As aviation enters the future, new technologies and philosophies are required to keep up with ever changing demands and increased market competition. Aircraft designers are required to come up with new and innovative ways to optimise systems and improve efficiencies. Onboard thermal management is an area that can take advantage of several new technologies to do just that.
This paper is based on the development project “Advanced Thermal Management in Aeronautics” (ATMIA). Project ATMIA focuses on the use of Loop Heat Pipes (LHPs) in the aeronautical industry, specifically their onboard feasibility and the unique requirements found on an aeronautical platform such as those due to vibrations, gravitational forces and the need for disassembly due to maintenance.
LHPs are passive two-phase devices that allow free-energy heat transportation between certain subsystems without needing additional power consumption. Their use in aeronautics is interesting as they can passively transport seemingly “waste” heat to areas where it can be reused.
The use of LHPs onboard aircraft platforms can potentially reduce the amount of electrical power that must be extracted from the engines. This improved efficiency and when taken together with LHPs flexible design and low weight compared to traditional systems such as bleeding, directly affects fuel consumption. This can lead to a reduction in the amount of fuel used, an increased range, improved payload capacity and a reduction of CO2.