The CCA™ air conditioning system is an all-electric, modern upgrade for King Airs. King Air OEM Air conditioning only works with the right engine running, which makes the cabin inaccessible on the hot tarmac without precooling, Therefore everyone sweats well into the flight. In older King Air Aircraft, the air conditioning frequently fails due to what is called "black death," which is a compressor failure that contaminates the entire refrigerant circuit requiring repeated expensive overhauls. The OEM System is also known to be simply unreliable and has limited cooling capacity on hot days.
The CCA™ is a state of the art all electric air conditioning system that addresses these shortcoming. It operates from an APU for precooling or the electrical buss of the aircraft in flight. Special considerations of engine rpm during taxi no longer apply. An on-board APU/ GPU runs the air conditioning by simply plugging a 220 volt extension cord into the tail of the aircraft without even the need to flip a single switch and requires no cabin access.
Additionally, the CCA™ cools much better with lower energy due to the inefficient cabin air ducts being eliminated. Instead, the cold is routed to 7-10 overhead light weight cooling modules by patented liquid technology. Small liquid tubes replace those large cooling ducts without loosing all the cold since they have little surface area. The liquid transfers over 800 times the cold compared to equivalent volumes of air. Those OEM high capacity blowers that make more heat are also eliminated. Each module has only a small individual blower and the modules can be positioned anywhere.
The OEM System has another disadvantage compared to the CCA in that the cabin return air flows to the OEM evaporators below the cabin floor. Thereby more space has to be cooled and that air flow is heated by the large surface of the bottom fuselage of the aircraft. Not only is there no flow of return air below the floor, but there is not even an air evaporator for the aft cabin It all adds up to better cooling and more efficiency with the CCA™!
The CCA™ uses state of the art brushless motors. Instead of cycling on and off, the compressor speed is adjustable for constant cooling at just the desired comfort level according to ambient temperature. The system is reliable and not subject to expensive periodic overhauls. Parts costs are minimal. The savings in maintenance costs alone can pay for the CCA™ Installation. The system weighs approximately the same as the OEM System it replaces.
CCA™
System Advantages
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Replace engine driven air conditioning with state-of-the-art electric brushless compressor air conditioning.
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Precool from a 220 volt extension cord without cabin access
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APU/ GPU on the ground air conditioning
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Substantially better cooling airflow at pilot positions
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Liquid technology cabin cooling without inefficient air ducts and heat producing blowers
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Air conditioning during taxi without RPM restrictions
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Two years parts warranty, six months labor warranty
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Modular construction, easy access for excellent serviceability
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Eco-friendly R-442B blend refrigerant
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Low parts cost, no more costly overhauls
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24/7 factory support
US Patent 9,617,005- others pending
STC SA02442LA PMA PQ3967CE
CCA Comparison
What Makes Us Different
A condenser in the nose of the King Air sheds the heat that is pumped out of the aircraft by the air conditioning. For ground cooling, a high capacity electric blower blows outside air over this condenser coil. Conventional air conditioners use that outside air only for a single pass. But the CCA™ adds a second condenser coil so that same outside air is used twice. The very hot refrigerant is first routed through the second condenser where it is precooled by the exhaust from the OEM primary condenser. Then the refrigerant passes through the primary condenser for final cooling and reversion to a liquid state. So by using the same blower air twice, the cooling capacity of the system is further increased.
Evaporators
The CCA delivers superior, direct cooling to passengers with highly efficient cooling modules in the overhead. This massively increases efficiency and comfort compared to conventional ducting.
The older King Air air conditioners use an inefficient forward evaporator that requires a complex valve system just to keep the vapor cycle operational. The CCA™ replaces the forward evaporator with an efficient design and dedicates that evaporator primarily for the cockpit- pilots love it!
LED Lighting
The ambiance of the King Air cabin is enhanced by an elegant motive with each overhead cooling modules creating a pleasant sphere of cooling air that naturally flows down as compared to OEM narrow jets of air. The air flow has selectable low and accelerated high flow modes. Optional FAA approved LED lighting shown replaces those cumbersome obsolete OEM ballasts.
Ducting
The image shows all of the outdated, inefficient ducting that is removed. The conventional ducts in the cabin are replaced by 1/2 inch and 3/8 inch hoses that have greater cooling capacity and work more efficiently without wasting cooling due to reduced surface area. The liquid is pumped by two redundant, magnetically coupled, brushless pumps with a long service life using only a fraction of the power compared to the large heat generating blowers that conventional ducting requires.
Compressor Module
The compressor module compresses the low pressure freon refrigerant to a high pressure that condenses into a liquid state when it cools in aircraft forward condenser and thereby expels the cabin heat in the air conditioning vapor cycle. A 5 pound brushless motor drives an efficient scroll type of continuous flow without belts.
To effectively help the motor run cool and reliable we use liquid technology to cool the core of the motor so that it operates just above ambient temperatures. The heart of this cooling system is designed and fabricated by PSA.
Control Module
The CCA™ Control Module converts 28 Volt DC Power to three phase power that runs the brushless air conditioner compressor motor. It changes the compressor speed according to the pilot dial selection of air conditioner power so that there is continuous air conditioner cooling compared to the on/off cycling of the compressor in conventional systems. The control module also controls all the pumps and fans according to pilot selection. Like the advanced concept of the CCA™, the design of the control module is by no means conventional. Instead of typical design practices, the high power driver for the compressor is sealed in a heat conductive silicone oil bath and the the entire assembly is liquid cooled just like the cooling modules in the cabin.
The oil bath cooling is proven technology used for a hundred years in electrical utility transformers. The concept eliminates hot spots and overheating for reliability with no cooling fans required. Only PSA combines these superior concepts of system design as well as superior air conditioner concepts.
Condensate Pumps
When air is cooled, it holds less moisture, so when cabin air is cooled in the cabin overhead cooling modules, the excess water generates a liquid condensate. The CCA™ uses a solenoid type pump for each module that pumps the liquid condensate out of the cooling modules overboard. A solenoid style pump is the same general style like the proven technology in the fuel pump in your car or a coffee maker. The condensate pumps are mounted on the condensate module, one for each cooling module. The outflow connects to the aircraft's existing drain from the OEM evaporator.
Module Locations
The CCA™ uses a modular design for the individual functions like the compressor, evaporator, and control module. These modules are mounted on the Z-rail structure under the floor of the aircraft in the generally unused space where the bulky OEM evaporator was located. All this space is no longer a part of the cabin return air flow so that space is no longer cooled for substantial cabin cooling improvement. This space also contains the extension cord APU/ GPU module that converts the extension cord power to 28 volt aircraft power. If there is a only limited space available in this area, the GPU module can be mounted in the unpressurized tail section of the aircraft. The complete CCA™ System weight is approximately the same as the OEM air conditioning it replaces.
Ground Power Plug
So how do you air condition a King Air on the tarmac without even opening the cabin door? Simply plug in the extension cord. That is all that is needed for the CCA™ to cool the aircraft. Only the CCA™ offers that convenience and symbolizes the the leadership in environmental systems of Peter Schiff Aero.
