Vehicles, such as commercial airline vehicles for example, include environmental control systems (ECSs) that operate to control pressure and environmental conditions for improving comfort of the passengers and crew. When ECSs are switched off and exposed to cool and humid ambient air conditions, the temperature differential between the ECS and the ambient air can cause water condensation, which after a period of time results in the accumulation of water (i.e., water pooling) at one or more locations of the ECS.
Conventional methods for preventing water pooling consist of drilling holes at various locations of the ECS where water typically accumulates. Although the drilled holes allow water to drain, the holes remain open at all times regardless as to whether the ECS is operating or switched off. Consequently, the drilled holes remain open during operation of the ECS which results in flow loss through the ECS. Consequently, the overall efficiency of the ECS is reduced while also causing an undesirable increase in fuel consumption of the aircraft. To reduce the flow loss, the drilled holes are typically sized as small as possible. When the drill holes are sized too small, however, debris (e.g., dust, dirt, etc.) can clog the holes and prevent water from properly draining from the ECS.
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