New aircraft cooling system
The EU's Clean Sky programme promotes increasing use of electronic components in aircraft for weight-saving reasons. Yet, as conventional cooling systems are unable to cope with the new higher temperatures, modern aircraft need improved cooling methods. With EU funding, the HTCS (Passive cooling solution validation for aircraft application) project tested several passive cooling methods. Two-phase fluid capillary systems promised the greatest potential efficiency, due to their high capacities for heat transport and passive pumping. The consortium's extensive testing was intended to qualify such systems for aviation use. After comparing several kinds of cooling fluid, researchers decided on a water/nickel combination. The team also analysed the system's potential points of failure, and designed mitigations for such contingencies. The resulting system depends on two-phase heat spreading. The principle involves heat being evacuated via vaporisation, followed by condensation of the fluid. Being a passive system, no electrical input is required. HTCS' system enables effective cooling of high-temperature aircraft components, using an efficient and lightweight design. Hence, aircraft performance will be more reliable and fuel efficient.
Keywords
Aircraft, cooling system, electronic components, HTCS, two-phase fluid