflector to the open or closed position and the actuator is electrically operated. The actuator has a spring
return device which moves the door to the closed position if there is an electrical failure of the actuator. The
PCU controls the actuator .

4) Cabin Air Compressor System :

The cabin air compressors (CAC) pull in external air and make hot, high pressure supply air for the related
pack. There are 2 CACs for each pack in the ECS bays (4 total). The CAC is a motor-driven compressor and
has a common motor start controller (CMSC) controls CAC speed and it is been cooled by forced air. The pack
control unit (PCU) controls and monitors the operation of the CACs.
5) Cabin Air Compressor Variable Diffuser Actuator: The CAC variable diffuser actuator (VDA) moves the
inlet diffuser to:
● Control CAC efficiency
● Decrease surge effects.

6) Cabin Air Compressor Add Heat Valve: The cabin air compressor (CAC) add heat valve (AHV) opens to
send CAC outlet air back to the CAC inlet. This increases the air temperature at the outlet.
The pack control unit (PCU) controls the AHV and it uses this data:
● CAC outlet temperature sensor
● AHV position.

7) Cabin Air Compressor Inlet Pressure Sensor: The inlet pressure sensor measures the CAC inlet
pressure and sends the data to the related PCU. The PCUs use inlet pressure data to help calculate control of
the CACs. Each CAC has an inlet pressure sensor.

8) Cabin Air Compressor Outlet Pressure Sensor: The CAC outlet pressure sensor measures the CAC
outlet pressure and sends the data to the related PCU. The PCUs use outlet pressure data to help calculate
control of the CACs. Each CAC has an outlet pressure sensor.

9) Ozone Converter: The ozone converter removes ozone from the supply air to the pack and temperature
control system and outlet air from the CACs goes to the ozone converter. Most hot supply air from the ozone
converter goes to the primary heat exchanger. Some air goes through the open trim air pressure regulator
valve as hot trim air. There are procedures to inspect and clean the ozone converter.

10) Cabin Air Compressor Flow Sensor: The cabin air compressor (CAC) flow sensor measures the total air
flow out of the CAC system through the ozone converter. The PCU uses this data to calculate the total airflow
from the CACs.

Chapter 2 :Cooling System

The cooling system makes cold, dry air from the hot, moist supply air from the CACs

The process has these steps:

● Make the hot supply air cool (primary heat exchanger)
● Compress the cool supply air (air cycle machine [ACM] compressor)
● Decrease the temperature of the hot, compressed supply air (secondary heat exchanger)
● Remove water from the supply air (condenser and water extractor)
● Decrease the pressure of the cool supply air and make it colder (ACM turbine T1)
● Use the cold supply air to decrease the temperature in the condenser (causes this air to increase in
temperature)
● Decrease the warmer supply air temperature and its pressure for distribution (ACM turbine T2).
1) Ram air inlet door:
The ram air inlet door changes position to control:
● The quantity of ram air that flows through the heat exchangers
● The power electronics cooling system (PECS) cooling fluid temperatures
● Pack outlet temperatures - if the ACM bypass and low limit valves can not do the control.

2) Ram air inlet door actuator

An actuator in the unpressurized forward wing-body fairing controls the inlet door position.
The pack control unit (PCU) controls the actuator.

3)Ram air inlet header : The ram air inlet header is the interface device between the ram air inlet duct
downstream of the ram air inlet door and the heat exchangers. The water spray nozzle from the water extractor
of the pack connects to the header to spray water on the secondary heat exchanger and the ram fan motor
bearing cooling duct attaches to the ram air inlet header spud at the aft end of the header.

4) Heat exchanger assembly - primary:

decreases the temperature of the hot supply air and cold external ram air flows through the HX and decreases
the temperature of the supply air. The supply air inlet to the HX is hot air from the ozone converter. The supply
air outlet of the HX is cool air to the air cycle machine (ACM) compressor and the primary HX is part of the HX
assembly in the pack bay ram air duct system

5) Ram Air Fan: The ram air fan is a variable speed electric motor fan that pulls external air through the ram
air heat exchangers. There is one ram air fan for each pack and the ram air fan uses air bearings and
Lubrication is not necessary. The pack control unit (PCU) controls the fan operation through a ram fan motor
controller (RFMC) or a common motor start controller (CMSC) and the ram air fan operates at a faster speed
on the ground than in the air. The working of the Ram Air Fan has been illustrated as shown below:

6) Ram air Check Valve: The ram air fan check valve opens in flight to let ram air flow through the heat
exchangers and out of the airplane through the ram air outlet door and this lets most of the airflow bypass the
ram air fan

7) Ram Fan Motor Controller The ram fan motor controller (RFMC) controls the ram air fan and the pack
control unit (PCU) controls the RFMC. A common motor start controller (CMSC) can also control the ram air
fan and the PCU causes the ram air fan to operate during specified conditions such as airplane in the air or
PECS fluid is too hot. On the ground, the ram air fan is commanded on when high power systems, such as
packs or electric hydraulic pumps, operate.

8) Ram Air Outlet Header :The ram air outlet header is the interface device between the ram air outlet duct
connection to the outlet doors and these devices:
● Ram air fan inlet
● Ram air fan bearing cooling exhaust
● Ram fan bypass valves inlet.
9) Ram air outlet doors : The ram air outlet doors let air out of the ram air cooling system and the door
position changes the quantity of ram air that flows through the heat exchangers. The door open/close position
helps control the temperature of:
● Power electronics cooling system (PECS) cooling fluid
● Pack outlet.

10) Ram Air Outlet Door Actuator : The actuator controls the outlet door position and the pack control unit
(PCU) controls the Actuator. A panel outboard of the ram air outlet door gives external access to the ram air
outlet door actuator.

