![]() ![]() This means that the ambient air on a 787 is fresh from the sky. Instead of using air from the engines, Boeing designed the aircraft to use air taken directly from the outside. ![]() The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, however, is different. This means that, despite being filtered before entering the air conditioning systems, the air you breathe has still come through the engine. The 787 draws air directly from the outside vie inlets just below where the wing meets the fuselage (Photo by Ryan Patterson/The Points Guy).Īs I mentioned, most aircraft use bleed air to pressurize the cabin. After this, it heads to another unit where it's mixed with some of the original hot air, where the temperature required in the cabin is created.įinally, the conditioned air flows into the cabin, providing the air to pressurize the cabin at a temperature that keeps you comfortable. Once it has been cooled to an acceptable temperature, it is then directed toward a unit that removes moisture. ![]() Using a combination of heat exchange methods, utilizing cooler (think: negative 76 degrees Fahrenheit) air from outside, the hot bleed air is cooled. On an aircraft such as the Boeing 777, high-pressure bleed air is directed to the air conditioning packs, which sit in the belly of the aircraft. This is called “bleed air" and, depending on the aircraft type, this air is then fed to the various systems - one of them being the pressurization system. When these two are at their highest level, a certain amount of this air is “bled” off to provide a supply for a number of aircraft systems. One of the other functions is to provide air to pressurize the cabin.Īs air progresses through the stages of the engine, the pressure and thus the temperature also increases. The engines on a modern jet airliner provide more than just thrust to drive the aircraft forward. The 777 uses air from the engines to pressurise the cabin (Photo by Alberto Riva//The Points Guy) As the aircraft climbs away from the ground, computers regulate the amount of air entering and leaving the cabin to ensure that the optimum equilibrium is maintained. So, how is this possible?ĭuring the flight, the pressurization system is normally automatic. With a cabin temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit, there could be an 176-degree Fahrenheit differential across that small piece of glass. ![]() That's why climbers who ascend to the peak of Mount Everest (more than 29,000 feet) usually require supplementary oxygen.Ĭontrast all this against the relative comfort of the inside of the aircraft and you start to realize just how well-designed these machines are. Untreated it can lead to unconsciousness, cardiac arrest and death. In this state you become disorientated, confused and start to lose control of your coordination. If your oxygen saturation becomes too low, you become at risk of suffering from hypoxia. This decrease in air pressure makes it increasingly difficult to breathe, reducing the oxygen saturation in your blood. The system is so advanced on aircraft such as the 787 Dreamliner that you can experience the same air composition as being on the ground in Denver, Colorado.Īs you climb higher into the atmosphere, the air pressure also decreases. It’s for these reasons that airliners have a pressurization system to ensure you’re kept comfortable in the cabin. Temperatures are a frigid negative 76 degrees Fahrenheit and the air is so thin that breathing unassisted is impossible. The outside atmosphere at 39,000 feet is a pretty inhospitable place. How could such an accident occur, and what has the industry done since then to stop this from happening again? Here's how Helios flight 552 made flying safer for everyone.įor more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. The Points Guy will not share or sell your email. I would like to subscribe to The Points Guy newsletters and special email promotions. ![]()
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