A review of selected thermal management solutions for military electronic systems

Thermal management,of electronics is vital to the successful design, manufacture, and tactical operation of a variety of military electronic systems. Designs employ all modes of heat transfer including: conduction, natural and forced convection, aerodynamic heating, radiation, and two-phase heat. transfer. A variety of heat sinks and heat exchange devices are employed, including the use of cold plates, electronic chassis coldwalls, compact heat exchangers, air-cycle and vapor-cycle refrigeration systems, phase change materials, thermoelectric devices, and heat pipes. This keynote address will describe several military electronic systems on a variety of platforms and discuss the thermal management issues involved in the design of the thermal control systems. Specific examples will be employed in the presentation to emphasize the variety of thermal management problems encountered and the solution techniques employed.