Thermal Management of Advanced Aircraft Secondary Power Systems

This paper presents a thermal management system study for a hydrocarbon-fueled Mach 6 aircraft equipped with the following three types of secondary power systems: (i) conventional system with hydraulic actuators and turbine-driven fuel pumps; (ii) more-electric system with electromechanical actuators and turbine-driven fuel pumps; and (iii) all-electric system with electromechanical actuators and electrically driven fuel pumps.

The thermal management system was designed to provide environmental control for the crew cabin, avionics, flight controls, and electrical generators. Engine fuel was used as the ultimate heat sink for all cases.

Details of thermal protection concepts for the three cases are discussed and compared in this paper. A brief overview of integrated thermal management for the total aircraft is also presented.