Parker Aerospace, a business segment of Parker Hannifin Corporation, the global leader in motion and control technologies, has announced that its Fluid Systems Division was awarded the bleed air control system (BACS), a major component of the environmental control system, for Textron Aviations Cessna Denali turboprop aircraft. The Denali BACS controls the flow and temperature of bleed air from the aircrafts engine that serves to pressurize the cabin. The system includes four valves and an electronic controller.
The systems ability to measure and respond to constantly changing variables is what sets it apart. To enable Parkers controller software to make decisions about which air sources to draw upon in a given flight scenario, special sensors were engineered that measure the mass air flow rate and the temperature of the air.
Another challenge was using electronically actuated valves in a hot environment. To keep heat away from the electronics, the valves use standoffs made of a unique ceramic material to hold the actuators. This ceramic has a thermal conductivity one-third that of titanium, a thermal expansion rate similar to stainless steel, and a tensile strength similar to aluminum and so proved to be an ideal candidate for the standoffs at a lower cost than titanium or mica alternatives.