Abstract: Aircraft systems including a pressurized fuel tank containing a pressurized fuel, a turbo expander configured to receive the pressurized fuel from the fuel tank, the turbo expander configured to decrease a pressure of the pressurized fuel to generate low pressure fuel having pressure less than the pressurized fuel, a fuel-to-air heat exchanger configured to receive the low pressure fuel from the turbo expander as a first working fluid and air as a second working fluid, the heat exchanger configured to cool the air and warm the fuel, an aircraft cabin configured to receive the cooled air, and a fuel consumption system configured to consume the fuel to generate power.

Abstract: An air conditioning pack management system for controlling distribution of a predetermined amount of conditioned air from a system comprising two or more air conditioning packs, the pack management system comprising a management unit arranged to proportion the predetermined amount of conditioned air to be provided by one or more of the two or more packs based on the respective operating efficiencies of the packs or other pre-selected metrics.

Abstract: An environmental control system (ECS) for an aircraft includes a primary heat exchanger, a compressor including an inlet fluidically connected to the primary heat exchanger, a turbine operatively connected to the compressor, and a cryogenic fluid heat exchanger fluidically connected to the primary heat exchanger.

Abstract: Aircraft systems including a pressurized fuel tank containing a pressurized fuel, a turbo expander configured to receive the pressurized fuel from the fuel tank, the turbo expander configured to decrease a pressure of the pressurized fuel to generate low pressure fuel having pressure less than the pressurized fuel, a fuel-to-air heat exchanger configured to receive the low pressure fuel from the turbo expander as a first working fluid and air as a second working fluid, the heat exchanger configured to cool the air and warm the fuel, an aircraft cabin configured to receive the cooled air, and a fuel consumption system configured to consume the fuel to generate power.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling fresh air flow into a controlled environment are disclosed herein. The method comprises: measuring, using a sensor, a predetermined property in the controlled environment; estimating, by a controller, a number of people inside the controlled environment based on the measured property, and setting, by the controller, a rate of fresh air flow to the controlled environment based at least in part on the estimated number of people inside the controlled environment.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell unit having an air inlet, a fuel inlet and an electrical energy outlet and a fuel cell exhaust outlet and a turbo-compressor unit to convert air from an air supply to compressed inlet air for the fuel cell unit. The turbo-compressor unit comprising a turbine and a compressor connected to a common rotatable shaft. The system also includes means for obtaining conditioned air exhausted from an enclosed space and directing the conditioned exhaust air to the turbine of turbo-compressor unit such that the conditioned exhaust air is expanded by the turbine causing rotation of the shaft and corresponding rotation of the compressor, means for providing air from the air supply to the compressor to be compressed and output from the compressor unit and provided as compressed inlet air to the air inlet of the fuel cell unit.

Abstract: A gasper for use in a passenger aircraft includes an inlet configured to receive air. The gasper further includes an outlet configured to output the air towards a passenger seat. The gasper further includes a body extending from the inlet to the outlet and being adjustable between at least three lengths.

Abstract: An air conditioning pack management system for controlling distribution of a predetermined amount of conditioned air from a system comprising two or more air conditioning packs, the pack management system comprising a management unit arranged to proportion the predetermined amount of conditioned air to be provided by one or more of the two or more packs based on the respective operating efficiencies of the packs or other pre-selected metrics.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling fresh air flow into a controlled environment are disclosed herein. The method comprises: measuring, using a sensor, a predetermined property in the controlled environment; estimating, by a controller, a number of people inside the controlled environment based on the measured property, and setting, by the controller, a rate of fresh air flow to the controlled environment based at least in part on the estimated number of people inside the controlled environment.

Abstract: An airplane is provided. The airplane includes a fuel gauging and quantity estimation system with an improved estimation accuracy. The fuel gauging and quantity estimation system operates by detecting an environment of a tank comprising a liquid and selecting one or more liquid gauging algorithms based on the environment. The fuel gauging and quantity estimation system further operates by receiving sensor data characterizing the liquid of the tank and utilizing the sensor data and the one or more liquid gauging algorithms to determine a property of the liquid.

Abstract: An environment control system (ECS) for controlling an environment in a vehicle includes at least one energy consuming component, means for drawing external air into the environment and a controller, wherein said controller is configured to control the flow rate of the external air being drawn into the environment based on the energy consumption of said at least one energy consuming component. A method of controlling airflow into an environment within a vehicle includes providing an environmental control system that comprises a controller, means for drawing external air into said environment, and at least one energy consuming component and the method further comprising controlling, via the controller, the airflow rate of external air being drawn into the environment, the air flow rate being based on an energy consumption of the at least one energy consuming component.

Abstract: An airplane is provided. The airplane includes a fuel gauging and quantity estimation system with an improved estimation accuracy. The fuel gauging and quantity estimation system operates by detecting an environment of a tank comprising a liquid and selecting one or more liquid gauging algorithms based on the environment. The fuel gauging and quantity estimation system further operates by receiving sensor data characterizing the liquid of the tank and utilizing the sensor data and the one or more liquid gauging algorithms to determine a property of the liquid.

Abstract: Methods of determining fluid density within a tank, such as an aircraft tank are include installing one or more clusters of sensors each cluster comprising a plurality of sensors including at least one pressure sensor. A minimum of two pressure measurements are required for density estimation. The fluid density between different clusters may be determined from pressure measurements obtained by each cluster and the distance between the clusters. Furthermore, the distribution of density throughout the tank may be determined by employing clusters including two or more pressure sensors.