OBJECTIVE Decompression illness (DCI) is a potentially lethal complication of diving and may occur far from hyperbaric facilities. The need for prompt transport to a hyperbaric facility often involves air medical transport, but this may exacerbate DCI. The authors reviewed available literature to establish evidence-based transport strategies utilizing safe altitudes for patients, with DCI. ME...

It is not surprising that air quality in vehicle cabins is usually found to be worse than that typically found in homes or workplaces, especially when so many exhaust pipes are only inches away from adjacent vehicles. Pollutants find their way into the cabin via the ventilation system, also known as the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system. Independent studies [1–3] have show...

In this study, an integrated energy management strategy(IEMS) was proposed for a PHEV(Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle). The IEMS controls the engine on-off considering not only powertrain system(battery SOC, vehicle speed, accelerator pedal, brake pedal) but also thermal system condition such as cabin temperature. Analysis of the integrated powertrain and thermal system was conducted to enhance...

A space toilet is a toilet that can be used in a low gravity environment. In the absence of gravity the collection and retention of liquid and solid waste is directed by use of air flow instead of water. Generally, the human waste is separated and solid wastes are compressed and stored on-board, and then removed after landing. Waste water is vented to space. The air is filtered to remove odor a...

The results of an experimental investigation on the human thermal comfort inside the cabin of some Airbus A319 aircrafts during 14 short-haul domestic flights, linking various Italian cities, are presented and used to define a correlation among the predicted mean vote (PMV), a procedure which is commonly used to assess the thermal comfort in inhabited environments, and the equivalent temperatur...

A IR or atmospheric pollution problems have increased many fold during the past few decades. Air pollution and its control have grown t o become factors of tremendous importance to the economy and health of many industrialized and urbanized communities. Air pollution has been defined as the excessive concentration of foreign matter in the air which adversely affects the well being of the indivi...

INTRODUCTION Running gasoline engines in a confined space causes heat stress and carbon monoxide (CO) buildup. Loading the C-130 aircraft by driving the vehicles onto the platform may expose the C-130 cabin crew to these environmental hazards. This study was aimed at investigating heat stress and CO exposure in the C-130 cabin during vehicle airlift. METHODS There were four summer flights (tw...

This study examines inter-brand, intra-brand and intra-model variations in volatile organic chemical (VOC) levels inside new cars. The effect of temperature on interior VOC levels was examined using model automobiles with and without the air-conditioning running. Potential sources of VOC were assessed by comparing VOC levels with two interior trims (leather and fabric) and by analyzing VOC emis...