CASE STUDY: Rack Cooling Unit

Overview 

Not every cooling system stays in the installation it was designed for. This case study covers a vapour-cycle rack cooling unit originally developed for a rack-mounted configuration, later re-engineered to fit as an integral part of an avionics console without changing the underlying thermal architecture that made it work in the first place.]

Customer Challenge 

The customer required a vapour-cycle cooling system to regulate the temperature of an avionics cabinet in a civil aircraft application. This solution needed to deliver reliable thermal management under varying flight conditions while meeting the stringent weight, space, and efficiency constraints typical of aerospace environments. 

Our Solution 

The vapour-cycle system was originally developed for a rack-mounted configuration and later re-engineered for integral installation at the rear of an avionics console. Operating in a recirculation mode, it effectively cooled the electronics within the enclosure while directing waste heat to the base of the unit. From there, the heat was transferred to the cabin environmental control system (ECS), which routed it under the floor to the aircraft's discharge valves. 

The system also featured a straightforward remote interface for fault annunciation and control, ensuring ease of monitoring and operational reliability. 

This unit reflects the same Rack Cooling System (RCS) architecture in our standard Aerospace Vapour Cycle Systems range, which as delivered removes up to 1.5kW of heat from an electronics rack using the environmentally friendly refrigerant R513a maintaining temperatures below 32°C at nominal cabin conditions and continuing to operate at ambient temperatures up to +50°C. 

Technical Highlights 

• Recirculation-mode cooling
• Waste heat routed to cabin ECS
• Remote fault annunciation interface
• Re-engineered from rack-mount to integral
• Up to 1.5kW heat removal (RCS line)