A combined cooling and humidifying system for a fuel cell system includes a first line strand, second line strand, gas separator, and water feed device. The first line strand has a supply line for feeding water to a heat exchanger of the fuel cell system and a return line for receiving a water-steam mixture from the fuel cell system. The gas separator is in the return line to at least partially separate the steam from the water-steam mixture and provide it at a steam connection. The second line strand has a fluid inlet for feeding a gaseous fluid to the fuel cell system. The steam connection is coupled to the second line strand downstream of the fluid inlet to admix steam with the fluid. The water feed device is coupled to the supply line to compensate for a separating mass flow of steam in the first line strand.

This disclosure describes at least embodiments of an aircraft monitoring system for an electric or hybrid airplane. The aircraft monitoring system can be constructed to enable the electric or hybrid aircraft to pass certification requirements relating to a safety risk analysis. The aircraft monitoring system can have different subsystems for monitoring and alerting of failures of a component, such as a battery pack, a motor controller, and/or a motors. The failures that pose a greater safety risk may be monitored and indicated by one or more subsystems without use of programmable components.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for a remote oceanic environment includes a float system, at least one electric motor, and a seawater battery. The float system allows the UAV to maintain buoyancy on a body of water. The electric motor or motors produce the required lift for the UAV to achieve and maintain flight. The flight includes the UAV landing on the body of water and takeoff from the body of water. The seawater battery directly or indirectly powers the electric motor or motors using seawater from the body of water while the UAV is floating on the body of water.

A metamaterial-based substrate (meta-substrate) for piezoelectric energy harvesters. The design of the meta-substrate combines kirigami and auxetic topologies to create a high-performance platform including preferable mechanical properties of both metamaterial morphable structures. The creative design of the meta-substrate can improve strain-induced vibration applications in structural health monitoring, internet-of-things systems, micro-electromechanical systems, wireless sensor networks, vibration energy harvesters, and other applications whose efficiency is dependent on their deformation performance. The meta-substrate energy harvesting device includes a meta-material substrate comprising an auxetic frame having two kirigami cuts and a piezoelectric element adhered to the auxetic frame by means of a thin layer of elastic glue.

A system for disconnecting a battery from an electric aircraft upon impact. The system includes an electric aircraft and a battery assembly electrically coupled to the electric aircraft. The battery assembly is configured to include at least a sensor. The at least a sensor is configured to detect impacts to the electric aircraft. The battery assembly is configured to include a connector. The connector attaches the battery assembly to the electric aircraft. The connector includes an electrically actuating disconnection mechanism. The battery assembly is configured to include a control circuit. The control circuit is electrically connected to the electrically actuating disconnection mechanism. The control circuit is configured to detect, using the at least a sensor, an impact to the aircraft. The control sensor disconnects the connector from the electric aircraft using the electrically actuating disconnection mechanism as a function of the detection of impacts to the electric aircraft.

Nuclear Aircraft Transportation System “KARAVAN” with its components is represented by a group of inventions in the technical and organizational relations. The main and basic invention is Nuclear Aircraft Transportation System “KARAVAN” (NATS). This invention includes two other ones: Aircraft Thrust Nuclear Power Plant, (ATNPP), which in turn includes—Thermal Power Cycle of ATNPP, (TPC ATNPP). In addition, the represented group of inventions is made up of two more inventions: Maintenance System of ATNPP, (MS ATNPP) and Emergency Response System of NATSK, (ERS NATSK).

The concept of practical implementation of the presented group of inventions involves the fact that ATNPP, which is a large unmanned drone aircraft “Tiagach”, supplies the aero-train composed of a number of passenger liners and cargo transport planes using electric motors with traction electric energy in the air.

The power supply of such an aero-train is based on the onboard Nuclear Power Plant of the aircraft “Tiagach”. In this case, the transmission of electric power to the towed electric aircraft of the aero-train is carried out by means of electric split feeders and cables, connecting and disconnecting of which between airplanes of the aero-train is carried out in the air, by analogy with refueling of airplanes in the air with JP fuel.

During the flight of the aero-train on a logistically optimized route, electric airplanes can detach from and attach to the aero-train, taking off and landing along the flight route of the aero-train using their own electric accumulators. In addition, extra ATNPP may be included in the aero-train during its flight, if it is necessary to increase the thrust. At the same time, due to the use of nuclear power, such ATNPP can remain in the air for a conditionally indefinite period of time.

The invention is aimed at creating cost-effective air freight and passenger traffic.

A power conversion device is provided between a power supply and a load, and converts power from the power supply and supplies the converted power to the load. The power conversion device includes a plurality of switching elements composed of semiconductor elements, and a control device which generates drive signals for controlling the plurality of switching elements. Voltages are respectively applied to the plurality of semiconductor elements, on the basis of the drive signals generated by the control device. The plurality of semiconductor elements have equivalent failure probabilities due to neutron beams. Thus, a failure of the power conversion device due to neutron beams is prevented, and size increase thereof is suppressed.

A proximity detection system for facilitating charging of electric aircraft. The proximity detection system includes at least a computing device. The at least a computing device is configured to receive a detection datum from at least a sensor, determine a proximal element as a function of the detection datum, and communicate a notification as a function of the proximal element to at least one of the electric aircraft and a charging structure. The detection datum includes information on at least one of the electric aircraft and the charging structure. The proximal element includes information on a spacing between the electric aircraft and the charging structure. A proximity detection method for facilitating charging of an electric aircraft is also provided.

A battery charging management system includes a plurality of sockets combinable with a plurality of devices onto which a plurality of battery packs are mounted; a binding controller configured to receive state information of the plurality of battery packs from the plurality of devices, determine a priority of the plurality of devices to be allocated to the plurality of sockets according to a charging strategy selected based on the state information, and allocate one of the plurality of sockets to one of the plurality of devices or releasing the allocating; a charging controller configured to control charging of the plurality of battery packs of the plurality of devices electrically connected to a charging circuit based on the state information received by the binding controller; and a distributor configured to switch an electrical connection between the charging circuit and the plurality of battery packs.

This disclosure details exemplary moonroof systems for vehicles. An exemplary moonroof system may include a pod assembly that may be received within an opening of a headliner. The pod assembly may be utilized to dock, deploy, and land an unmanned aerial vehicle relative to the moonroof system. The pod assembly may include a charging and cooling system for charging and cooling the unmanned aerial vehicle when it is docked within the pod assembly.