Abstract: In an air conditioner, air extracted from engine is fed through a main air flow path into cabin after being cooled by a cooling device. This extracted air is fed into the cabin through an auxiliary air flow path. The air within the cabin flows out through an outflow air flow path. A plurality of adsorption sections are constituted by an adsorption agent that adsorbs molecules contained in the air and releases adsorbed molecules by being raised in temperature to more than the temperature thereof on adsorption. By control of an air flow changeover mechanism by a controller, each of the adsorption sections is changed over between a condition connected with the auxiliary air flow path and a condition connected with the outflow air flow path.

Abstract: An aircraft air conditioner uses a cooling device to cool air extracted from an engine before feeding it into a cabin. This extracted air is mixed with recirculation air that is returned to the cabin after flowing out from the cabin. The mixture of the recirculation air and the extracted air is fed into an air separating section. This air separating section has a selectively permeable membrane that separates the air flowing through an air flow path of the air conditioner into nitrogen-enriched gas and oxygen-concentrated air. The nitrogen-enriched gas is capable of being fed into a fuel peripheral region of the aircraft, and the oxygen-concentrated air is capable of being fed into the cabin.

Abstract: An environment control unit for an airplane is configured so that air is drawn out of a cabin (2), oxygen and water molecules alone are separated from the drawn air by a selective permeable membrane (21), the permeated oxygen and water is supplied to the cabin (2) again. The remaining nitrogen is supplied to a fuel tank (41) in order to prevent explosion, it is possible to reduce the amount of air extracted from an engine (1) that is required to facilitate respiration for passengers and to prevent explosion.

Abstract: In an air conditioner, air extracted from engine is fed through a main air flow path into cabin after being cooled by a cooling device. This extracted air is fed into the cabin through an auxiliary air flow path. The air within the cabin flows out through an outflow air flow path. A plurality of adsorption sections are constituted by an adsorption agent that adsorbs molecules contained in the air and releases adsorbed molecules by being raised in temperature to more than the temperature thereof on adsorption. By control of an air flow changeover mechanism by a controller, each of the adsorption sections is changed over between a condition connected with the auxiliary air flow path and a condition connected with the outflow air flow path.

Abstract: An aircraft air conditioner uses a cooling device to cool air extracted from an engine before feeding it into a cabin. This extracted air is mixed with recirculation air that is returned to the cabin after flowing out from the cabin. The mixture of the recirculation air and the extracted air is fed into an air separating section. This air separating section has a selectively permeable membrane that separates the air flowing through an air flow path of the air conditioner into nitrogen-enriched gas and oxygen-concentrated air. The nitrogen-enriched gas is capable of being fed into a fuel peripheral region of the aircraft, and the oxygen-concentrated air is capable of being fed into the cabin.

Abstract: Since the environment control unit for an airplane has such an arrangement that air is drawn out of a cabin 2, oxygen and water molecules alone are separated from the drawn air by a selective permeable membrane 21, the permeated oxygen and water is supplied to the cabin 2 again and the remaining nitrogen is supplied to a fuel tank 41 in order to prevent explosion, it is possible to reduce an amount of air extracted from an engine 1 by far that is required to facilitate respiration for passengers and to prevent explosion.

Abstract: A fluid foil bearing comprises a bearing housing in which the journal of a rotatable shaft is positioned, a single foil bearing is so arranged in the housing as to surround substantially the whole circumference of the shaft journal with a minute space interposed between the foil bearing and the shaft journal, and supporting under foils are disposed outside the foil bearing and inside the housing for resiliently supporting the foil bearing at circumferentially spaced intervals so as to provide a predetermined preload on the shaft.

Abstract: A cryogenic refrigerator of rotary type which comprises a generally cylindrical rotor and an expander formed about a first axial portion of the rotor which is used as the expander rotor, with a plurality of radial vanes for defining about the expander rotor a series of expansion compartments which vary in volume as the rotor rotates. A regenerator is provided inside or outside and about a second axial portion of the rotor adjacent to and in fluid communication with the expander compartments. A compressor supplies compressed gas to the expander compartments for adiabatic expansion accompanied by a temperature drop of the expanded gas, which is conducted through the regenerator back to the compressor.