Abstract: Water represents an important resource in an aircraft. In modem aircraft, sufficient water reserves are carried along in designated tanks that are regularly refilled by ground personnel. One embodiment relates to a water treatment system for aircraft that may make it possible to treat a gray water/black water mixture accumulated on board of an aircraft during its operation in sufficient quantity and quality for use in a downstream reformer. This means that the water circuit within the aircraft is closed and costly water tanks are eliminated.

Abstract: A waterless vacuum toilet system for an aircraft includes a toilet bowl connected via a suction valve and a waste collection pipe to a waste collection tank. Waste-contacting surfaces that come into contact with urine and fecal waste are coated with an adhesion-inhibiting or adhesion-reducing nanocoating. The adhesion of waste is significantly reduced, and the need for flushing water is completely eliminated. Instead, an air jet arrangement preferably including an annular ring nozzle or annular air gap directs an airflow into the toilet bowl and along the nanocoated waste-contacting surface thereof, to “air flush” the waste material from these surfaces. The flushing airflow may be induced through the air jet arrangement into the toilet bowl by the suction applied through the suction valve. The “air flushed” toilet system substantially reduces the total system weight and eliminates the need for toilet flushing water to be carried in the aircraft.

Abstract: In present-day aircraft, common containers for storing of the raw materials required for on-board operation, such as oxygen and water, are used. Energy is produced by using generators and turbines. According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an electrochemical reactor for producing energy, hydrogen, oxygen, and clear water is provided, which ensures the on-board supply. According to the invention, hereby released reaction heat is used as additional process heat in an SOSE- and FP-process. In addition, by use of the hydrogen produced in the process, an extra desulphurization unit is eliminated with the fuel processing of the fuel in the FP process. In this manner, large storage volumes and weight can be saved.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for producing water on board of an airplane by means of one or several fuel cells. The inventive water producing device is embodied in the form of one or several high temperature fuel cells (7) and entirely or partially integrated into a jet power unit of the airplane in such a way that the combustion chambers (7A) of said jet power unit of the airplane are entirely or partially substituted by said high temperature fuel cells. The aim of said invention is to develop a combination of fuel cells and a gas turbine which operates exclusively with atmospheric hydrogen and oxygen and is embodied in the form of a jet power unit and/or an auxiliary jet power unit (on-board auxiliary power unit: APU) used for producing compressed air for a cabin and a power supply. For this purpose, said high temperature fuel cells are fed with pure hydrogen on an anode side and with air on a cathode side.

Abstract: For example an aircraft includes a fluid tempering arrangement to supply a gaseous and/or liquid, heated and/or cooled, fluid such as water. At least one thermochemical reservoir is in heat exchange relation with a conduit system, having at least one valve and a controller that controls the transfer of heat between the fluid and the thermochemical reservoir to adjust the temperature of the fluid provided to an outlet. Preferably two interconnected thermochemical reservoirs respectively contain hydride-forming metals having different hydrogen sorption-desorption temperatures. A method involves supplying and chemically storing heat energy in at least one thermochemical reservoir, then performing a reverse reaction to release and transfer heat from at least one thermochemical reservoir to the fluid, preferably involving the sorption and desorption of hydrogen in respective hydride-forming metals in two reservoirs exhibiting different hydrogen reaction temperatures.

