КC-129 unified bottle-free oxygen system with БКДУ-130 onboard oxygen-generation system

The major advantages of the bottle-free oxygen systems with an onboard oxygen-generation system (OBOGS):

No onboard oxygen bottles are used and, correspondingly, there is no need in pre-flight charging of the system with oxygen.

The mission duration is not limited with the onboard oxygen reserve because the system continuously produces the oxygen-enriched breathing gas mixture.

Fire and explosion hazards, potential sources of which inevitably are the systems using pure oxygen, especially high-pressure oxygen, are reduced.

The suggested system set features the lower mass, smaller dimensions and less line maintenance man-hours than those sets with the bottle oxygen source.

The mass of the production-run oxygen system with the bottles completed for the Su-30 aircraft is about 90 kg and the mass of the KC-129 oxygen system with the БКДУ-130 onboard oxygen generation system does not exceed 32 kg. The KC-129 oxygen system is used at the altitudes up to 20 km.
The KC-129 oxygen system integrates with the KM-36M oxygen mask, ЗШ-7АПН crash helmet, BKK-15K partial pressure suit and ППК-3Р-120M anti-G suit.

The source of the breathing gas mixture in the KC-129 oxygen system is the БКДУ-130 onboard oxygen-generation system, which increases the oxygen concentration in compressed air tapped from the aircraft gas turbine compressor and supplied for breathing. The operation principle of current aircraft OBOGS is based on utilization of special synthetic molecular filters: zeolites. In the course of a cyclic process, zeolites are capable to sorb nitrogen, moisture and toxic impurities from compressed air passing through them and clean themselves from these components owing to periodic contacts with a more rarefied atmosphere and periodic back purging with a portion of the produced breathing gas mixture. Using a distribution valves unit, which functions with a preset algorithm, cartridges filled with zeolite sorbent are connected in turn with the source of compressed air and environments. In certain moments of the cycle, the produced breathing gas mixture enriched with oxygen is tapped from the cartridges.
A special gas analyzer, which measures the oxygen content in the produced gas mixture, is incorporated in the БКДУ-130.
The БКДУ-130 production rate is designed to supply a two-member crew with oxygen.
Since for production of the breathing mixture and operation of the anti-G device, unpurified air is tapped from the aircraft gas turbine compressor, the KC-129 oxygen system incorporates an air preparation device, УВП-1, having a special filter, which cleans air from dust, aerosols (including the toxic ones) and condensed moisture. The condensed moisture is collected with the filter and discharged overboard. The filtered air goes to the БКДУ-130 inlet and the anti-G valves of the anti-G device.
The БКДУ-130 + УВП-1 complex can clean the gas mixture supplied for breathing out of radioactive dust, toxic and bacteriological agents.
This assures breathing safety if the aircraft flies through a contaminated zone. The oxygen-breathing equipment of the KC-129 system provides for its maximum unification and succession with the oxygen-breathing units of the mass-produced high-performance KKO-15 outfit. The differences in this case may be mainly associated with OBOGS operation features.

The ejection seat oxygen system implements a chemical source of oxygen. The advantage of this technical solution is a considerably lower cost of the items and their life cycle because they practically need no routine maintenance throughout the whole lifetime.
The anti-G valve for the anti-G subsystem of the KC-129 oxygen system is a derivative of the mass-produced AД-15 anti-G valve. The differences between them are associated with the fact that the AД-15 working gas is oxygen and the AД-16B working gas is compressed air tapped from the engine compressor. Moreover, the anti-G valve is modified to maintain the required gas flow rates under accelerations in the "low thrust" operation mode, when the pressure of the air tapped from the compressor drops sharply.
Mass of the main KC-129 oxygen system components, kg:
БКДУ-130 onboard oxygen-generation system - 15,8
УBП-1 air preparation device - 4,6
KП-129 oxygen unit - 0,8
РД-130 pressure regulator - 0,4
KCKK-130ГК-20 (w/o ejection seat seating panel) - 3,5
Breathing gas supply sensor, ДПГД - 0,45
АД-16B anti-G valve - 0,55

Overall dimensions of the KC-129 components, mm:
БКДУ-130 onboard oxygen-generation system - 270 х 300 х 350

The KП-129 oxygen unit, РД-130 pressure regulator, KCKK-130ГК-20 ejection seat oxygen system, breathing gas supply sensor, ДПГД, and АД-16B anti-G valve have the dimensions, which do not exceed those of the similar items in the mass-produced KKO-15 set.

БКДУ-130 onboard oxygen-generation system	УBП-1 air preparation device
KП-129 oxygen unit	РД-130 pressure regulator
Breathing gas supply sensor, ДПГД	АД-16B anti-G valve
KCKK-130ГК-20 ejection seat oxygen system; external view of the ejection seat seating panel.	KCKK-130ГК-20 ejection seat oxygen system; internal view of the ejection seat seating panel (the chemical oxygen generator is located in the upper part of the picture).

The KC-129 oxygen system with the БКДУ-130 onboard oxygen generation system:

passed through the State ground tests (Act No. 5/703109-029ВП of 19.02.2004);

passed through preliminary flight tests in complete with the MiG-29M2 aircraft ( Act No. 8311-20-10 of 15.12.2004);

passed through preliminary flight tests in complete with Su-35UB aircraft (Act No. Су35УБ-1-05ОИВС-С of 03.03.2005);

worked for more than 1500 hours during the bench life tests, over 120 test flights and trial operation in complete with the MiG-29M2 aircraft;

successfully passed through the State flight tests, which were run on the Air Force decision, in complete with the MiG-29M2 aircraft (Act No. 29/705109-062);

accepted by FSUE "RAC MiG" for application in the MiG-29K and MiG-29KUB (for the Indian Air Force);

accepted by JSC "OKB Sukhoy" and JSC (KnAAPO" to be used in the Su-35 aircraft;

recommended by the AF Armament Chief for application in the Su-27 and MiG-29 aircraft.

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