Thermal management by heat exchangers is an essential part of various advanced vehicle, providing the necessary thermal environment for the crew and equipment to operate efficiently during the mission. Future army vehicles will require increasingly sophisticated thermal management technologies from tighter temperature control for various sensor and higher heat flux levels from various power devices. This research effort will develop a compact, cost effective, and highly efficient heat exchanger for small and confined space applications from vehicle cooling to cabin HVAC or accessory and electronics cooling. The program will take advantage of the emerging technologies in heat exchanger development including materials, configurations, and construction techniques. In this Phase I, IJ Research will develop an innovative carbon foam heat exchangers that are predicted to weigh 50% less and be twice as efficient as existing metallic heat exchanger, by utilizing a novel, structurally-tailored foam processes and associated architectures design.
Benefits: The development, demonstration, and integration of robust heat exchanger technologies into electric and hybrid-electric vehicles will be directly applicable to both the military and private sectors. The innovation is broadly applicable including various electronics cooling, heat exchangers, and engine cooling.
Keywords: Electronics cooling, Power dissipation, Vehicles, Carbon foam, Heat exchanger
