A propulsion system includes an electric fan propulsion motor with a plurality of propulsion motor windings. The propulsion system also includes a means for controlling a flow rate of a working fluid through a cryogenic working fluid flow control assembly to the propulsion motor windings. The propulsion system further includes a controller operable to control supplying a pre-cooling flow of the working fluid from a cryogenic liquid reservoir through the cryogenic working fluid flow control assembly to the propulsion motor windings.

A heat transport system includes: a two-phase closed loop heat pipe; a pump disposed in a liquid conduit or a vapor conduit of the loop heat pipe to exert a circulation drive force on a working fluid; a tilt sensor that detects a tilt of the loop heat pipe; and a controller configured to run the pump if the tilt is greater than a predetermined tilt threshold and stop the pump if the tilt is equal to or smaller than the tilt threshold.

A system for an aircraft includes an engine bleed source of a gas turbine engine. The system also includes a means for chilling an engine bleed air flow from the engine bleed source to produce a chilled working fluid. The system further includes a means for providing the chilled working fluid for an aircraft use.

An aircraft contaminant removal system includes one or more membrane separators configured to absorb a contaminant from a cabin air stream into a liquid sorbent, desorb the contaminant from the liquid sorbent, discharge the contaminant in a contaminant stream, and return clean air back to the cabin. In some examples, the contaminant removal system includes a membrane scrubber-separator and a membrane stripper-separator, while in other examples, the contaminant removal system may include a single membrane separator configured to operate in a scrubbing mode and a stripping mode. The contaminant removal system may include a humidity management system configured to maintain a humidity of the clean air stream or water concentration of the liquid sorbent using one or more water sources of the aircraft or a thermal management system configured to maintain a temperature of the liquid sorbent using one or more heat exchangers fluidically coupled to an aircraft air stream.

An outer panel-mediated cooling system includes: an outer shell including an outer panel, an inner panel located inward of the outer panel, and a heat-insulating layer located between the outer and inner panels; a cooling chamber that is located between the outer and inner panels and in which a gas releases heat outside through the outer panel and is thus cooled; a circulation loop in which a heat medium circulates, the circulation loop including a heating section located inward of the inner panel to heat the heat medium and a cooling section located in the cooling chamber to cool the heat medium; a flow path-forming structure located in the cooling chamber to form a circulation path for the gas; and a fan located in the cooling chamber to exert a drive force on the gas to allow the gas to circulate in the circulation path.

A vapor cycle compressor includes a motor section and a compression section operatively engaged with the motor section. A refrigerant path is in the motor section and in the compression section. The refrigerant path includes: a compression refrigerant path, for a single phase compression refrigerant, in the compression section; an inner rotor shaft refrigerant path, for a single phase inner rotor shaft refrigerant, in the compression section and in the motor section; and a stator refrigerant path, for a two phase stator refrigerant, in the motor section.

A water extractor for an environmental control system includes a primary duct having an inlet and an outlet, a scupper with a scupper inlet extending about the inlet of the primary duct, and a supply duct. The supply duct is in fluid communication with the primary duct and has a wall with an interior surface terminating at the scupper inlet. The interior surface defines one or more one swirl groove within the wall for gathering and conveying liquid water entrained in an airflow traversing the inlet duct to the scupper inlet. Environmental control systems, methods of making water extractors, and methods of removing water from air flows are also described.

An environmental control system includes an airflow source, and an air cycle machine in flow communication with the airflow source, and through which an airflow from the airflow source is directed. The air cycle machine includes a compressor and a turbine. A liquid load heat exchanger is located in flow communication with the turbine such that airflow downstream of the turbine exchanges thermal energy with a liquid flow at the liquid load heat exchanger to cool the liquid flow. A liquid load reheater is located upstream of the turbine and upstream of the liquid load heat exchanger. The liquid load reheater is configured such that a thermal energy exchange between the airflow prior to the airflow entering the turbine and the liquid flow prior to the liquid flow entering the liquid load heat exchanger occurs at the liquid load reheater.

An environmental control system (ECS) of an aircraft includes an inlet for a first medium, an outlet for the first medium, an air cycle machine including a compressor, a turbine, and a shaft operably coupling the compressor and the turbine, and a plurality of heat exchangers arranged in fluid communication with the air cycle machine. A first heat exchanger of the plurality of heat exchangers is arranged directly downstream from the turbine and heat is transferred to the first medium within the first heat exchanger. A water extractor is arranged directly downstream from the first heat exchanger and a flow path connects the air cycle machine, the plurality of heat exchangers, and the water extractor with the inlet and the outlet.

A method, apparatus, system, and computer program product for managing a vapor cycle machine. Data is received for the vapor cycle machine in an aircraft. The data comprises a pressure, a temperature, and a speed for a set of compressors in the vapor cycle machine. A ratio of the pressure to the temperature is determined for the set of compressors that ran during a flight of the aircraft. A set of actions is performed when the ratio of the pressure to the temperature for the set of compressors that ran during the flight of the aircraft exceeds a threshold more than a selected number of times over a range of flights for the aircraft.