CRJ air cond w/huffer cart?

[Palomino]

as I sweated in an APU-inop CRJ this morning it got me thinking...

...can you run an air conditioning pack with the airstart
(huffer) cart as the pneumatic source? We can do that on the 737 and I seem to remember the ERJ also capable of that setup.

Thoughts/input?

Thanks

 

[wmuflyguy]

yes you can

 

[Oakum_Boy]

You can, but it depends on the airline. At my company we can't because this one time, when a huffer went to 'low' the packs burned up I guess due to less than adequate bearing lubrication or something.

 

[MusicMan]

It will run the packs, but more often than not, the cabin will fill with fumes.

 

[Soverytired]

It will run the packs, but more often than not, the cabin will fill with fumes.

Yep. And when you finally apply take-off power, the ducts purge into the cabin and it smells like something is burning, big time.

(so I've heard)

 

[sweptback]

I've done it several times before ASA said not to do it any more. You just need to make sure the huffer is on high and not idle. If it's idling then you'll get the fumes.

 

[Kream926]

why not just get an air cart? or is this just a hypothetical question?

 

[kf4amu]

Theres a sign in the CLT ops crew room that says not to do that. So apparently its possible but not allowed at some airlines.

 

[yournextFO]

Depends on the huffer. Some do it quite well, others overheat after a couple of minutes. Generally speaking, at one regional carrier based in southeast, the huffers are not maintained nearly well enough to run the packs reliably.

As for why...well, often an air-cart is unavailable or does not work very well.

 

[Hovernut]

Never had a problem, except for clueless rampers who don't know how to run the thing!

 

[Gulf-front]

If you really want to try something fun, run the packs off the bottle! Yah 45 min. to recharge.


....and no it was not me.

 

[ACL65PILOT]

DCI is getting air in ATL. Heard that before, but it actually looks like they are doing it.
On top of that they are extending the hoses on A and B concourses to get to the back of the 700.

 

[N1VIBS]

why not just get an air cart? or is this just a hypothetical question?

At ASA, air carts are hypothetical!!

 

[MusicMan]

I've done it several times before ASA said not to do it any more. You just need to make sure the huffer is on high and not idle. If it's idling then you'll get the fumes.

Then you get to hear that thing whining the whole time you're sitting at the gate. I'd rather be warm or start #2 to get some airflow.

 

[sweptback]

Then you get to hear that thing whining the whole time you're sitting at the gate. I'd rather be warm or start #2 to get some airflow.

Listening to the engine whine is much quieter? Plus huffer carts don't burn 400 lbs/hr.

 

[wmuflyguy]

Listening to the engine whine is much quieter? Plus huffer carts don't burn 400 lbs/hr.

Plus the 50 seater engine at idle will not cool down the cabin at all.

 

[Palomino]

Then you get to hear that thing whining the whole time you're sitting at the gate. I'd rather be warm or start #2 to get some airflow.

i think the planeload of business-types in their suits would object to this theory.

this was an 80 degree day also. if it was an August summer day i'm sure a mutiny would've ensued.

it can be a challenge to get rampers to spool up the huffer in order to operate the packs. it is a loud machine at engine start settings, but it's an airport - they are loud by nature. as mentioned, i'd rather have the huffer blowing the packs than a gas-gulping jet engine at a relatively high fuel flow rate.

thanks to all for the feedback on the topic. just trying to keep cool on the commute and improve the company product.

 

[Palomino]

Plus the 50 seater engine at idle will not cool down the cabin at all.

definitely. this particular CRJ had no airflow from the overhead vents until the engines were spooled well above taxi settings. i think there were several factors in play and perhaps a majority of the air cond system was MEL'd.

hopefully it was fixed soon. the only time i've refused a plane was due to oppressively uncomfortable air condtioning. sometimes that's what it takes to get the rig fixed.

 

[CA1900]

Plus the 50 seater engine at idle will not cool down the cabin at all.

Who said anything about idle?

 

[BLing]

This exact topic came up today in training. Straight from the Bombardier man himself, he said not to do this as it is too much pressure for the packs to handle. He also said it smells like dirty a$$!