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Postgraduate DiplomaAerospace, UAM, Drones & Space Applications open

Diploma in Aircraft Thermal Management and Heat Exchangers

Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in aircraft thermal management and heat exchangers. 8 modules covering thermal loads, air conditioning systems, heat exchanger design, compact exchangers, oil and fuel thermal management, integrated thermal management, and simulation and testing, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration6–8 months
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma
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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Quantify the thermal loads of an aircraft.

02

Analyse air conditioning systems and their cycles.

03

Apply heat exchanger design methods.

04

Size compact plate-fin heat exchangers.

05

Design fuel-oil and air-oil heat exchangers.

06

Integrate thermal management into more-electric aircraft.

07

Validate thermal designs through simulation and testing.

Profile

Who it's for

  • Thermal management engineers.
  • ECS systems engineers.
  • Heat exchanger designers.
  • Aircraft systems engineers.
  • Thermal CFD analysts.
  • Thermal test engineers.
  • Engineering or science graduates looking to join an aircraft manufacturer.
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • TEMA Standards (shell-and-tube heat exchanger design)
  • ASME BPVC Section VIII (pressure vessels)
  • SAE AIR1168 (aerospace applied thermodynamics manual)
  • SAE ARP85 (air conditioning systems for subsonic aircraft)
  • RTCA DO-160G (environmental conditions and test procedures for airborne equipment)
  • CS-25 (certification specifications for large aeroplanes)
  • Simcenter Flomaster
  • Simcenter Amesim
  • ANSYS Fluent
  • HTRI Xchanger Suite
  • MATLAB
Syllabus

8 modules

  1. 1.1Onboard heat sources
  2. 1.2Cabin heat load
  3. 1.3Avionics heating
  4. 1.4Engine and oil heat
  5. 1.5Aerodynamic heating
  6. 1.6Hot-day ground conditions
  7. 1.7Mission profiles
  8. 1.8Available heat sinks
  9. 1.9Mass and drag penalties
  10. 1.10Practical exercise: thermal balance of a regional aircraft
  1. 2.1Air cycle and air cycle machine
  2. 2.2Engine bleed air
  3. 2.3Vapour cycle
  4. 2.4Water separation
  5. 2.5Cabin pressure control
  6. 2.6Air distribution
  7. 2.7Recirculation and filtration
  8. 2.8Bleedless electric ECS
  9. 2.9ARP85 requirements
  10. 2.10Workshop: analysis of an air conditioning pack
  1. 3.1LMTD and NTU methods
  2. 3.2Film coefficients
  3. 3.3Pressure drop
  4. 3.4Fouling
  5. 3.5Flow configurations
  6. 3.6Shell and tube
  7. 3.7Material selection
  8. 3.8Mechanical design codes
  9. 3.9Thermo-hydraulic optimisation
  10. 3.10Practical exercise: sizing by the NTU method
  1. 4.1Plates and fins
  2. 4.2Wavy and offset strip fins
  3. 4.3Colburn j and f factors
  4. 4.4Brazed aluminium exchangers
  5. 4.5Additive manufacturing of heat exchangers
  6. 4.6Microchannel heat exchangers
  7. 4.7Performance testing
  8. 4.8Integration in ducts
  9. 4.9Thermal fatigue
  10. 4.10Lab: design of a plate-fin heat exchanger
  1. 5.1Engine lubrication circuit
  2. 5.2Fuel-oil heat exchangers
  3. 5.3Air-oil heat exchangers
  4. 5.4Fuel thermal limit
  5. 5.5Fuel recirculation
  6. 5.6Temperature control
  7. 5.7Coke formation
  8. 5.8Heat recovery strategies
  9. 5.9System modelling
  10. 5.10Case study: fuel-oil circuit of a turbofan
  1. 6.1More-electric aircraft
  2. 6.2Power electronics cooling
  3. 6.3Liquid loops
  4. 6.4Phase-change cooling
  5. 6.5Heat pumps
  6. 6.6Heat sink integration
  7. 6.7Aircraft-level optimisation
  8. 6.8Reference architectures
  9. 6.9System simulation
  10. 6.10Workshop: thermal architecture of a hybrid aircraft
  1. 7.1CFD of heat exchangers
  2. 7.21D modelling in Flomaster
  3. 7.3Bench testing
  4. 7.4Thermal instrumentation
  5. 7.5Test-model correlation
  6. 7.6DO-160G environmental testing
  7. 7.7Flight testing
  8. 7.8Reliability and maintenance
  9. 7.9Health monitoring
  10. 7.10Case study: correlation of an ECS model
  1. 8.1Definition of thermal loads
  2. 8.2System architecture
  3. 8.3Heat exchanger sizing
  4. 8.4System simulation
  5. 8.5Mass and penalty analysis
  6. 8.6Test plan
  7. 8.7Sensitivity analysis
  8. 8.8Conclusions
  9. 8.9Report and presentation
  10. 8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

Training is 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so it fits around your job.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Simcenter Flomaster, Simcenter Amesim, ANSYS Fluent, HTRI Xchanger Suite and MATLAB, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures for sizing compact heat exchangers, simulating the air conditioning system and thermal analysis of avionics bays. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.

Standards covered: TEMA Standards, ASME BPVC Section VIII, SAE AIR1168, SAE ARP85, RTCA DO-160G, CS-25.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of TEMA Standards, ASME BPVC Section VIII and SAE AIR1168 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:Simcenter Flomaster, Simcenter Amesim, ANSYS Fluent, HTRI Xchanger Suite and MATLAB, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Final project:A thermal management project covering loads, architecture, heat exchanger sizing, simulation and test planning, reviewed by your tutor.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Thermal load definition
Establish the thermal balance and heat sinks of the aircraft across its mission profile.
System architecture
Define the ECS and integrated thermal management architecture.
Heat exchanger sizing
Size the compact heat exchangers using NTU methods and Colburn j and f factors.
Simulation and test plan
Simulate the system in Flomaster and plan its correlation tests.
Final project
A complete thermal management project with mass and sensitivity analysis, reviewed by your tutor.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

Thermal management engineerECS systems engineerHeat exchanger designerAircraft systems engineerThermal CFD analystThermal test engineer
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
  • Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
  • English sufficient to read technical standards.

Ready to start?

Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme totals 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.

You work with Simcenter Flomaster, Simcenter Amesim, ANSYS Fluent, HTRI Xchanger Suite and MATLAB, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.

A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.

Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.

Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (no university degree required), a computer able to run the software and English sufficient to read technical standards.

Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.

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