Probabilistic Design of Fuel Thermal Management Systems

ABSTRACT: Modern military aircraft have major thermal challenges as a result of significant increases to on-board heat generation combined with reduced ability to transfer heat to the ambient environment.Adaptive power and thermal management systems are being explored to mitigate the thermal restrictions. These systems rely on fuel as a primary heat sink but analysis of system performance is based on standard fluid property definitions that may contain as much as 15% error from real-world applications. The impacts of this fuel to fuel variability are not well understood at a system level and the sensitivity of system performance must therefore be explored.The primary objective of the Phase I will be the development of an analysis capability for studying the impacts of fuel to fuel variability on system level performance. This analysis capability will then be verified through integrated system studies with results documented. The outcome of these studies will include enhancement to existing integration toolsets and documentation of system level results, both of which will be disseminated to the broader community to improve industry wide analysis capability for current and future programs.; BENEFIT: The ability to analyze system level sensitivity to fuel to fuel variability offers several benefits to the Air Force Research Laboratory, including: (1) reduced cost through model-based design, (2) reduced risk through sensitivity analysis at conceptual design, (3) reduced risk when considering alternative fuel types, (4) optimization capability through understanding performance improvements as a result of fuel property variation, and (5) improved analysis capability for current and next generation platforms.In addition to the direct benefits to the Air Force Research Laboratory, there are potential customers of such capability in the aerospace community on both commercial and military platforms.The ability to understand impacts from fuel to fuel property variability at a system level provides a greater insight into the risk associated with a given design that was heretofore unobtainable. The proposed effort can be used to both identify risk and optimization opportunities on current and next generation aircraft.