Abstract: An arrangement and a method are proposed for the generation of water on board an aircraft with the use of one or more fuel cells, whereby low-temperature fuel cells are provided as fuel cells. It is proposed that several single-cell or few-cell fuel cells may form a fuel-cell panel or cell array and several cell panels or cell arrays may be arranged close to the inside of the aircraft fuselage and the cathode side of the at least one fuel cell has a chamber pointing to the exterior of the aircraft for the condensation of the water contained in the air and the anode side has a chamber carrying a combustion gas, for example hydrogen. With the proposed solution, a reduction in the storage capacity for drinking water and its quality-assured provision may be enabled and moreover, with the use of fuel cells as a virtual power station, the energy demand on engine generators, auxiliary power unit (APU) or ram air turbine (RAT) may be reduced.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for the targeted supply of oxygen to the location of respiratory organs, in particular within aircraft cabins or similar. In the conventional way, this supply was previously provided by the means of breathing masks, whereby the mask had to be actively placed over the nose and/or mouth by the people to be supplied or with the help of other people. The disadvantage of this is that incorrect application can arise. Moreover, the wearing of the breathing masks over an extended period of time can be uncomfortable. By means of the form of a device in accordance with the invention, ie. where the line itself and the outlet opening are the means for the supply of oxygen to the location of the respiratory organs, the unreliable breathing masks which can also get in the way no longer have to be worm.

Abstract: For use on board a mobile means of transport (eg. aircraft, bus, ship), a heating system and method are described which lead to a reduction of peak demand in the on-board kitchen energy supply system relating to the integrated heating appliances for the warming or heating of food. For this, latent or thermochemical heat storage units are used which are fully integrated into the structural elements of the heating appliance in question and heats the product in such a way that there is sufficient heat output, while at the same time, the absolute temperature is limited by means of an appropriate choice of heat storage material for product enhancement.

Abstract: Aircraft passengers who require a therapeutic oxygen supply independently of the prevailing cabin pressure, as distinguished from an emergency oxygen supply that depends on an inadequate cabin pressure, can breath therapeutic oxygen through the same masks. For this purpose a control accessible to the crew is used to connect a therapeutic oxygen supply to the emergency oxygen distribution system of the aircraft, whereby the source of oxygen is used either partially for therapeutic purposes or fully for emergency purposes.

Abstract: A process for producing an SiO2 shaped body which is at least partially vitrified, wherein an amorphous, porous SiO2 green body is sintered or vitrified by contactless heating by means of radiation, while avoiding contamination to the SiO2 shaped body with foreign atoms, wherein the radiation used is the beam of a laser at a subatmospheric pressure below 1000 mbar.

Abstract: Water, preferably fresh potable water, is electrochemically, e.g. electrolytically, treated to achieve disinfectant properties. The electrochemically treated water is sprayed onto the toilet seat and directed into the toilet bowl for each flush cycle of an aircraft toilet system, so as to clean and disinfect the toilet seat and the toilet bowl. The electrochemically treated water has a direct germ-killing effect on the seat and bowl, and also disinfects the arising wastewater that is conveyed to and stored in a storage tank. For flushing the toilet bowl, the electrochemically treated water may further be mixed with reused graywater, which is thereby disinfected.

Abstract: A process for producing an SiO2 shaped body which is at least partially vitrified, wherein an amorphous, porous SiO2 green body is sintered or vitrified by contactless heating by means of radiation, while avoiding contamination to the SiO2 shaped body with foreign atoms, wherein the radiation used is the beam of a laser at a subatmospheric pressure below 1000 mbar.

Abstract: Wastewater, particularly black water and/or gray water, is used, for example in an aircraft, for processing fuels used in a high temperature fuel cell. For this purpose a liquid hydrocarbon fuel is used for producing an emulsion for use as fuel in the high temperature fuel cell. The liquid hydrocarbon fuel is preferably kerosene. The liquid hydrocarbon fuel is first emulsified with the wastewater which is first passed through a treatment such as filtering, reverse osmosis, or any other cleaning treatment that makes the wastewater suitable for the emulsifying the liquid hydrocarbon fuel. The emulsion is then supplied as fuel to the high temperature fuel cell. Thus, smaller and hence lighter storage facilities for the wastewater can be used.

