Uncertainty Propagation in a Simplified Integrated Thermal Management System

Abstract

An integrated generic plate model that describes single-phase transport combining heat acquisition and rejection regimes is investigated. Transient processes and input uncertainty propagation impacting temperature variations in this simplified, dimensionless integrated thermal management system are discussed. The heat acquisition plate is surface-heated on one side, with the heat being conducted into a liquid. The heated liquid is assumed to be adiabatically advected to the heat rejection plate. Convection boundary conditions are considered for both plates. The range of mean values of dimensionless input parameters, such as the Biot and Prandtl numbers, is determined by the choice of a particular plate metal and flowing liquid, and their stochastic nature is described by the Gaussian distributions. Adiabatic solutions for the dimensionless temperature variations in the plates are obtained for different temperatures and Reynolds numbers. As is shown, even an assumed small standard deviation for the input parameters may result in a drastic increase in the stochastic spread in the temperature variation in the heat rejection plate. Unlike the temperature variation across the acquisition plate, the temperature variation profile for the heat rejection plate is sensitive to the temperature of the incoming liquid and heat input at the acquisition plate.