Abstract: The present invention relates to using encoded data as a monetary equivalent or access token. In one embodiment, the encoded data activates an appliance or facilitates a transaction. The encoded data may include monetary information itself, or may be used to index additional information.

Abstract: An apparatus for the heating of air with a series of compression and expansion stages. The heating system includes four primary stages, centrifugal turbine compression, expansion through diffusing vanes, expansion into a low pressure chamber and nozzle compression. The thermal energy transferred to the air during these compression and expansion stages is of a degree to omit the need for a heat exchanger. The turbine compression stage heats and compresses the air significantly, while the following three stages convert this very high pressure and temperature air to a level that allows the air to be directly discharged into standard heating ducts. The diffusing vanes decrease the velocity of the air discharged from the compression turbine and the expansion chamber lowers the pressure to sub atmospheric pressure. The final stage compresses the air to standard atmospheric pressure and compensates for the heat lost in the expansion chamber.