Patent ID: 9550575
Date: 2017-01-24
CPC Classifications: A62B,B64D,Y02T

Claim:
1. A system for providing regulated flow of oxygen, for a pilot or a cockpit crew member on an aircraft, comprising: a first on-board oxygen supplier configured to supply oxygen during an initial stage, said first on-board oxygen supplier including a combination of a pressurized oxygen cylinder and a chemical oxygen generator; at least one first oxygen source sensor connected to said first on-board oxygen supplier configured to determine an available oxygen volume and an oxygen concentration of oxygen in said first on-board oxygen supplier; a second on-board oxygen supplier configured to supply oxygen during a subsequent stage, wherein the second on-board oxygen supplier comprises a combination of a molecular sieve oxygen generator incorporating pressure swing adsorption, and at least one of a ceramic oxygen generator incorporating a solid electrolyte oxygen separator, and a pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator; a second oxygen source sensor connected to said second on-board oxygen supplier configured to determine an oxygen concentration of oxygen supplied by said second on-board oxygen supplier; a pulsed oxygen delivery subsystem connected to the first on-board oxygen supplier by a first feed line and connected to the second on-board oxygen supplier by a second feed line and configured to receive oxygen supplied by said first on-board oxygen supplier and said second on-board oxygen supplier; a first oxygen usage sensor disposed in said first feed line connected between said first on-board oxygen supplier and said pulsed oxygen delivery subsystem, said first oxygen usage sensor being configured to measure a rate of usage of oxygen from said first on-board oxygen supplier; a second oxygen usage sensor disposed in said second feed line connected between said second on-board oxygen supplier and said pulsed oxygen delivery subsystem, said second oxygen usage sensor being configured to measure a rate of usage of oxygen from said second on-board oxygen supplier; and a controller configured to control the first on-board oxygen supplier and the second on-board oxygen supplier based on the rates of usage of oxygen from said first and second on-board oxygen suppliers, said available oxygen volume and oxygen concentration in said first on-board oxygen supplier, and said oxygen concentration of oxygen supplied by said second on-board oxygen supplier.