Abstract: In order to use so-called gray water for the flushing of toilets, for example in a conveyance such as a passenger aircraft, the gray water is passed through at least one filter, preferably through a coarse filter followed by a fine filter, into a treatment tank where it is anodically oxidized. The rinsing is performed by a pump that may be a rotary pressure pump or a piston cylinder pump. The pump passes the processed or oxidized water through an excess pressure valve and through at least one spray nozzle into a toilet bowl.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a low temperature fuel cell, a high temperature fuel cell or a hydrocarbon reformer, a hydrocarbon fuel supply, an oxygen generator, and a molecular sieve. The oxygen generator separates air to provide oxygen enriched air to the fuel cells and the reformer. Hydrocarbon fuel is provided to the high temperature fuel cell or the reformer, and the exhaust gas thereof may be separated through the molecular sieve, to provide hydrogen enriched gas to the low temperature fuel cell, water, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. The low temperature fuel cell outputs nitrogen gas and high purity water. The emitted carbon oxides and nitrogen oxides are catalytically converted to nitrogen and carbon dioxide being returned to the atmosphere. The process and apparatus are very efficient, produce high purity water and electrical energy, and are environmentally friendly.

Abstract: Water is generated onboard of a craft such as an aircraft or in a self-contained stationary system by partially or completely integrating a water generating unit into a power plant of the craft or system. The water generating unit includes one or more high temperature fuel cells which partially or completely replace the combustion chamber or chambers of the power plant. A reformer process is integrated into the high temperature fuel cell which is arranged between, on the one hand, a fan (30) and power plant compressor stages (31, 32) and, on the other hand, power plant turbine stages (33, 34). These power plant stages may be provided in such redundant numbers that safety and redundancy requirements are satisfied.

Abstract: Water for use in a self-contained water using unit, such as an aircraft, watercraft, ground conveyance, or stationary unit, is treated so that water of different qualities can be distributed to different use locations in the self-contained unit. The treatment is performed by a process using a combined high temperature fuel cell (1) operating at temperatures above 500° C. and a turbine (6) with a reformer process (2) integrated into the fuel cell. The reformer process is operated by the heat of the fuel cell which uses a hydrocarbon fuel to which contaminated and/or fresh water is admixed. The heat of the fuel cell is used for a water purification process. Purified water is filtered in an active charcoal filter and distributed by a distribution system. At least a portion of the purified water available for distribution is automatically salified.

Abstract: A waterless vacuum toilet system for an aircraft includes a toilet bowl connected via a suction valve and a waste collection pipe to a waste collection tank. Waste-contacting surfaces that come into contact with urine and fecal waste are coated with an adhesion-inhibiting or adhesion-reducing nanocoating. The adhesion of waste is significantly reduced, and the need for flushing water is completely eliminated. Instead, an air jet arrangement preferably including an annular ring nozzle or annular air gap directs an airflow into the toilet bowl and along the nanocoated waste-contacting surface thereof, to “air flush” the waste material from these surfaces. The flushing airflow may be induced through the air jet arrangement into the toilet bowl by the suction applied through the suction valve. The “air flushed” toilet system substantially reduces the total system weight and eliminates the need for toilet flushing water to be carried in the aircraft.

Abstract: Catering in a transport vehicle like an aircraft involves collecting mixed waste including solids (e.g. left-over food portions, food wastes, napkins, disposable cutlery) and liquids (e.g. beverage rests), without separation. These wastes are disposed of into an apparatus including a receiving container with a filter and separating element at the bottom, a waste shaft leading into the container, a press arrangement with flap doors, pressure pistons which press the press arrangement and flap doors onto the waste in the container to compact the waste, and a drain and coupling system at the bottom of the container. As the waste is compacted, liquids drain down through the filter, oils and fats are removed by the separating element, and non-oily liquids are removed through the coupling system to the vacuum disposal system or the gray water drain line of the vehicle. A control unit controls the overall operation.

Abstract: A process for producing an SiO2 shaped body which is vitrified in a partial region or completely, in which process an amorphous, porous SiO2 preform is sintered or vitrified by contactless heating by means of laser radiation, by means of which contamination of the SiO2 shaped body with foreign atoms is avoided.