Cabin Atmosphere Control

The crew and passengers of modern, high-performance aircraft are physically unable to survive the extreme environment in which these airplanes fly without some sort of conditioning of the air within the cabin and cockpit. Primarily because of the various altitudes at which an aircraft operates, the cabin atmosphere must be controlled to increase the comfort of the occupants or even to sustain their lives. This chapter will discuss the physiology of the human body that determines the atmospheric conditions required for life, how oxygen and cabin altitude are controlled to provide a livable atmosphere for the aircraft occupants, and how the comfort needs of the passengers and crew are met.