Thermal Architecture Trade Studies for Integrated Aircraft Design

As aircraft grow more electrified and performance demands increase, thermal management systems (TMS) have become more critical. However, the TMS is often treated as a secondary consideration, addressed only after primary airframe and propulsion designs have been finalized. This sequential approach can lead to oversized or inefficient systems, costly redesigns, and degraded performance. This paper advocates for a methodology in which thermal architecture selection is integrated during early design stages. This approach is demonstrated through a case study involving TMS design for a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) aircraft. The study examines a wide range of TMS architectures across realistic environmental and boundary conditions. Results highlight the sensitivity of optimal thermal architecture to these conditions, and support a broad shift toward integrated, early-phase thermal modeling as a means of reducing design risk and improving overall system performance.