Analysis of a Graphene/Ultrathin Graphite Heat Exchanger for Aerospace Thermal Management

Fast evolving techniques for macroscale graphene and ultrathin graphite material production are promising for applications of graphene-based materials in thermal management. A numerical comparison of aluminium and graphene-based plate-fin heat exchangers is conducted. Anisotropic thermal conductivity of graphene-based solution shows an improvement of up to twenty percent in heat rejection over the aluminium design. Thermal and hydraulic performance is characterized for both designs over a range of air flow rates in both laminar and turbulent regimes. Steady and unsteady 3-D conjugate simulations reveal a faster equilibration rate for the graphene-based solution, minimizing thermal lag that must be accounted for in on-demand electronics cooling. The combination of improved heat rejection, rapid response rate, and low material density make a graphene-based solution uniquely suited to aerospace thermal management.