Miles Jamison
RTX business Collins Aerospace has completed its demonstration of its new power and thermal management system, or PTMS.
Enhanced Power and Cooling System
The aerospace and defense company said Friday its Enhanced Power and Cooling System, or EPACS, is designed to provide the F-35 Lightning aircraft with significantly enhanced cooling. The elevated cooling capacity provided by EPACS, which is being developed as the successor of the existing F-35 PTMS, is expected to support planned enhancements for the aircraft.
This new development follows the demonstration conducted in 2024 showcasing EPACS’ 80 kilowatts of cooling capacity. Collins Aerospace is set to proceed with the engineering and manufacturing development phase for the new system.
The RTX subsidiary’s thermal systems development labs have enabled its engineers to conduct real-world combat aircraft simulations to evaluate EPACS’ performance. The demonstrator was exposed to various environmental factors including different temperatures, pressures, air flow rates and humidity. Through these tests, EPACS managed to attain Technology Readiness Level 6.
“As the F-35 is modernized with advanced weapons and mission equipment, increased cooling will be required to dissipate all the heat these new systems will generate,” said Henry Brooks, president of power and controls at Collins Aerospace. “EPACS can deliver that cooling and with our successful demonstrator test, we stand ready to begin the integration process with Lockheed Martin and help service members meet their urgent mission requirements.”
