PHOENIX — Honeywell Aerospace in Phoenix, Arizona, is developing upgrades to the F-35’s power and thermal management system (PTMS) to improve reliability and support future mission-system requirements.
The company is pursuing heat exchanger and liquid-cooling upgrades along with software changes and turbomachine durability improvements. Honeywell says the work will boost cooling capacity and operational margins while improving maintainability and reducing lifecycle costs.
The upgrades are part of a larger effort to expand manufacturing and sustainment capacity for the growing global F-35 fleet.
Related: Honeywell weather radar to equip Omni Taxi Aereo's AW139 helicopter fleet
Honeywell builds on existing F-35 thermal system
Honeywell developed the F-35 PTMS with Lockheed Martin and the F-35 Joint Program Office during the early development of the Joint Strike Fighter program. The program led to the development of the F-35, a family of combat aircraft with three variants for the U.S. military and international operators. It began in the 1990s as the U.S. sought a common aircraft platform that could meet the differing requirements of the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.
The integrated system provides power and thermal management for aircraft functions and mission systems. Honeywell says it has delivered 1,325 PTMS units, which have accumulated more than 1 million flight hours across the global fleet.
As operators add aircraft, they also need additional spare parts, maintenance capacity and support infrastructure. Honeywell is investing in manufacturing capacity and supply-chain support alongside the technical upgrades to the PTMS.
“With the global F-35 fleet continuing to grow, sustaining readiness requires ongoing investment in both technology and support capacity,” said Rich DeGraff, president and CEO of Control Systems at Honeywell Aerospace.
“Everything we are investing in, from reliability improvements and production capacity to next-generation thermal-management technologies, is aimed at helping operators maximize fleet performance today while preparing for future mission demands,” DeGraff continued.
Derivative architecture targets future cooling needs
Honeywell is using what it calls a PTMS Derivative Architecture for future upgrades. The approach maintains a high degree of commonality with the system already operating aboard F-35s rather than requiring an entirely new architecture.
That allows Honeywell to introduce additional capability while continuing to use established suppliers and logistics networks. The company says the approach can reduce integration, schedule and transition risks as new technology enters service.
Honeywell is funding development of four areas: a heat exchanger upgrade, liquid cooling upgrade, performance software upgrade and improvements to turbomachine durability.
The company expects the upgrades to support future F-35 mission-system growth while limiting changes to existing sustainment infrastructure.
