Heat transfer devices and methods for enclosing a heat source and facilitating convective heat transfer from the heat source. A heat transfer device includes an outer wall having an outer surface exposed to an environment of the heat transfer device and defining an outer shape of the heat transfer device, and an inner wall defining a flow passage through the heat transfer device. The outer wall and the inner wall collectively define an internal volume that is configured to house the heat source. The flow passage comprises an inlet configured to receive a fluid from the environment, and an outlet configured to exhaust the fluid from the flow passage that comprises a core region extending between the inlet and the outlet and configured to deliver the fluid from the inlet to the outlet and allow heat to exchange between the fluid within the core region and the internal volume.

In a configurable vehicle a variety of mechanisms connect an external heat sink to an interior volume of the vehicle without creating a fluid conduit between the exterior and interior volume of the vehicle. Reliability of the vehicle is improved since exterior elements cannot penetrate to the interior of the vehicle.

In a configurable vehicle a variety of mechanisms connect an external heat sink to an interior volume of the vehicle without creating a fluid conduit between the exterior and interior volume of the vehicle. Reliability of the vehicle is improved since exterior elements cannot penetrate to the interior of the vehicle.

In accordance with exemplary inventive practice, a catalytic system and a temperature swing adsorption system are thermally integrated. The temperature range of the adsorption system is lower than the catalyst operating temperature. Benefits of inventive practice include reduction of total energy consumption and of generated waste-heat. Total energy consumption is reduced by transferring some of the waste-heat generated by the catalytic system into the adsorption system during the sorbent heat-up portion of the sorbent regeneration cycle. The heat is transferred using a thermal reservoir, which accumulates heat from the catalytic apparatus and transfers it to the adsorption apparatus at a later time, and which is repeatedly cycled as the sorbent is cycled. The catalytic system and the adsorption system can be inventively integrated in various ways to reduce the total energy consumed, and/or to modify the sorbent regeneration temperature profile, and/or to obtain an optimum power load profile.

System for emergency ventilation of an underwater environment (dry); the system includes a supply device to supply air; a capsule to be immersed in water to a depth of at least 60 meters; a duct to fluidically connect the power device to the capsule; a duct in order to fluidically connect the capsule to the underwater environment; a duct to fluidically connect the underwater environment to the capsule; a compressor to discharge the gas, arriving in the capsule from the underwater environment, in water at a depth of at least 60 meters.

System for emergency ventilation of an underwater environment (dry); the system includes a supply device to supply air; a capsule to be immersed in water to a depth of at least 60 meters; a duct to fluidically connect the power device to the capsule; a duct in order to fluidically connect the capsule to the underwater environment; a duct to fluidically connect the underwater environment to the capsule; a compressor to discharge the gas, arriving in the capsule from the underwater environment, in water at a depth of at least 60 meters.

A watercraft and method for operating the watercraft, wherein the watercraft includes an electrical system that is present in a space that has an atmosphere that differs from air, where the space is formable by a pressure hull, where the atmosphere contains, for example, an inert gas, and where the space having the electrical system is filled with the atmosphere.

A breathing apparatus for a submersible craft is provided that includes a generally vertical tubular structure and a float configured to move vertically within the tubular structure between a first vertical position in which a third opening into the craft is unobstructed by the float and a second vertical position in which the third opening is fully obstructed by the float, and where the vertical position of the float is modulated based on the water level relative to the craft.

A guide plate having depressed portions is provided between an array of heat exchanger tubes, herein after tubes, arranged horizontally side-by-side and a next lower array of tubes arranged horizontally side-by-side, and is positioned with the lowest parts of the depressed portions near crest portions of respective lower tubes. The guide plate conveys a liquid D on outer surfaces of respective upper tubes onto similarly positioned lower tubes even when the tubes move in a right-and-left direction. A falling film heat exchanger installed in a ship, an offshore structure or the like can avoid reduction in heat exchange performance, even when the ship or the like inclines and swings, by substantially evenly distributing and dropping a liquid onto the crests of the tubes and causing the liquid dropped from the tubes located in an upper array to fall onto the tubes located in the next lower array.

In accordance with exemplary inventive practice, a catalytic system and a temperature swing adsorption system are thermally integrated. The temperature range of the adsorption system is lower than the catalyst operating temperature. Benefits of inventive practice include reduction of total energy consumption and of generated waste-heat. Total energy consumption is reduced by transferring some of the waste-heat generated by the catalytic system into the adsorption system during the sorbent heat-up portion of the sorbent regeneration cycle. The heat is transferred using a thermal reservoir, which accumulates heat from the catalytic apparatus and transfers it to the adsorption apparatus at a later time, and which is repeatedly cycled as the sorbent is cycled. The catalytic system and the adsorption system can be inventively integrated in various ways to reduce the total energy consumed, and/or to modify the sorbent regeneration temperature profile, and/or to obtain an optimum power load profile.