Current and next generation tactical aircraft face daunting thermal challenges that involve reliably maintaining thermal constraints despite large transient loads. Model-based control synthesis has the potential to improve the performance of a vapor compression cycle system during its transient operating condition, driven by intermittent and dynamic thermal loads, when compared to the current heuristic control design technique. However, the excessive labor and expertise necessary to develop models amenable to model-based control design techniques has been an impediment to widespread deployment. This paper demonstrates a Simulink pathway for model-based design via the AFRL Transient Thermal Modeling and Optimization (ATTMO) toolbox. An effective, simple linear quadratic gaussian control design is demonstrated and opens the door for widespread deployment of many advanced control techniques.

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