MIAMI, FL — You are sitting in a wide-body aircraft on a hot, humid afternoon at Miami International Airport. You are shoulder to shoulder with a couple hundred people and the doors of the plane are open as the ground crew loads up the soft drinks and peanuts for the flight. Even though the plane is on time, you know it may be a while before takeoff. Fortunately, that little nozzle above your head is blasting out cold air.
How do they do that? How can they afford to keep so many people cool in a confined space with the doors open? The answers can be found in PCA (preconditioned air) and TES (thermal energy storage).