Ductless Mini Split Heat Pump in Kenner – What Is an Environmental Control System?

An environmental control system uses various components to manipulate the environment in a closed area, which is particularly useful when trying to provide high air quality. These systems are typically used on airplanes to help provide comfortable, safe surroundings for both the crew and the passengers. It can control the temperature, filter it to ensure high air quality, control the humidity, and maintain a safe cabin pressure.

The environmental control system constantly circulates air inside a cabin of an airplane. The air being breathed by passengers and crew is a mixture of treated outside air, and recirculated, or re-used cabin air. Recirculating some of the air helps to save energy, and allows it to keep moving through the cabin at a faster rate. Air is brought into the airplane through intakes located on the plane. It is then pressurized and treated, then mixed with an equal amount of recirculated air, and blown through the cabin. After traveling through the cabin, about half of the air is exhausted to the outside, the other half is reserved to be re-used again, and the cycle continues.

After leaving the air conditioning units, the air is mixed with filtered recirculated air from the cabin. Humidity is adjusted. The air is normally very dry at high altitudes, which is preferable to humid air in an airplane for several reasons. Reasons include the fact that humidity can cause damage and corrosion to the plane's delicate instrumentation, and it can also encourage the growth of bacteria. The environmental control system maintains humidity at about ten percent, which is better for the plane's systems, and healthier for occupants.