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An Energy Efficient Environmental Control System (EEECS) for a patrol-type aircraft has been developed and tested. Benefits of the system include not only substantial fuel savings, but also significant increases in avionics reliability through reduced cooling air temperatures supplied to aircraft electronics by the system. Testing was conducted in a laboratory to demonstrate energy efficiency throughout a wide range of operating conditions and in a Navy P-3C aircraft to demonstrate flight-worthiness of the system. This paper discusses the results of both the laboratory and flight tests. The heart of this vapor-cycle system is an electrically-driven, variable-speed centrifugal compressor that operates at speeds from 30,000 to 70,000 RPM. The compressor uses oil-less, tilt-pad, hydrodynamic bearings for maintenance-free operation.

The process of designing a Vapor Cycle System (VCS) for a fighter aircraft is a difficult and continuous challenge. Besides the constant efforts to optimize size, weight and package is the need to provide a highly reliable, producible and easily maintained system. In particular is the need to make the vapor compression system highly hermetic and intensely rugged. This paper updates the 1982 SAE paper entitled “Environmental Control of an Aircraft Pod Mounted Electronics System” (820869). Specifically it details the design, production and field results of the LANTIRN Environmental Control Unit (ECU). Since 1986 over 1000 of these systems have been fielded. The ECU has proven to be reliable in spite of the difficult environment, which has included combat duty. This paper will give insight into the LANTIRN pod thermal management system, the design of the ECU subsystem, and packaging.