11) Air Cycle Machine: The air cycle machine (ACM) uses hot, high pressure supply air and makes it cold and
dry for distribution and the ACM is the primary part of the pack in the ECS bays.

12) Heat Exchanger (HX) Assembly - Secondary HX: The secondary heat exchanger (HX) decreases the
temperature of the hot air from the air cycle machine (ACM) compressor and it uses ram fan air. The outlet of
the HX is cool supply air to the:
● Economy cooling valve (ECV)
● Condenser.

13) Condenser: The condenser is an air-to-air heat exchanger that changes the water vapor in the pack
supply air to liquid and this lets the water be removed.
The condenser has 2 channels : primary and secondary.
In the primary channel, heat is removed from warm supply air. This causes its moisture to condense and
become liquid water. The secondary channel makes the condenser cold

14) Water Extractor: The water extractor collects liquid water from the condenser and sends it to the ram air
heat exchangers and the inlet of the water extractor gets dry supply air and water from the condenser. Dry air
moves through the center and Water moves to the sides and is removed.

15) Water Spray Nozzle: The water spray nozzle lets water from the water extractor go onto the upstream
face of the secondary heat exchanger in the ram air cooling system

16) Low limit valve The low limit valve (LLV) opens to control the temperature of the pack air to the secondary
(cooling) channel of the condenser and this prevents ice in the condenser.
The pack control unit (PCU) controls the valve.
It uses the pack air temperature sensor at the inlet of the condenser to calculate control commands

17) Economy Cooling Valve: The economy cooling valve (ECV) opens at high altitude to bypass the
condenser and T1 turbine section and let air go directly to the T2 Turbine and the air is already cold and dry
and this decreases power needs. The PCU controls the ECV and it uses airplane data and pack air
temperature data to calculate control of the ECV. The ECV also has 2 non-normal modes of operation:
● Condenser bypass mode
● Heat exchanger only cooling mode.

18) Air Cycle Machine Bypass Valve: The air cycle machine bypass valve (ABV ) controls the pack outlet
temperature and pack output air is a mixture of air from the T2 turbine and the ABV. The ABV can also open to
bypass the ACM if the ACM fails (heat exchanger only cooling mode).

Chapter 3 : Lower Recirculation

1) Air purification filter: The 2 air purification filters remove gaseous contamination from the air supply of the
lower recirculation sub-system and they have high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter elements that remove:
- Particulates - Infectious matter.

2) High Flow Shut Off Valve: The high flow shut off valve (HFSOV) closes when there is too much air flow
through it because of a downstream duct burst in the pack bay and this prevents a sudden decrease in cabin
pressure.

There is an HFSOV in each lower recirculation air duct system and they are on the forward bulkhead wall of
the pack bay (between the filter and the fan). The HFSOV does not have external control and air goes from the
HFSOV to the lower recycle fan.

3) Lower Recirculation Fan: The lower recirculation fan moves air from the mix bay through filters and a heat
exchanger to the compact mixer.
The PCU controls the fan speed through the fan motor controller and the controller is part of the fan assembly
and the PCU uses a controller area network (CAN) bus to communicate to the fan motor controller. You must
use specified ground support equipment to remove or replace the lower recirculation fan and air from the fan
goes to the lower recirculation heat exchanger

4) Lower Recirculation Heat Exchanger: 24 The lower recirculation heat exchanger (HX) cools the air from
the lower recirculation fan and the HX coils get cold cooling fluid from the integrated cooling system (ICS)
when the diverter valve opens.
Recirculation air flows around the coils and the cool air out of the heat exchanger goes to the compact mixer
for distribution.

5) Compact Mixer: The compact mixer gets air from the lower recirculation heat exchanger output and Pack
output. The compact mixer has 2 outlets. It supplies:
● Pack outlet air mixed with cool lower recirculation air to the passenger compartment distribution system
● Pack outlet air to the flight deck distribution system.

Chapter 4 : Overheat detection system Air purification filter

In this chapter i’m going to discuss the various overheat detection systems

1) Overheat Detection System Sensor

The overheat detection system (ODS ) monitors the pack bay and the nitrogen generation system (NGS) bay
for over temperature conditions caused by:
● Duct seal malfunctions
● Weldment cracks
● Seam separations.
The system detects overheat conditions and protects:
- Airplane structure
- Wiring
- Fuel lines
- Hydraulic lines

2) Overheat Detection System Controller The ODS controller receives overheat signals from the ODS sensors
and sends the overheat data to the CCR cabinets through the CDN.
The ODS controller has 5 dual-element sensor loop connections.
The controller has 2 ODS channels and the channels are the same and connect to the sensor loops. The CCS
sends built-in test (BIT) start data to the ODS controller. The air conditioning system allows one reset after the
first ODS indication of a pack bay overheat condition

Chapter 5: CAC and Pack Controls

An alternate-action, lighted push-button switch on the P5 panel controls the related pack and CACs: - AUTO
(pushed in) - pack and related CAC(s) operate when there is sufficient electrical power - OFF (amber) - the
related CACs are off.

The pack control unit (PCU) and common core system (CCS) software control different pack modes:
- Heat exchanger only cooling mode
- Condenser bypass mode
- Economy cooling mode

Chapter 6: Synoptic and Maintenance Pages

The air conditioning synoptic page shows air conditioning system operation information for the CACs and
Packs. CAC symbols and messages on the synoptic page show:
- ON - symbol is green and this means that the compressor is operating and there is air flow
- OFF - symbol is white (thick line), this signifies that the compressor is not operating and there is no air flow
- Invalid
- symbol is white (thin line) he signal from the related compressor is invalid or missing
- LOAD SHED below the CAC symbol shows a load shed condition.