The aircraft (10) includes: at least one electric motor (135); at least one stand-alone electrical power supply (110, 120) supplying power to the electric motor; propulsion elements (130) referred to as auxiliary propulsion elements, included in the group including: a stand-alone electrical power supply (130) supplying power to the electric motor, a power supply converting thermal energy into electrical energy and supplying power to the electric motor, and an internal combustion engine; and a structure (100) configured to integrate each electric motor, each stand-alone electrical power supply and the auxiliary propulsion elements, the parameters of the structure being substantially identical regardless of the auxiliary propulsion elements. A method of fitting out such an aircraft is also described.

The aircraft (10) includes: at least one electric motor (135); at least one stand-alone electrical power supply (110, 120) supplying power to the electric motor; propulsion elements (130) referred to as auxiliary propulsion elements, included in the group including: a stand-alone electrical power supply (130) supplying power to the electric motor, a power supply converting thermal energy into electrical energy and supplying power to the electric motor, and an internal combustion engine; and a structure (100) configured to integrate each electric motor, each stand-alone electrical power supply and the auxiliary propulsion elements, the parameters of the structure being substantially identical regardless of the auxiliary propulsion elements. A method of fitting out such an aircraft is also described.

An engine is stopped after a battery is charged by a first motor-generator driven by the engine when a condition in which freezing of condensed water in an exhaust pipe is expected to occur is satisfied after an ignition switch is turned OFF. By the engine operated during the charging of the battery, the condensed water accumulated in the exhaust pipe can be discharged to the outside of the exhaust pipe by the exhaust pressure of the exhaust gas. Accordingly, the condensed water is unlikely to remain in the exhaust pipe, and the freezing of the condensed water in the exhaust pipe can be suppressed even when parking continues for long under a low temperature atmosphere. The battery is charged by the first motor-generator, and thus the electric power of the battery can be used for traveling of a vehicle and fuel economy deterioration can be suppressed.

An engine is stopped after a battery is charged by a first motor-generator driven by the engine when a condition in which freezing of condensed water in an exhaust pipe is expected to occur is satisfied after an ignition switch is turned OFF. By the engine operated during the charging of the battery, the condensed water accumulated in the exhaust pipe can be discharged to the outside of the exhaust pipe by the exhaust pressure of the exhaust gas. Accordingly, the condensed water is unlikely to remain in the exhaust pipe, and the freezing of the condensed water in the exhaust pipe can be suppressed even when parking continues for long under a low temperature atmosphere. The battery is charged by the first motor-generator, and thus the electric power of the battery can be used for traveling of a vehicle and fuel economy deterioration can be suppressed.

A reformer-liquid fuel manufacturing system that utilizes an engine to generate hydrogen-rich gas is disclosed. The engine operates at very rich conditions, such as 2.5<<4.0. In doing so, it creates an exothermic reaction, which results in the production of syngas. In addition, the system utilizes the energy from the exothermic reaction to rotate a shaft and also utilizes the heat in the syngas to heat the reactants. A mechanical power plant is in communication with the rotating shaft and can be used to produce oxygen, provide electricity or operate a compressor, as require. The hydrogen-rich gas is supplied to a chemical reactor, which converts the gas into a liquid fuel, such as methanol.

A reformer-liquid fuel manufacturing system that utilizes an engine to generate hydrogen-rich gas is disclosed. The engine operates at very rich conditions, such as 2.5<<4.0. In doing so, it creates an exothermic reaction, which results in the production of syngas. In addition, the system utilizes the energy from the exothermic reaction to rotate a shaft and also utilizes the heat in the syngas to heat the reactants. A mechanical power plant is in communication with the rotating shaft and can be used to produce oxygen, provide electricity or operate a compressor, as require. The hydrogen-rich gas is supplied to a chemical reactor, which converts the gas into a liquid fuel, such as methanol.

A method of managing a power demand to assure the operation of a pilotless aircraft. The aircraft includes an internal combustion engine supplying a maximum principal power which can vary. The management method is particularly suitable for a rotary wing pilotless aircraft. It guarantees the storage of an amount of electrical energy at least equal to a recovery energy of the aircraft in the event of failure of the internal combustion engine. This recovery energy enables the control of autorotation and landing of the aircraft.

A method of managing a power demand to assure the operation of a pilotless aircraft. The aircraft includes an internal combustion engine supplying a maximum principal power which can vary. The management method is particularly suitable for a rotary wing pilotless aircraft. It guarantees the storage of an amount of electrical energy at least equal to a recovery energy of the aircraft in the event of failure of the internal combustion engine. This recovery energy enables the control of autorotation and landing of the aircraft.

Human used to get power from gas expansion in heat engine. Extraction of mechanic work from gaseous expansion is always low efficient, because circa 70% energy is hidden in the exhausted vapor in the form of latent heat and rejected or dumped out of cycle because the slow condensation may choke mass conservative looping. As liquid is hard to be compressed, power transmission can be reasonably assumed lossless, so harvesting mechanic power from liquid flow is high efficient. But historically it is rarely considered for how to form a powerful liquid flow in a typical gas-liquid dual-phase co-existed thermodynamic system, such as the most used Rankine-cycle heat engine. A new method or say Wei heat engine is invented that is based on a new defined Wei second class thermodynamic cycle. Such a new method converts thermal energy into high speed liquid flow during non-equilibrium condensation, though not too much efficient, as well as it jailbreaks the efficient limit of ideal Carnot cycle in an alternative way because the rejected heat is automatically reused to heat base liquid so as to reduce the consumption of heat source.

Based on the said liquid power heat engine, a series of modalities are disclosed, featuring a kaleidoscope of free energy, non-Stirling style external combustion, existing powerplant improving modification, immersed intra-cavitation combustion even with a variety of co-existing ammonia synthesis, and flue gas process with capture of combustion water vapor and carbon dioxide and NOx and sulfur dioxide.

An air compressor includes: a cylinder block including a crankcase and a cylinder portion of a plurality of cylinders; a cylinder head that covers the cylinder block; a crankshaft that is supported in the crankcase; a piston that is configured to reciprocate in the cylinder portion by the crankshaft to suck air and compress and discharge the sucked air; and a first rib that is provided on an outer wall of the cylinder block, that extends in a direction along a direction in which the piston reciprocates, that protrudes in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the piston reciprocates, and that is configured to suppress vibration of the cylinder block.