Hyperloop environmental control system

Abstract

An environmental control system for conditioning a cabin of a vehicle positioned in an enclosed air-evacuated environment includes a first inlet for a first medium, a second inlet for a second medium, and a thermodynamic device including a compressor and at least one turbine. The at least one turbine is fluidly coupled to and arranged downstream from the first and second inlet. A flow of the first medium and a first flow of the second medium are mixed to form a third medium at a first mixing point arranged downstream from the thermodynamic device relative to the flow of the first medium. A dehumidification system is fluidly coupled to the thermodynamic device and is arranged upstream from the at least one turbine. A regeneration heat exchanger is fluidly coupled to and is downstream from the compressor. Heat is removed from the first medium at the regeneration heat exchanger.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An environmental control system for conditioning a cabin of a vehicle positioned in an enclosed air-evacuated environment, the environmental control system comprising:
 a first inlet for receiving a first medium;   a second inlet for receiving a second medium;   a thermodynamic device including a compressor and at least one turbine operably coupled by a shaft, the at least one turbine being fluidly coupled to and arranged downstream from the first inlet and the second inlet;   a first mixing point at which a flow of the first medium and a first flow of the second medium are mixed to form a third medium, the first mixing point being arranged downstream from the thermodynamic device relative to the flow of the first medium;   a dehumidification system fluidly coupled to the compressor and to the at least one turbine, the dehumidification system being arranged upstream from the at least one turbine; and   a regeneration heat exchanger fluidly coupled to and located downstream from an outlet of the compressor, wherein heat is removed from the first medium at the regeneration heat exchanger.   
     
     
         2 . The environmental control system of  claim 1 , wherein the compressor and the at least one turbine are arranged in series relative to the flow of the first medium. 
     
     
         3 . The environmental control system of  claim 1 , wherein the dehumidification system is arranged upstream from an inlet of the at least one turbine. 
     
     
         4 . The environmental control system of  claim 3 , wherein the dehumidification system further comprises a reheater, a condenser, and a water extractor arranged in series. 
     
     
         5 . The environmental control system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a bypass conduit fluidly connected to the first inlet, the bypass conduit being arranged in parallel with an inlet of the compressor; and   a valve associated with the bypass conduit, the valve being operable to control the flow of the first medium within the bypass conduit.   
     
     
         6 . The environmental control system of  claim 5 , further comprising a second mixing point fluidly coupled to the first mixing point and to the bypass conduit, wherein a conditioned medium is output from the second mixing point. 
     
     
         7 . The environmental control system of  claim 6 , wherein a portion of the dehumidification system is positioned between and fluidly coupled the first mixing point and the second mixing point relative to a flow of the third medium. 
     
     
         8 . The environmental control system of  claim 6 , wherein a portion of the conditioned medium is provided to the regeneration heat exchanger of a cooling system. 
     
     
         9 . The environmental control system of  claim 8 , wherein the portion of the conditioned medium and a second flow of the second medium is mixed to form a mixed medium, the mixed medium being used to cool the first medium at the regeneration heat exchanger. 
     
     
         10 . The environmental control system of  claim 9 , wherein the mixed medium is provided to the at least one turbine of the thermodynamic device, the at least one turbine being fluidly coupled to and arranged upstream from the regeneration heat exchanger. 
     
     
         11 . The environmental control system of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one turbine further comprises a first turbine and a second turbine, the second turbine being arranged downstream from and in fluid communication with the compressor relative to the flow of the first medium, the second turbine being configured to receive the mixed medium. 
     
     
         12 . The environmental control system of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one vessel of a pressurized first medium located on board the vehicle. 
     
     
         13 . The environmental control system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle is a train. 
     
     
         14 . A method of operating an environmental control system to condition a cabin of a vehicle positioned in an enclosed, air-evacuated tube, the method comprising:
 compressing a first medium within a compressor of a thermodynamic device to form a compressed first medium;   extracting energy from the compressed first medium at at least one turbine of the thermodynamic device to form an expanded first medium, the extracted energy being used to drive the compressor;   forming a conditioned flow including the expanded first medium and a first flow of a second medium;   extracting energy from a mixed medium at the at least one turbine of the thermodynamic device to form an expanded mixed medium; and   cooling the compressed first medium using the expanded mixed medium.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising drying the expanded first medium prior to extracting energy from the expanded first medium at the at least one turbine. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein forming the conditioned flow further comprises:
 mixing the first flow of the second medium with the expanded first medium to form a third medium; and   mixing the third medium with a flow of the first medium provided from a bypass conduit to form the conditioned medium, the flow of the first medium provided from the bypass conduit having bypassed the thermodynamic device.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 providing a first portion of a flow of the conditioned medium to the cabin; and   providing a second portion of the flow of the conditioned medium to a cooling system.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein providing the second portion of the flow of the conditioned medium to the cooling system further comprises removing heat from the cooling system. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising mixing a portion of the conditioned medium with a second flow of the second medium to form the mixed medium. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising providing the expanded mixed medium to a regeneration heat exchanger, wherein cooling the compressed first medium using the expanded mixed medium occurs at the regeneration heat exchanger.