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Concorde top Mid Engineers panel
This section of the engineers panel covers the following;
1. Air bleed control
2. Equipment Cooling
3. Cabin Temperature
Click below to find out more
Air Bleed Control Panel
This complicated little panel is broken down into three sections, the panel looks confusing but is laid out in the order of the systems (see below)
Each air conditioning group is supplied from an engine high pressure compressor (P3) through a bleed valve which comprises a shut-off valve and a pressure reducing valve. The shut-off valve allows air direct from the source to the pressure reducing valve which limits the supply pressure to 65 psi.
There are four cross-bleed valves, downstream of the bleed valves, which allow cross feeding between two adjacent supplies on each side of the aircraft. Each cross-bleed valve also permits the ground supply of air from a high pressure ground start truck for air conditioning purposes. The air bleeds systems are split into two totally separate parts - port and starboard. Each engine in a pair of engines (1 & 2 being one pair, 3 & 4 being the other)
can feed both air conditioning groups on their respective side of the aircraft but cannot supply the air conditioning groups on the other side of the aircraft
Upper section of panel
Lower section of panel
How the panel actually relates to the control of the air bleed system (example shows engines 1 & 2 only, panel colous are co ordinated with actual valve and sensor controls
Equipment bay cooling
Forward Section Cooling
Two fans extract air from the cabin and exhaust into the forward racks.
Three fans extract air from the forward electronic racks, instrument panels, consoles, weather radar, TRU and INS crates and exhaust the air through the operating forward discharge valve.
A non-return valve allows extraction of air from the underfloor region into the extract ducting, then to the forward discharge valves.
A forward emergency relief valve is provided to ensure extraction of air in abnormal conditions.
Rear Section Cooling
Two main fans, and a standby fan in case of failure, extract air from the rear racks and exhaust the air underfloor to the aft discharge valve region.
Temperature Control
The four air conditioning groups supply air to a manifold which distributes the air to the flight deck and the cabin.
The manifold shape is such that with all four groups operating normally:
Group 1 supplies the flight deck
Group 2 supplies the forward cabin
Group 3
-and- supply the rear cabin
Group 4
Temperature control is normally automatic through group temperature selectors.
Normally:
Group 1 selector controls the flight deck
Group 2 selector controls the forward cabin
Group 4 selector controls the rear cabin
A standby temperature control permits a semi-automatic control of the temperature of each group.
