Comprehensive Thermal Management Design

To achieve the required levels of efficiency, performance, reliability, and survivability in the Army's next generation of weapon systems and tactical vehicles, designers need to comprehensively model the integrated performance of vehicle components earlyin the design process. ThermoAnalytics proposes to create an integrated vehicle design tool geared towards efficient thermal management, versatile propulsion capability, and cost-effective signature control. This tool, based on the proven MuSES andRadTherm analysis codes, will consist of detailed, system-ready component models of heat exchangers, cooling loops, heat pipes, fluid pumps, and temperature-dependent drivetrain component models. Since airflow is an important factor in thermal management,ThermoAnalytics will integrate a fast CFD solver with its state-of-the-art thermal solver. This combination of CFD and thermal is essential to optimize the cooling system under the wide variety of operating and environmental conditions that military assetsare subjected to. To validate the design tool - both at the component and at the system levels - ThermoAnalytics will work with Engineered Machined Products and Clemson University. The virtual prototyping thermal management design tool will be tied closelywith CAD and Product Data Management systems to facilitate the integration of the tool with other analysis and design codes. The proposed engineering tool can be applied to the design of both new vehicles and retrofits of existing vehicles. This innovativetool, tailored to meet the design needs of the Army's next generation of weapon systems and tactical vehicles, can be used for vehicle subsystem design, thermal management, propulsion system development, infrared signature prediction, and to analyze thecost and signature impacts of design decisions. With its ability to model the whole environment and its impact on vehicle performance through its natural environment models and integrated CFD, the tool can assess how a vehicle will perform under differingclimates, weather, and operating conditions. Properly designed thermal management increases the performance, survivability, and reliability of vehicles. Additional military benefits include signature reduction due to efficient cooling system design andexhaust suppression, and mission analysis for advanced drivetrains such as HEV (silent mode, length of mission, power for weapons vs. mobility). Commercial benefits include the ability to optimize vehicle designs to achieve reduced fuel consumption andemissions. The code can also be applied to other disciplines including electronics cooling, building ventilation, cooling systems, and aircraft.