Liquid fuel tank comprising a plurality of liquid level detection capacitive sensors, each arranged along an edge of the fuel tank such that the capacitance of said sensors varies with the volume of fuel present in the fuel tank, wherein an independent liquid level detection capacitive sensor is arranged along each edge of the fuel tank bottom and of the side walls; wherein the tank is electrically conductive and each level sensor comprises an electrically insulating plate arranged thickness-wise between sensor and tank, such that tank and sensors are capacitively uncoupled. Method for obtaining the fuel volume comprising: obtaining the reading of the liquid level detection capacitive sensors arranged on the edges of the tank; calculating the volume, corresponding to the fuel, of the geometric solid defined by the fuel tank and by the upper surface of the fuel as defined by the liquid level readings from the sensors.

A system and method in a building or vehicle for an actuator operation in response to a sensor according to a control logic, the system comprising a router or a gateway communicating with a device associated with the sensor and a device associated with the actuator over in-building or in-vehicle networks, and an external Internet-connected control server associated with the control logic implementing a PID closed linear control loop and communicating with the router over external network for controlling the in-building or in-vehicle phenomenon. The sensor may be a microphone or a camera, and the system may include voice or image processing as part of the control logic. A redundancy is used by using multiple sensors or actuators, or by using multiple data paths over the building or vehicle internal or external communication. The networks may be wired or wireless, and may be BAN, PAN, LAN, WAN, or home networks.

A detachable airplane wheel prerotation/landing brake cooling device is disclosed that comprises: an outer circular cage rim, an inner circular cage rim confronting and spaced apart from the outer circular cage rim, and a plurality of spaced apart arcuate blades spanning across and connecting the outer circular cage rim to the inner circular cage rim at a slant. Each arcuate blade includes a first section connected to the outer circular cage rim and a second section connected to inner circular cage rim. The plurality of slanted arcuate blades are, when the detachable airplane wheel prerotation/landing brake cooling device is being impinged by an airstream during the landing of the airplane, configured to (i) rotate the wheel about the axle in a forward direction, and (ii) funnel air into the plurality of annular spaces adjacent to the plurality of heat shields to thereby remove heat away from the disc brake assembly.

A device and method for assisting a user in aircraft wheel assemblies is disclosed herein. The device enables a single user to readily connect two wheel sections in a split wheel assembly. The device is lightweight and reusable and preferably includes two bushings, two washers, a bolt, and a nut. After inserting the bolt through the wheel sections, a nut can be tightened, thereby creating a compressive force that compresses the bushings and the wheel sections together. While the wheel sections are compressed together, a plurality of tie bolts and tie nuts can be installed on the wheel sections to complete the wheel assembly.

A heat shield assembly for a braked aircraft wheel is provided. The heat sheild assembly includes a heat shield and at least one spacer having both a main body projecting from an outwardly-facing surface of the heat shield and a clamping element of generally cylindrical shape projecting from the body and passing perpendicularly through an opening in the heat shield. The clamping element can include an enlarged free end so as to co-operate with the body to form an annular groove engaged with the opening in the heat shield.

Fuel isolation systems, apparatuses and methods are described. In some embodiments, a system comprises a fuel tank, a fuel pump, an engine, a firewall, a fuel line from the fuel tank to the engine, a connector coupled inline with the fuel line on a cold side of the fuel line, a valve coupled to the connector, a fluid feed line coupled to a fluid source and to the valve. In the event of an engine fire condition, a control unit outputs signaling to turn off the fuel pump and operate the valve to introduce fluid from the fluid source into the fuel line. The introduced fluid provides a siphon break in the fuel line such that the only fuel that can pass the firewall is the remaining fuel in the fuel line downstream of the connector and the introduced fluid.

An improved system detects an environmental anomaly in a shipping container and initiates a mediation response through a generated layered alert notification. The system includes sensor-based ID nodes associated with packages within the container, and a command node mounted to the container communicating with the ID nodes and an external transceiver on a vehicle transporting the container. The command node is programmed to detect sensor data from the ID nodes; compare the sensor data to package environmental thresholds in context data related to each ID node; detect the environmental anomaly when the comparison indicates an environmental condition for at least one package exceeds its environmental threshold; responsively generate a layered alert notification identifying a mediation recipient and mediation action, and establishing a mediation response priority based upon the comparison; and transmit the layered alert notification to the transceiver unit to initiate a mediation response related to the mediation action.

A system for remote interaction with a pointing means of an aircraft cockpit display system, equipped with HMIs, includes three layers: a lower layer configured so as to receive wired electric power supply and data exchange connections; an upper layer comprising a hand-rest knob, at least one physical interaction means configured so as to interact on the pointing means for pointing at the HMIs of the cockpit, and a module with a touch-sensitive flat surface configured so as to interact on the pointing device for pointing at the HMIs of the cockpit and arranged in the extension of the hand-rest knob; and an intermediate layer configured so as to make it possible to modify the position of the upper layer.

A system for detecting and verifying an environmental anomaly within a shipping container (transported on a transit vehicle having an external transceiver) has wireless sensor-based ID nodes at different locations within the container and multiple command nodes mounted to the container. A first command node is programmatically configured to be operative to detect the sensor data broadcasted from the ID nodes; responsively identify the anomaly based upon the sensor data detected by that command node; and transmit a validation request to another command node. The other command node is configured to be operative to also detect the sensor data broadcasted from the ID nodes; receive the validation request from the first command node; verify the anomaly in response to the validation request and based upon the sensor data detected by the second command node; and broadcast a verification message based upon whether the anomaly for the shipping container is verified.

A system and method in a building or vehicle for an actuator operation in response to a sensor according to a control logic, the system comprising a router or a gateway communicating with a device associated with the sensor and a device associated with the actuator over in-building or in-vehicle networks, and an external Internet-connected control server associated with the control logic implementing a PID closed linear control loop and communicating with the router over external network for controlling the in-building or in-vehicle phenomenon. The sensor may be a microphone or a camera, and the system may include voice or image processing as part of the control logic. A redundancy is used by using multiple sensors or actuators, or by using multiple data paths over the building or vehicle internal or external communication. The networks may be wired or wireless, and may be BAN, PAN, LAN, WAN, or home networks.