Potential application of phase change materials for thermal management system of next generation aircraft

Next generation aircrafts are currently investigated to allow a significant reduction in the quantities of greenhouse gases emitted in the aviation sector. Thermal Management System (TMS) is a crucial aspect in the aeronautical field, where compactness and lightness are necessary due to the limited space and the need not to increase the required propulsive power. Among the possible solutions for temperature-sensitive applications are Phase Change Materials (PCMs), materials that undergo a phase change in the temperature range desired for heat storage, under form of latent heat. Their behavior can potentially be exploited to absorb occasional peak loads or anomalies of the next generation aircraft TMS. Depending on their chemical composition, solid-liquid PCMs can be organic, inorganic and eutectics. With the aim of studying and optimizing the spatial and temporal behavior of specific PCMs, a 1-D analytical model has been developed using a commercial software. The model is applied to determine the temperature profile and the variation of the melting front position during time along the PCM. A dynamic sizing analysis of several PCMs is proposed and their performances evaluated varying the initial solid wall temperature.