A transportation system that includes one or more pods that include an interior space configured to house one or more travelers. The pods can be attached to and transported by multiple different vehicles. The different vehicles can provide for different modes of transportation. The pods are configured to supply one or more utility functions to the interior space. One or more of the utility functions to be supplied from the vehicles to the pods when the pods are attached to the vehicles.

A method of fragrance release within an aircraft having a cabin and an environmental control system for controlling the cabin environment. The method includes: receiving a current aircraft status from the aircraft's environmental control system, wherein the current aircraft status comprises one of: boarding, take-off, breakfast service, lunch service, dinner service, beverage service, sleep mode, cruise, landing, deboarding and emergency; determining an appropriate fragrance for the current aircraft status from a plurality of fragrance sources; and releasing the appropriate fragrance for the current aircraft status into the aircraft's cabin.

A duct includes a rigid air-permeable tube of composite material. The duct also includes a layer of insulation coupled to an exterior surface of the rigid air-permeable tube. The duct further includes a non-rigid insulation layer in contact with the layer of insulation. The non-rigid insulation layer forms an air-impermeable duct wall.

An air management system with a set of compressed air sources for selectively supplying pressurized air to air consumer equipment according to an aircraft operation condition. Low pressure air, high pressure air, or a combination thereof may perform such supplying of compressed air depending on the aircraft operation condition.

A fluid transport device includes a conduit unit having a wall for separating an inside from an outside of the conduit unit. The device also includes an energy supply unit coupled to the conduit unit and configured to provide electrical energy based on a temperature gradient between the inside and the outside of the conduit unit. The device also includes a monitoring unit configured to monitor a state of the conduit unit and to generate data representative for the state of the conduit unit. The energy supply unit supplies the electrical energy to the monitoring unit, thereby enabling the monitoring unit to monitor the state of the conduit unit. A method for manufacturing a fluid transport device is also described.

A heat exchanger includes a header and an annular core fluidly connected to the header. The annular core includes an inner diameter, an outer diameter, first flow channels arranged in a first set of layers, and second flow channels arranged in a second set of layers and interleaved with the first flow channels. Each of the first flow channels includes a first inlet, a first outlet, and a first axial region extending between the first inlet and the first outlet. Each of the second flow channels includes a second inlet, a second outlet, and a second axial region extending between the second inlet and the second outlet.

An aircraft air conditioning pack assembly including an air conditioning pack configured to discharge heat, and an exterior panel positioned in close proximity to the air conditioning pack. The exterior panel includes an opening defined therein, a first side facing towards the air conditioning pack, and a second side defining an exterior surface configured to be in communication with a free stream airflow. At least a portion of the air conditioning pack is disposed within the opening to facilitate transferring heat from the air conditioning pack to the free stream airflow.

A vapor cycle liquid cooling system for an aircraft includes a liquid vapor cycle system, an air handling unit, and a liquid loop in thermal communication with the liquid vapor cycle system and the air handling unit. The liquid vapor cycle system includes a cooling liquid outlet configured to deliver a cooling liquid in the liquid loop and a heating liquid outlet configured to deliver a heating liquid in the liquid loop. The vapor cycle liquid cooling system is configured to deliver the cooling liquid to the air handling unit and is configured to modulate a flow of the heating liquid to the air handling unit.

An aircraft with a fuselage that comprises at least one hollow beam element, wherein the at least one hollow beam element accommodates at least one hollow duct element that comprises a tubular duct element wall, and wherein at least one protective spacer is arranged between the tubular duct element wall and the at least one hollow beam element such that free space is available between the tubular duct element wall and the at least one hollow beam element.

Computer-implemented methods for controlling the operation of aircraft, particularly electric or hybrid electric aircraft, are described. One such method, which may be implemented on a Flight Management System (FMS) of the aircraft, comprises: obtaining flight path data for the aircraft, the flight path defining a three-dimensional path from an origin to a destination; receiving weather data indicative of weather conditions along the flight path; and determining an amount of energy required to fly the aircraft along the flight path. The determination uses an aircraft energy usage model whose inputs include the flight path data and the weather data. Based on the determination and a comparison with an amount of stored energy available to the aircraft, the FMS may validate the flight path for flight or reject the flight path.