Aircraft energy harvesting system

An energy harvesting system, comprising:

• an aircraft cabin enclosing a high-pressure environment comprising an interior aircraft cabin air at a first air pressure, the aircraft cabin defining a low-pressure environment exterior of the aircraft cabin comprising an exterior aircraft cabin air at a second air pressure lower than the first air pressure, wherein the aircraft cabin includes an air input, fluidly communicating between the low pressure environment and the aircraft cabin, and an air output, fluidly communicating between the aircraft cabin and the low pressure environment;
• a turbine in fluid communication with the air output, the turbine comprising an expansion chamber configured to receive the interior aircraft cabin air and expand the received air from the first air pressure to the second air pressure, wherein the turbine is configured to produce rotational motion of a turbine shaft in response to the received interior aircraft cabin air expanding;
• and
• an energy harvesting mechanism comprising:
• an entrance chamber in fluid communication with the air input and configured to receive the exterior aircraft cabin air;
• and
• a compressor coupled to the turbine shaft and configured to compress the exterior aircraft cabin air and direct the compressed air into the aircraft cabin at the first air pressure, wherein the compressor defines a compression chamber configured to warm the compressed air, and wherein the compression chamber is thermally coupled to the entrance chamber such that heat from the compression chamber is transferred to the entrance chamber.

An energy harvesting system, comprising:

• an aircraft cabin enclosing a high-pressure environment comprising an interior aircraft cabin air at a first air pressure, the aircraft cabin defining a low-pressure environment exterior of the aircraft cabin comprising an exterior aircraft cabin air at a second air pressure lower than the first air pressure, wherein the aircraft cabin includes an air input, fluidly communicating between the low pressure environment and the aircraft cabin, and an air output, fluidly communicating between the aircraft cabin and the low pressure environment;
• an energy harvesting mechanism comprising:
• a compressor in fluid communication with the air input and configured to compress the exterior aircraft cabin air and direct the compressed air into the aircraft cabin at the first air pressure, wherein the compressor defines a compression chamber configured to warm the compressed air and an entrance chamber for receiving the exterior aircraft cabin air;
• and
• a thermal mechanism operably coupled to the compressor and configured to receive heat energy from the compression chamber and transfer the heat energy from the compression chamber to the entrance chamber, wherein the thermal mechanism is thermally coupled to at least one of the air input or the air output.