An aircraft pays for heat twice: once in the power it wastes, and again in the mass of every gram of metal used to remove it. That is why thermal design in the low-altitude economy looks nothing like a server rack - and why graphene heat spreaders are being designed in earlier each generation.
Why thermal design is different in the air
Three constraints shape every airborne thermal decision. First, mass: a kilogram of heat spreader that is not doing useful work is a kilogram of battery, payload or range that is not available. Second, power density: onboard compute for autonomy, perception and flight control is rising far faster than airframe volume. Third, environment: at altitude the air is thinner, so convection cooling is weaker, and the electronics must tolerate wider temperature swings than ground equipment.
Aluminium and copper spreaders solve the thermal problem and create a mass problem. Copper is roughly 8.9 g/cm3 and aluminium 2.7 g/cm3; our graphene plate is 1.5-4 g/cm3 with 1200 W/m·K through-thickness conductivity.
Four low-altitude scenarios
A. Onboard compute for autonomy
Perception and sensor-fusion boards concentrate tens of watts into a small footprint. A graphene plate spreads that flux across the cold plate so the package no longer sees a hot spot under the die.
B. Flight-control and video-transmission modules
These modules are small, lightly clamped and often bonded rather than bolted. A 180 W/m·K thermal pad replaces grease and takes up the gap without pumping out under vibration.
C. Battery and electric-drive systems
Cell-to-cooling-plate interfaces see stack-up variation and cell swelling. A compressible graphene pad keeps the interface closed while the plate carries heat to the skin.
D. Avionics and power electronics
Power modules cycle hard on take-off and landing. A pad-plus-plate stack lowers both the steady-state and the transient temperature rise.
Weight comparison for the same footprint
| Spreader material | Relative weight | Saving | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lenecold graphene plate | 1x (baseline) | - | eVTOL / UAV preferred |
| Aluminium | 1.8x | -44% | Legacy baseline |
| Copper | 6x | -83% | Only where mass is unconstrained |
Typical specification
| Application | Recommended stack | Thickness |
|---|---|---|
| eVTOL onboard AI compute | EN-PAD-050 + EN-PLT-100 | 0.5 + 1.0 mm |
| eVTOL traction battery module | EN-PAD-100 | 1.0 mm |
| eVTOL motor controller | EN-PAD-100 + EN-PLT-100 | 1.0 + 1.0 mm |
| UAV flight-control / video module | EN-PAD-050 | 0.5 mm |
Material properties that matter in flight
- Through-thickness conductivity 1200 W/m·K - spreads a point source across the whole cold plate.
- Density 1.5-4 g/cm3 - 44% lighter than an aluminium spreader, 83% lighter than copper.
- CTE 4-12 ppm/K, tunable - reduces mismatch against ceramic packages and composite structures.
- Solid, no pump-out - survives vibration and thermal cycling where grease migrates.
Working with us
Samples start at one piece and are die-cut to your drawing. Pilot quantities are typically 10 pieces; production runs are 1000+. Standard specifications ship in about two weeks, custom shapes in four to six weeks.