US 20140048649A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2014/0048649 A1 Brunaux et al. (43) Pub. Date: Feb. 20, 2014 (54) UTILIZATION FOR AIRCRAFT AIRSTAIR Publication Classi?cation SPACE AND FUEL CELL SYSTEM INTEGRATION (51) Int- Cl B64D 37/30 (2006.01) (71) Applicant: INTERTECHNIQUE, Plaisir Cedex B64D 11/00 (2006.01) (FR) (52) US. Cl. CPC .............. .. B64D 37/30 (2013.01); B64D 11/00 (72) Inventors: Yannick BrunauX, Saint Cyr L’Ecole (201301) (PR); Jean-Marie Daout, Mukilteo, WA USPC ................................... .. 244/1185; 244/1291 (US); Thomas Lee Marks, Coto De CaZa, CA (US); Peter Fiala, Bellevue, WA (US) (57) ABSTRACT (73) Assignee: INTERTECHNIQUE, Plaisir Cedex _ _ _ _ _ (FR) Embodlments of the present 1nvent1on provide improved space utilization concepts for aircraft, and particularly to (21) Appl. No.: 13/966,347 using under ?oor space created by the envelope designed to _ house an airstair system. For example, this space may be used (22) Flled: Aug‘ 14’ 2013 to house and integrate one or more fuel cell system(s) and/or . components, such as hydrogen tanks and/ or the fuel cell body, Related U's' Apphcatlon Data such that the fuel cell system can deliver useful byproducts to (60) Provisional application No. 61/682,936, ?led on Aug. support various aircraft functions. Additionally or alterna 14,2012. tively, the space may be used to store other components. 16 ~5 ~ ~ ~ g~ Patent Application Publication Feb. 20, 2014 Sheet 1 0f 3 US 2014/0048649 A1 10 18 FIG. 1 FIG. 2 Patent Application Publication Feb. 20, 2014 Sheet 2 0f 3 US 2014/0048649 A1 FIG. 4 Patent Application Publication Feb. 20, 2014 Sheet 3 0f 3 US 2014/0048649 A1 FIG. 5 US 2014/0048649 A1 Feb. 20, 2014 UTILIZATION FOR AIRCRAFT AIRSTAIR airline may decide to remove the airstair from the aircraft. SPACE AND FUEL CELL SYSTEM Thus, an aircraft may still have the airstair envelope/ space, INTEGRATION but the added Weight of the airstair is removed. CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED BRIEF SUMMARY APPLICATIONS [0005] The present inventors have sought Ways to make the [0001] This application claims the bene?t of US. Provi airstair envelope space more valuable and useful, if an airstair sional Application Ser. No. 61/682,936, ?led Aug. 14, 2012, is not installed in that space or has been removed. In one titled “Aircraft Equipment Concepts,” the entire contents of speci?c embodiment, the inventors have sought to use the Which are hereby incorporated by reference. airstair envelope to house various fuel cell system compo nents and/or electronic items that use the fuel cell system FIELD OF THE INVENTION poWer and other byproducts. Embodiments of the invention described herein thus provide unique Ways to incorporate and [0002] Embodiments of the present invention relate gener integrate a fuel cell system into an airstair envelope. For ally to improved space utilization concepts for aircraft, and example, embodiments include a fuel cell system (Which can particularly to using under ?oor space created by the envelope be divided in sub-system) integrated in the airstair space and designed to house an airstair system. For example, this space that can deliver the generated electricity and other by-prod may be used to house and integrate one or more fuel cell ucts (Water, electricity, oxygen depleted air, and/or heat) for system(s) and/ or components, such as hydrogen tanks and/or use by other aircraft applications and systems. Embodiments the fuel cell body, such that the fuel cell system can deliver also relate to other uses for the airstair space, such as housing useful byproducts to support various aircraft functions. Addi trash-related items, a trash compactor, a chiller, and/or an tionally or alternatively, the space may be used to store other inverter for the fuel cell, all Which may be poWered via aircraft galley-related items, such as extra trash storage, trash com poWer, generator poWer (When on ground), or via a fuel cell pactor components, and/or chiller components, as Well as system. heat management systems, ?uid components (gas or liquid), or other poWer components, such as an inverter. It is also BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS envisioned that this space may be used to integrate other components that Would otherWise consume valuable space [0006] FIG. 1 shoWs a top plan vieW of an airstair envelope elseWhere in the aircraft. This space can also include compo on an aircraft. nents that assist With heat management. [0007] FIG. 2 shoWs a side perspective vieW of one poten tial con?guration for aircraft components to be positioned in BACKGROUND an airstair envelope. [0008] FIG. 3 shoWs a side perspective vieW of an aircraft [0003] An airstair is a set of steps built into an airliner so through the boarding door, illustrating the airstair space that passengers (as Well as aircraft creW and the maintenance beloW the passenger deck. team) may board the aircraft. Airstairs can be used on com [0009] FIG. 4 shoWs one embodiment of a location for an mercial, business, and freight aircraft. The airstairs are often access panel to aces the airstair envelope. built into a clamshell-style type door on the aircraft. They are [0010] FIG. 5 shoWs an alternate embodiment for storage of commonly installed When an aircraft is intended to land on an airport tarmac, Where there is limited ground infrastructure or aircraft components, such as fuel cell ancillaries or fuel cell service. The airstairs can be deployed in order to alloW air system components. craft access Without any external structures, thus eliminating DETAILED DESCRIPTION the need for passengers to use a mobile stairWay or jetWay to board and exit the aircraft and providing the aircraft (and [0011] A number of components on-board an aircraft airline company) With more independence from ground ser require electrical poWer for their activation. Many of these vices, even When they are available. As ground service costs components are separate from the electrical components that increase, some airlines are choosing to integrate an airstair are actually required to run the aircraft (i.e., the navigation envelope into the aircraft in order to provide the option of system, fuel gauges, ?ight controls, and hydraulic systems). limiting ground service cost. For example, in large airports, For example, aircraft also have catering equipment, heating/ the cost of passenger ground service, parking, and time of cooling systems, lavatories, poWer seats, Water heaters, heater ground handling can be important compared to the added ?oor panels, and other components that require poWer as Well. Weight and space of the air stair. More and more aircraft [0012] HoWever, one concern With these components is manufacturers are thus proposing to include an airstair enve their energy consumption. It may be desirable to poWer these lope in aircraft, Which can be optionally ?tted With an airstair, systems separately, rather than relying on the aircraft engines ’ in order to reduce time and the cost of ground operation. drive generators or additional poWer sources, such as a kero [0004] HoWever, the Weight of an airstair has an impact on sene-buming auxiliary poWer unit (APU) (or by a ground fuel consumption during the aircraft operation. Each kilo poWer unit if the aircraft is not yet in ?ight). Additionally, use gram in an aircraft is taken into account, Which is Why some of aircraft poWer produces noise and CO2 emissions, both of aircraft manufacturers decide to remove or to not install the Which are desirably reduced. Accordingly, it is desirable to airstair into the airstair envelope/ space at all. In other Words, identify Ways to improve fuel e?iciency and poWer manage because an aircraft is only cost competitive When it can ?y ment by providing innovative Ways to poWer these compo With payload (i.e., passengers and/or freight) While reducing nents. There are neW Ways being developed to generate poWer its other costs (i.e., fuel costs, etc.), if an aircraft has installed to run on-board components, as Well as to harness bene?cial airstairs but is not currently using them because the aircraft by-products of that poWer generation for other uses on-board boards and deplanes through a traditional jetWay, then the aircraft. US 2014/0048649 A1 Feb. 20, 2014 [0013] The relatively neW technology of fuel cells provides tanks may deliver hydrogen to fuel cells positioned on indi a promising cleaner and quieter Way to supplement energy vidual seats, as described in co-pending Application No. sources already aboard aircrafts. A fuel cell has several out PCT/IB2013/051979, titled “Vehicle Seat PoWered by Fuel puts in addition to electrical poWer, and these other outputs Cell,” ?led Mar. 13, 2013, the entire contents of Which are often are not utiliZed, but can be used to avoid loss of other incorporated herein.) usable energy sources (such as thermal, electric and/or pneu [0018] The use of an inverter 28 to convert fuel cell poWer matic poWer) generated by the fuel cell system. Fuel cell is also an option, depending on VDC or VAC consumers. The systems combine a fuel source of compressed hydrogen With fuel cell system 12 produces Direct Current. If Alternating oxygen in the air to produce electrical and thermal poWer as a Current consumers are installed on the aircraft, then an main product. Water, heat, and Oxygen Depleted Air (ODA) inverter 28 may be installed in the fuel cell system 12. The are produced as by-products, Which are far less harmful than fuel cell system 12 may be interconnected to the onboard CO2 emissions from current aircraft poWer generation pro electrical grid of the aircraft, such that it can deliver general cesses.