Study on the application of dual-mode vapour compression cycle system in helicopter cabin thermal management

With the increasingly widespread application of modern helicopters, the demand for high-quality thermal management in helicopter crew cabins and electronic equipment cabins has become increasingly prominent. To construct the thermal management system architecture for a helicopter's dual-cabin environmental control, the technical paradigm of a dual-mode vapour compression cycle has been referenced, and a new design concept of recycling lubricating oil heat for auxiliary cabin heating has been proposed. Through the method of system simulation modelling and analysis, a dynamic simulation analysis of the system’s cooling/heating performance under extreme weather conditions was conducted. The study explored the dynamic fluctuation characteristics of both active control parameters (expansion valve opening and compressor speed) and passive control parameters (air temperature, cooling capacity, and heating capacity) within the cabin. The simulation results indicate that overshooting the system’s cooling capacity towards a higher level can help rapidly reduce the air temperature within the cabin. Additionally, there are significant differences in the response characteristics of parameters between dual-cabin and single-cabin operational scenarios. Verified by the simulation results, the proposed helicopter dual-cabin environmental control thermal management system exhibits the feasibility for engineering applications.