WO2022013301A1 - Method for retrofitting a passenger airplane, and corresponding retrofit passenger airplane - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for retrofitting a passenger airplane (1), which is equipped with a passenger cabin (2) for transporting passengers, in order to temporarily transport freight. In the starting state, the passenger cabin (2) of the passenger airplane (1) has multiple rows (3, 3') of passenger seats (4) as well as passenger door (5) thresholds (5') and cabin monuments (6), comprising toilets and/or on-board kitchens, connected to drainage systems (10) of the passenger airplane (1). The invention also relates to a retrofit passenger airplane (1). The method has the steps of: removing at least the rear rows (3) of passenger seats (4), when viewed in the direction of flight; installing a flood protection device (20') in the region of the front-most removed row of passenger seats, said flood protection device extending over the entire width of the passenger cabin (2); introducing drainage openings (30) into the floor (9) of the passenger cabin (2),wherein the distance between a newly introduced drainage opening (30) and a drainage connection (11) which was already provided for the door thresholds (5') and/or cabin monuments (6) is smaller than the hull diameter of the passenger airplane (1); and connecting the introduced drainage openings (30) to the provided drainage system (10) such that a drainage from the drainage opening (30) to the provided drainage system (10) is ensured when the passenger airplane (1) is flying straight ahead solely by virtue of the force of gravity.

Description

Method of converting an airliner and airliner converted accordingly

The invention relates to a method for converting a commercial aircraft and a correspondingly converted commercial aircraft.

Commercial aircraft are used for air transport of passengers and cargo. The vast majority of commercial aircraft currently in operation have a passenger cabin (passenger aircraft) that extends practically over the entire length of the aircraft and is equipped with seats. Below the passenger cabin, a cargo hold is arranged in which the luggage of the passengers traveling in the passenger cabin greed, but also other cargo, such as. Mail, can be transported in specially designed containers or as loose general cargo. The aircraft has various passenger doors and smaller cargo hatches.

In addition, commercial aircraft designed solely for the transport of freight are known (cargo aircraft). In these aircraft testify - apart from possibly a few seats immediately behind the cockpit - no passenger cabin available, but the entire available fuselage cross-section is designed as cargo space. At least one sufficiently large cargo door is provided in the fuselage of the commercial aircraft for loading the cargo hold with containers provided for this purpose.

It is known that commercial aircraft equipped for passenger transport can be converted into aircraft geared solely to freight transport, which is done in particular with older aircraft models that may no longer meet the increased requirements for passenger transport (e.g. McDonnell Douglas MD- 11). However, the effort for this is considerable. Also, the process is usually irreversible, as more in-depth interventions in the structure of an aircraft are often carried out.

Situations may arise in which commercial aircraft designed for the transport of passengers are only required for the transport of cargo for a limited period of time, which is why a complete and final conversion to a cargo aircraft is ruled out. In these cases, an attempt is made to stow the cargo to be transported not only in the cargo hold of passenger aircraft, but also in the passenger cabin in order to increase the cargo capacity of commercial aircraft Ver.

Frequently, at least some of the passenger seats are removed from the passenger cabin and the freight to be transported is brought individually or on pallets using tools known from general freight handling, such as hand pallet trucks, through the passenger doors into the passenger cabin and loaded there manually, e.g. with safety belts and/or -Nets, secured. As an alternative, US Pat. No. 5,090,639 discloses specially designed containers for transport in the passenger cabin of an aircraft.

When transporting cargo in the passenger cabin, moisture can occur on the floor of the passenger cabin. For example, liquid can escape from the cargo itself or rainwater or condensation water adhering to the cargo can drip off when cargo is brought into the passenger cabin.

A passenger cabin of a commercial aircraft is generally not designed for moisture or the corresponding amounts of liquid that may occur during freight transport. This applies in particular to the surfaces inside the passenger cabin and various electrical systems. Areas in the floor of the passenger cabin can also have openings or similar. Ä. have, can get through the pending liquid conditions and then causes corrosion on the underlying aircraft structure.

Commercial aircraft (cargo aircraft) developed directly for the accommodation of cargo or commercial aircraft that have been permanently converted from passenger aircraft to cargo aircraft regularly have a complex drainage system with a laboriously laid and branched pipe system in order to create drains distributed over the cargo hold through which any liquid that may fall can drain away in any flight attitude of the commercial aircraft.

