DESIGN: Collins Space Chiller™ – finalist in Crustal Cabin Awards

Over the next few weeks, I will feature some of the more interesting innovations proposed – as judged by me – in the shortlisted entries for the annual Crystal Cabin Awards. This creative playfield is where designers, engineers and visionaries plan the future of the aircraft passenger experience. Returning as an in-person event on 14 June 2022, the Awards will see an international expert jury at Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg decide who will win the aviation industry’s trophies this year.

‘Collins’ SpaceChiller™ provides advanced cooling technology to small enclosures throughout the cabin, offering passengers advanced service amenities and airlines greater flexibility.’

Space Chiller™

”’Collins’ SpaceChiller™ is a compact, modular cooling system that enables a more premium passenger experience and gives airlines added flexibility in service, storage, and workspace.

Ideal for premium cabin seats, the SpaceChiller provides cold beverages and snacks at food-safe temperatures within arm’s reach of a passenger. The system’s modularity allows for application in other parts of the cabin, ranging in size from single galley inserts to whole cart bays – enabling airlines the flexibility to provide self-service catering areas without encroaching on flight attendant workspaces or passenger’s personal space.

Utilizing advanced heat sinks originally developed for DARPA, the thermoelectric cooling system quietly adds chilled capacity at higher efficiency, smaller size, and better performance than previously possible, without the use of high global warming potential refrigerants.’Entry Documentation from Collins

2PAXfly Takeout

This is another timely reminder to wear your seatbelt when seated. Holding you close to your seat will protect you from the sort of injuries sustained on this flight, when unsecured passengers flew to the ceiling of the aircraft, and then came crashing down once the ‘drop’ ceased.

The hope will be that this is an anomaly – a ‘freak accident’ in casual parlance. If it is a systemic error either mechanical or electronic, then this is a larger concern for the airlines that fly Boeing Dreamliner 787 aircraft. Let’s hope it isn’t. If it is, it will pile on the woes to Boeing’s existing stack.

If I am correct, Emirates started the trend in business class to have storage for drinks and snacks seat-side. But the weren’t chilled. This innovation offers a chilled option whether it be at your seat, or in other parts of the cabin. Someone is bound to take up this innovation.