<p>The objective of the dissertation was to study the cabin environment, and identify personal and environmental risk factors, associated with symptoms, and perception of cabin air quality. Another objective was to study if ban of smoking, and increased relative air humidity on intercontinental flights, could have a beneficial health effect. The studies were performed among Scandinavian cabin crew in one Airline Company. Office workers from the same company served as controls. Exposure differed between cruise and non-cruise conditions. Air humidity was very low during intercontinental flights (3-8%). Concentration of moulds, bacteria, formaldehyde, and ozone was low. Tobacco smoking increased respirable particles in the cabin air, from 3 to 49 mg/m3, and increased cotinine in urine. The ETS-exposure was highest in the aft part of the cabin. Symptoms and environmental complaints were more common among flight crew than office workers. We could identify personal factors of importance, and certain conditions that could be improved, to achieve a better cabin environment. There was an association between symptoms and environmental perceptions and work stress, lack of influence on working condition, and a history of atopy. After ban on smoking in aircraft, there was a decrease of ocular and general symptoms, and increased tear-film stability in aircrew. Air humidification reduced headache and ocular, nasal, and dermal dryness symptoms, increased tear-film stability, and increased nasal patency. Our result indicates that ETS and low air humidity are important environmental factors in aircraft, and that atopy, and work stress could be significant risk factors for symptoms and environmental perceptions.</p>

The objective of the dissertation was to study the cabin environment, and identify personal and environmental risk factors, associated with symptoms, and perception of cabin air quality. Another objective was to study if ban of smoking, and increased relative air humidity on intercontinental flights, could have a beneficial health effect. The studies were performed among Scandinavian cabin crew in one Airline Company. Office workers from the same company served as controls. Exposure differed between cruise and non-cruise conditions. Air humidity was very low during intercontinental flights (3-8%). Concentration of moulds, bacteria, formaldehyde, and ozone was low. Tobacco smoking increased respirable particles in the cabin air, from 3 to 49 mg/m3, and increased cotinine in urine. The ETS-exposure was highest in the aft part of the cabin. Symptoms and environmental complaints were more common among flight crew than office workers. We could identify personal factors of importance, and certain conditions that could be improved, to achieve a better cabin environment. There was an association between symptoms and environmental perceptions and work stress, lack of influence on working condition, and a history of atopy. After ban on smoking in aircraft, there was a decrease of ocular and general symptoms, and increased tear-film stability in aircrew. Air humidification reduced headache and ocular, nasal, and dermal dryness symptoms, increased tear-film stability, and increased nasal patency. Our result indicates that ETS and low air humidity are important environmental factors in aircraft, and that atopy, and work stress could be significant risk factors for symptoms and environmental perceptions.

Univ., Diss.--Mannheim, 2002. / Literaturverz. S. 295 - 304.

À bord des aéronefs de transport commercial, lorsqu’un passager est victime d’un arrêt cardio-respiratoire, les membres d’équipage de cabine, appelés « PNC » (Personnel Navigant Commercial) dans la terminologie aéronautique, interviennent comme tout secouriste en initiant la chaîne de survie afin d’améliorer le pronostic vital de ce dernier. Dotés d’une formation très sérieuse et périodiquement mise à niveau, les PNC sont capables de prendre en charge des situations d’urgence médicales et de donner les premiers secours liés aux urgences potentielles, aux états de malaise, ainsi que ceux liés aux circonstances et à un environnement particulier. La réanimation cardio-pulmonaire, tâche exceptionnelle et rare en vol, génère le plus fréquemment des émotions négatives ainsi que du stress auprès des PNC. Cette recherche aborde le stress des membres d’équipage de cabine dans la prise en charge d’une réanimation cardio-pulmonaire en vol selon une approche psychologique et plus singulièrement celle en relation avec la théorie transactionnelle de Lazarus et Folkman (1984) dont l’évaluation cognitive et les « copings » des individus occupent une place centrale. Élaborée à partir d’un recueil de données construit par entretiens semi-directifs auprès d’un groupe de 32 PNC volontaires exerçant leur profession sur des aéronefs de petite capacité de transport passagers, elle se propose d’identifier les facteurs influençant le stress des PNC selon une perspective synchronique. Aussi, afin de cerner le plus d’explication possible de la variance du stress, nous avons pris en compte deux variables personnelles, l’expérience professionnelle et le lieu de contrôle des sujets. Les résultats indiquent que plusieurs facteurs peuvent prédire ou influencer l’état de stress des PNC. Ils montrent une relation significative entre le lieu de contrôle des sujets, l’évaluation cognitive de la situation aversive, le lieu de prise en charge de la victime en arrêt cardiaque et l’état de stress des PNC. Ainsi, les sujets « internalistes » évaluant la situation aversive comme un défi et développant des stratégies d’ajustement centrées sur les problèmes sont les moins stressés. Par ailleurs, le milieu aéronautique augmente l’état de stress des PNC en raison de la forte responsabilité morale envers la victime-passager, du confinement de la cabine, du délai de la mise en œuvre du quatrième maillon de la chaîne de survie ainsi que de la ressource sociale limitée en vol. Enfin, l’amélioration de la formation en premiers secours peut aider les PNC à mieux appréhender cette situation d’urgence en vol. / On board commercial transport aircraft when a passenger suffers from a cardiac arrest, the cabin crew members, called "PNC" (Personnel Navigant Commercial) in aviation terminology, act as any rescuer by initiating survival chain to improve the prognosis of the victim. With a very serious training and periodically upgrade, cabin crew members are able to handle medical emergencies and first-aid related to potential emergencies, discomfort states as well as those related to a circumstance and a particular environment. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, exceptional and rare task in flight, generates the most frequent negative emotions and stress from cabin crew members. This research deals with the stress of cabin crew members in the management of a cardiopulmonary resuscitation in flight using a psychological approach and particularly the related transactional theory of Lazarus and Folkman (1984) in which appraisal and coping are central. Developed from a data collection built by semi-structured interviews with a group of 32 cabin crew members volunteers flying on small passenger carrying capacity aircraft, it aims to identify the factors influencing their stress in a synchronic perspective. Also, in order to identify the most possible explanation for the variance of stress, we took into account both personal variables such as professional experience and locus of control of the subjects.The results indicate that several factors can predict or influence the cabin crew members’stress. They show a significant relationship between the subject’s locus of control, appraisal of aversive situation, place of management of the victim in cardiac arrest and the stress of the cabin crew members. Thus, « internalist » subjects who assess the situation as a challenge and develop strategies focused on the problems are less stressed. Furthermore, the aviation industry increases the stress state of the cabin crew because of the strong moral responsibility to the victim-passenger, confinement of the cabin, the period of the implementation of the fourth link in the chain of survival (medicalized CPR) and the limited social resource in flight. At last, the improvement of first-aid training can help cabin crew members to manage better this specific situation on board.