However, a corresponding drainage system is very expensive and requires a time-consuming implementation, which is why it is fundamentally out of the question for a passenger aircraft that is only occasionally used as a cargo aircraft.

The object of the present invention is to create a conversion of an airliner geared towards passenger transport for the temporary transport of cargo, in which the disadvantages known from the prior art no longer occur or only occur to a reduced extent.

This object is achieved by a method for conversion according to the main claim, and by a commercial aircraft converted according to the method according to claim 8. Advantageous further developments are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

Accordingly, the invention relates to a method for converting an airliner equipped with a passenger cabin for passenger transport for temporary cargo transport, the passenger cabin of the airliner in the initial state having several rows of passenger seats and door sills connected to a drainage system of the airliner which has passenger doors and cabin monuments with toilets and/or galleys, comprising the steps:

- Removing at least the rear rows of passenger seats in the direction of flight; - Installation of a slosh guard extending across the entire width of the passenger cabin in the area of the foremost distant row of passenger seats;

Making drainage openings in the floor of the passenger cabin, the distance between a newly made drainage opening and a drainage connection already present for the door sills and/or cabin monuments being smaller than the fuselage diameter of the aircraft; and

- Binding the introduced drainage openings to the existing drainage system in such a way that an outflow from the drainage opening to the existing drainage system is ensured in straight flight of the commercial aircraft due to gravity alone.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a commercial aircraft which has been converted using the method according to the invention.

The invention has recognized that through the use or expansion of passenger aircraft for specific purposes, fundamentally installed drainage systems in the area of the passenger doors and at least some cabin monuments, as well as the simultaneous provision of a surge protection, regularly provide adequate drainage for the transport of freight Passenger cabin is given. In this case, any liquid that occurs on the floor of the passenger cabin can occur in large numbers flow off immediately through a drainage opening at flight attitudes that usually occur during a flight. In rather unusual flight positions, on the other hand--unlike in known drainage systems for cargo aircraft--it is deliberately accepted that any liquid present on the floor of the passenger cabin cannot flow off directly through a drainage opening. In order to prevent the liquid from getting into undesired areas, a suitable surge protection is provided. This also relies on the knowledge that the total amount of liquid to be expected on the ground at any time is sufficiently small that a negative influence on the flight characteristics of the commercial aircraft due to weight shifting can be practically ruled out.

A "splash protection" is a wall or elevation that sits tightly against the floor and can hold off a surge of liquid up to the height of the wall or elevation. In many cases, it can be sufficient to have a surge protection over the entire width of the passenger cabin provided, with which a flow of liquid from the area provided with cargo can be prevented in the direction of the cockpit.If all passenger seats are removed from the passenger cabin, this splash protection is to be installed directly at the front end of the passenger cabin - i.e. in the area of the foremost row of seats removed - If a few rows of seats remain in the front area of the cabin, the splash guard in question must be arranged behind the last remaining row of seats.

"Cabin monuments" within the meaning of the invention are prefabricated assemblies that are specially adapted to the space available in the aircraft cabin. Cabin monuments can include aircraft galley assemblies and sanitary assemblies such as toilet assemblies as essential components include. Kitchen monuments and sanitary monuments in particular regularly have a drainage connection in order to be able to drain off splash water or spilled liquid.

Due to the fuselage cross-section and the arrangement of the passenger doors therein, rain regularly hits the door sill of the passenger door when the passenger door is open. In order to prevent this rainwater from getting into the cabin, the door sills of passenger doors are provided with drainage openings that also lead to a drainage system.

Even if several cabin monuments and/or door sills can certainly be connected to a common drainage system, the drainage systems in commercial aircraft designed to transport passengers are fundamentally limited to certain fuselage sections, namely to the areas of the passenger doors, in which the cabin monuments with drainage connections are often also provided are. In any case, a common drainage system extending over the entire passenger cabin is not provided in passenger aircraft.

