Superior Thermal Management of Missile Electronics via Tailorable Phase Change Materials

The Navy (USN) has a need for a low-cost, compact solution to absorb thermal energy produced by the electronics in a Department of Defense (DoD) Anti-Radiation Homing Missile (AARGM-ER) during its mission. The current solution is essentially an aluminum can filled with wax that undergoes a phase change from solid to liquid and then back to a solid over a period of five minutes. Texas Research Institute Austin, Inc. (TRI Austin) will develop, demonstrate, and validate an approach to effectively control the heat generated from missile electronics using printable Phase Change Material (PCM) filled inks in a Direct-Ink Write (DIW) approach. The composite PCM-filled inks, which have been previously fabricated and tested in-lab, are ready to be integrated into missile systems to effectively regulate the temperature of sensitive electronics. In the Phase I Effort, COMSOL Multiphysics will be used to determine the optimal geometries based on the targets provided by NAVAIR and PCM-filled inks will be printed into various shapes via DIW. The PCM composites will offer superior performance for current and future missile systems and can be scaled for Full Rate Production by cast or injection molding.