The diploma thesis deals with CFD simulating the air flow inside the car using the numerical calculation program Star-CCM+. The aim of the thesis was to prepare 3D geometry, resp. realistic model of the real car, preparing boundary conditions including material properties, simulating the steady state of the environment and evaluating the speed and temperature of the car cabin. The paper presents the results of the temperature distribution and air velocities in the cabin during the winter, spring and summer conditions in HVAC on and HVAC off modes. The monitored air temperatures and surface temperatures of the car parts are compared with the measured data. The average difference between simulation and measurement was at air temperatures of 2.3 °C and surface temperatures of 3.4 °C.

This master’s thesis deals with the computational simulation of low-frequency noise inside the cabin of small commercial airplane VUT 100 Cobra. For this low-frequncy range deterministic methods: Final Element Method (FEM) and Boundary Element Method (BEM) are used for simulation of the dynamic behaviour of the object. FEM has been used to compute eigenmodes and eigenfrequences of the structure of the aeroplane cabin and of the acoustic space inside cabin. Then response to harmonic excitation of engine represented by unit forces in place of contact has been computed. Obtained velocities on the surface of the cabin are then used as the basis for the noise calculation inside the cabin using BEM. After that effect of some construction modifications on sound level inside cabin are evaluated by computational modelling.

In this thesis, there is processed design of test procedure for innovative HVAC system. This design was created in consecutive phases with use of thermal manikin Newton and climate chamber. Correlation between data from thermal manikin and tests subjects and possible design changes were evaluated after each phase. There are mentioned basics of human thermoregulation, factors which affect thermal comfort and ways in which is possible to measure and rate it with use of thermal comfort scales and comfort zones diagram. The thesis includes survey for testing thermal comfort and scales which are used to complete it. In the end, we mentioned some results alongside with our approach in evaluation of correlation between thermal manikin and test. There is also final design of test procedure for innovative HVAC system which would be used for its calibration and final functionality testing.

Master thesis aims to assessment of abrasion on banks of valley reservoir Brno. There was photodocumentation done and current conditions of abraded banks assessed during field survey. There was variables required to detect bottom of brasion cliff and maximal teoretical shift of bank line in the solved location calculated. There was suggested totaly nine types of precaution against other shift of bank line in cross-sections of abraded banks.

Truck drivers spend all day moving goods. They are exposed to vibrations every time they drive. Modern cabin suspension and an air-suspended seat already offer a high level of comfort. This, however, is designed for vertical dynamics and you can observe the cab of a truck performs large pitching vibrations during acceleration. These are examined here. A pitch model of the cabin is set up for this purpose. On the basis of this model it is examined which reduction of the vibration can be achieved by the use of a hydraulically translated vibration absorber. The advantage of this absorber is the use of the hydraulic transmission to reduce the heavy mass at high absorber inertia. 4 kg of fluid mass act as 131 kg absorber mass reducing vibrations by more than 10%. The conventional vibration absorber is inacceptable due to the additional load. The investigation based on VDI 2057 Part 1 shows that driving comfort can be increased.

The thesis deals with design and optimization of environment in cabins of small transport aircrafts, especially in terms of thermal comfort and quality of ventilation. The design of air distribution systems and structural design were optimized and most important parts of cabin design with highest impact on the quality of thermal comfort and ventilation were identified based on literature research and experience of the author. The chosen modifications and their influence on the microclimate inside the cabin were investigated using the CFD model, which was validated by results obtained from measurements of flow and temperature fields in the cabin mock-up of small transport aircraft EV-55. Next optimizations were investigated: The type of air distribution system, The geometry of ducts of air distribution system, Thickness of thermal insulation and Emissivity of internal surfaces. Thermal comfort was assessed based on the methodology of the equivalent temperature and comfort zones diagram developed by H. O. Nilsson and for assessing the quality of ventilation the concept of based on index of the age of the air was used. Fifty cases were simulated in total and base of its results Modified mixing ventilation with original air ducts geometry have been evaluated as an optimum. The ducts geometry of Modified mixing ventilation system was suggested by author specially for the thesis. In combination with high thermal insulation of walls and high emissivity of the interior, then this system of ventilation ensures maximum thermal comfort and quality of ventilation for the investigated range of environmental and operational conditions.