The drainage openings to be provided according to the invention are to be provided exclusively in the vicinity of already existing drainage systems, namely at a distance smaller than the fuselage diameter from the nearest drainage connection for a cabin monument or a door sill. As a result, the length of the line to be laid to connect the drainage opening to the drainage system is limited, which means that a low weight of the line can be ensured. In addition, the line can then regularly be laid with such an inclination relative to the floor of the cabin that, in a large number of flight positions, liquid flows from the drainage opening into the existing drainage system due to gravity. Against this background, it is further preferred if the distance between a newly introduced drainage opening and a drainage connection already present for the door sills and/or cabin monuments is less than 70%, preferably less than 50%, of the fuselage diameter of the aircraft. As a result, the technical effects described can be reinforced even further.

In some types of commercial aircraft, stairways are provided in the passenger cabin, for example to toilets arranged on a lower deck. In order to prevent liquid from the cargo reaching the lower deck via a stairway, this can be secured with a plate or similar. be fully closed and sealed. Alternatively, it is preferred if this is protected by a splash guard. The same applies to the area of the passenger cabin behind the rearmost drainage opening in the direction of flight. Because this area is protected by a surge protection, the penetration of liquid into this area, which would first have to flow back through a drainage system to flow Shen, can be prevented from the outset.

The at least one surge protection can be a profile that can be fastened to the floor of the passenger cabin, preferably an edge profile. The profile can be provided with a rubber coating or some other sealing material on its side intended to lie on the ground, in order to prevent liquid from penetrating under the profile. In the mounted state, the profile preferably has a height of at least 70 mm above the floor, more preferably a height of at least 50 mm above the floor. The corresponding minimum heights have proven to be sufficient for the accumulation of liquid in typical freight transport scenarios in a commercial aircraft converted according to the invention. It is preferred if at least one anti-slosh device, preferably the anti-slosh device in the area of the foremost distant row of passenger seats, is designed as a splash-water protection wall, preferably as a textile splash-water protection wall. If a surge protection is designed as a splash protection wall, it not only extends up to a certain height above the floor of the passenger cabin, but also covers the entire free cross-section of the passenger cabin along the surge protection. A corresponding splash-water protection wall can not only hold back any liquid that may be present on the floor of the passenger cabin, but also all liquid splashes can be collected. The splash-water protection wall can be, in particular, a textile splash-water protection wall, which is fastened to the floor and the walls of the passenger cabin and covers the free cross-section with a liquid-impermeable textile. As an alternative to a liquid-impermeable textile, a liquid-impermeable film can also be used.

If a cabin monument connected to a drainage system is also removed during the conversion of an airliner initially designed for passenger transport, it is preferable to convert the drainage connection provided for the removed cabin monument into a drainage opening for draining liquid located on the ground. For example, it must be ensured that the opening of the drainage connection is at floor level or below.

In order to prevent liquid from getting into the structure of the traffic aircraft below the floor, it is preferable if the floor of the passenger cabin is covered with a water-impermeable film. In order to prevent freight workers from slipping on the film, which may be wet, the film is preferably provided with an anti-slip coating on its upper side. For an explanation of the commercial aircraft according to the invention, reference is made to the above statements.

In order to retrofit a commercial aircraft that has been converted accordingly, if necessary, only the least one anti-surge device must in principle be removed before the passenger seats can be reinstalled. The drainage openings created and their connection to a drainage system can remain in the commercial aircraft, with the drainage openings being provided with suitable covers if necessary.

The invention will now be described by way of example on the basis of advantageous embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Show it:

FIG. 1: a commercial aircraft equipped with a passenger cabin for passenger transport, prior to conversion according to the invention;

FIG. 2: the commercial aircraft from FIG. 1 which has been converted according to the method according to the invention;

FIGS. 3-6: different arrangement and connection variants of drainage openings introduced according to the invention; and

FIG. 7, 8: different design variants of surge protection to be installed according to the invention.

FIG. 1 shows the layout of a passenger cabin 2 of a commercial aircraft designed to transport passengers. Rows 3 of passenger seats 4 are arranged in different booking classes over the entire passenger cabin 2. Various cabin monuments 6 are arranged in the area of the passenger doors 5, which, in contrast to pure emergency exit doors, are basically designed for boarding and boarding, some of which - namely those with toilets and part of the cabin monuments forming a galley - are connected to a drainage system 10 (cf. Figures 3 to 5) are connected. The door sills 5' of the passenger doors 5 (cf. FIGS. 5 and 6), which are designed to absorb rain, are also connected to a drainage system 10.

