Challenges and opportunities for electric aircraft thermal management

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to provide an outline of the challenges of thermal management for more-electric, hybrid-electric and all-electric aircraft, and to notionally discuss potential solutions. Design/methodology/approach – A code algorithm was developed to facilitate architecture-level analysis of the coupled relationship between the propulsion system, the thermal management system, and the takeoff gross weight of aircraft with advanced propulsion systems. Findings – A variety of coupled relationships between the propulsion and thermal management systems are identified, and their impact on the conceptual design choices for electric aircraft are discussed qualitatively. Research limitations/implications – This conceptual article merely illuminates some driving factors associated with thermal management. The software is still in its adolescence and is experiencing ongoing development. Practical implications – Thermal regulation in electric aircraft is shown to be a topic that should be ad...