Structurally Embedded Heat Exchanger

As electronic applications multiply and new designs require higher power outputs, more efficient thermal management schemes for cooling are needed. Requirements for increased heat rejection from all types of systems are wide-spread. With the advent of innovative additive fabrication/manufacturing methods, with which complex structures are constructed layer-by-layer, it is now possible to fabricate heat exchangers in which internal flow channels and external envelopes are no longer constrained to shapes predetermined by traditional manufacturing limitations. This recent maturation of additive manufacturing and the potential improvements associated with conformal and structurally embedded heat exchangers provide opportunities for the advancement of the thermal management state of the art. These capabilities can be leveraged across the vehicle subsystems (fuel, PTMS, and engine) to more effectively harness the available heat sinks on the aircraft. One such opportunity has been identified on the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). The effort defined in this proposal seeks to optimize a new Structurally Embedded Heat Exchanger within an underutilized volume.