Since the cabin monuments 6 of the passenger cabin 2 to be connected to a drainage system 10 are arranged exclusively in the area of the passenger doors 5 , the commercial aircraft 1 only has a drainage system 10 in the areas 7 of the passenger doors 5 .

In the passenger cabin 2 there is also a stairway 8 which leads to toilets arranged below the passenger cabin 2 .

For the conversion of the commercial aircraft 1 according to FIG. 1 using the method according to the invention, the passenger seats 4 of all rows 3 with the exception of the first row 3' are first removed. Also, practically all cabin monuments 6 in the area of the passenger cabin 2 behind the first row 3' of passenger seats 4 are removed, regardless of whether they are connected to a drainage system 10 or not. Exceptions to this are the cabin monuments 6 to the side next to the stairway 8. If the cabin monuments 6 are primarily removed in order to create a cargo compartment that is as continuous as possible, into which cargo can be brought in through passenger doors 5 and then freely moved therein, the latter is in the area of the Staircase 8 that is already not regularly because of the sen floor opening and the surrounding railing possible. As a result, the cabin monuments 6 can also remain in this area.

The same also applies to the cabin monuments 6 in the tail of the commercial aircraft 1. The tail area is not very suitable for freight transport due to the narrowing of the cross section of the commercial aircraft 1 present there.

Immediately behind the first row 3' of passenger seats 4 remaining in the passenger cabin 2, around the stairway 8 and in the rear area of the passenger cabin 2, from which no more freight is to be transported, there is one in each case

Surge protection 20, 20' is provided, with which liquid that may be on the floor 9 of the passenger cabin 1 is prevented from penetrating into undesirable areas - namely the front area of the passenger cabin 2 towards the cockpit, as well as the lower deck and the rear area of the commercial aircraft 1.

The anti-surge device 20 in the rear area of the cabin 20 is designed as an edge profile 21 fastened to the floor 9 of the passenger cabin 2, as shown in FIG. The edge profile 21 is sealed off from the base 9 so that no liquid can get through between the base 9 and the edge profile 21 . In addition, it extends over the entire width of the passenger cabin 2, so that liquid cannot pass through laterally either. The surge protection 20 around the stairway 8 is designed to be comparable. However, the edge profile does not extend over the entire width of the passenger cabin 1, but is arranged completely surrounding the stairway 8 (cf. FIG. 2). The surge protection 20 ′ behind the remaining first row 3 of passenger seats 4 is designed as a textile spray water protection wall 22 . The splash water protection wall 22 consists of a water-impermeable textile which is attached to the floor 9 and the inner wall of the passenger cabin 2 in such a way that it covers the entire cross section of the passenger cabin 2 . In this case, the splash-water protection wall 22 is attached in a sealing manner, in particular to the floor 9 and to the inner wall, at least near the floor, so that no liquid can get past the splash-water protection wall 22 . In the splash-proof wall 22, a waterproof zipper 23 is provided, which forms a textile door 24. In the open state of the zipper 23, the spray water protection wall 22 can then be climbed through.

Within the part of the passenger cabin 2 from which the passenger seats 4 were removed, drainage openings 30 are introduced into the floor 9 of the passenger cabin 2 in or near the areas 7 in which a drainage system 10 is basically provided. The distance between such a newly introduced drainage opening 30 and the nearest existing drainage connection for a cabin monument 6 or a door sill 5' is always less than 70% of the hull diameter. The drainage openings 30 are then each connected to the nearest drainage system 10 in such a way that at least when the commercial aircraft 1 is flying straight ahead, liquid flows from the drainage opening 30 to the drainage system 10 solely due to gravity.

The entire passenger cabin 2 is designed with a water-impermeable film with a non-slip surface in the areas provided for accommodating freight.

Various configurations of drainage openings 30 and their connection to the existing drainage system 10 are shown in FIGS. The figures each show one schematic section through the fuselage of the airliner 1, e.g. according to FIG.

An existing drainage system 10 includes drainage connections 11 for connecting cabin monuments 6 or door sills 5', and a drainage valve 12, via which accumulated liquid can be drained speed. The drainage connections 11 and the drainage valve 12 are connected to one another via lines 13 in such a way that liquid from the drainage connections 11 reaches the associated drainage valve 12 in most flight attitudes of the aircraft solely due to gravity.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 3, a cabin monument 6 originally connected to the drainage system 10 via a drainage connection 11 has been removed (and is therefore only shown in dashed lines). The drainage connection 11 that has become free is then converted into a drainage opening 30 ′, which is connected directly to the drainage valve 12 via the already existing line 13 .

In addition, there are three further drainage openings 30 distributed over the width of the passenger cabin 2 in the bottom 9 of the cabin. These drainage openings 30 are connected to the drainage system 10 or its line 13 via additional lines 31 in such a way that liquid entering through the drainage openings 30, at least when flying straight ahead, reaches the drainage system 10 or via its lines 13 to the drainage valve 12 purely by gravity.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 4, two cabin monuments 6 originally connected to the drainage system 10 on both sides of the passenger cabin 1 have been removed. The respective drainage ports 11 that have been exposed are converted into drainage openings 30'. Furthermore, two additional drainage openings 30 are introduced, each with additional lines 31 to the drainage system 10 or its line 13 are connected. Here, too, the lines 13 are laid in such a way that liquid entering through the drainage openings 30 reaches the drainage system 10 or via its lines 13 to the drainage valve 12 purely by gravity, at least when flying straight ahead.

FIG. 5 shows an exemplary embodiment in the area of passenger doors 5 with door sills 5′ connected to the drainage system 10 via drainage connections 11 . In addition, a cabin module 6 is connected via a further drainage connection 11, which remains in the passenger cabin 2 even after the conversion according to the invention has been carried out.

Here, too, additional drainage openings 30 are made in the floor

9 of the passenger cabin 2 and--as already explained in relation to FIGS. 3 and 4--connected to the drainage system already present in this fuselage section with additional lines 31.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 6, the door sills 5′ of the passenger doors 5 are originally single, connected to a drainage system 10. Additionally introduced drainage openings 30 are connected via lines 31 to this drainage system

10 connected.

Claims

patent claims 1. A method for converting an airliner (1) equipped with a passenger cabin (2) for passenger transport for temporary cargo transport, the passenger cabin (2) of the airliner (1) having several rows (3, 3') of passenger seats ( 4) and door sills (5') of the passenger doors (5) and cabin monuments (6) with toilets and/or galleys connected to drainage systems (10) of the commercial aircraft (1), comprising the steps: - Removing at least the rear rows (3) of the passenger seats (4) in the direction of flight; - Installation of an over the entire width of the passenger cabin (2) extending surge protection (20 ') seats in the front row of passengers away; - Introducing drainage openings (30) in the floor (9) of the passenger cabin (2), the distance between a newly introduced drainage opening (30) and a drainage connection already present for the door sills (5') and/or cabin monuments (6). (11) is smaller than the fuselage diameter of the airliner (1); and - Connecting the introduced drainage openings (30) to the existing drainage system (10) in such a way that a flow from the drainage opening (30) to the existing drainage system (10) in straight flight of the commercial aircraft (1) is ensured solely by gravity . 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between a newly introduced drainage opening (30) and a drainage connection (11) already present for the door sills (5') and/or cabin monuments (6) is less than 70%. , Preferably less than 50% of the fuselage diameter of the commercial aircraft (1). 3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that Staircases (8) and/or the area of the passenger cabin (2) behind the rearmost drainage opening (30) in the direction of flight are protected by a surge protection (20) against the ingress of liquid on the floor (9) of the passenger cabin (2). 4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one anti-surge device (20) is fastened as an edge profile (21) on the floor of the passenger cabin. 5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one splash guard (20, 20'), preferably the splash guard (20') in the area of the frontmost distant row of passenger seats, is designed as a splash-water protection wall (22), preferably as a textile splash-water protection wall is. 6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one cabin monument (6) is removed and the drainage connection (11) provided for the removed cabin monument (6) is converted into a drainage opening (30'). 7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the floor (9) of the passenger cabin (2) is designed with a water-impermeable film, preferably with a non-slip surface. 8. Commercial aircraft (1), characterized in that it is converted according to a method according to any one of the preceding claims.