Aiming at the thermal control problem of high temperature components in special cabin of advanced aircraft, a new semi-active temperature control principle was proposed. Based on this principle, a new semi-active cooling device was designed and its experimental study was conducted. The heat transfer performance and temperature control mechanism of the new semi-active cooling device under different working conditions were analyzed and compared. The results indicate that the thermal control performance of the new semi-active cooling device is significantly better, especially for the semi-active cooling device filled with 100% infiltrated aerogel, the hot end temperature is 272 ℃ at 3 000 s, which is 102 ℃ lower than that under the passive heat transfer condition, and the peak efficiency is up to 68%. With increasing of the outlet pressure of the cooling device, the time for the coolant to reach the boiling point is longer. Filling infiltration aerogel can effectively extend the duration from heat absorption to evaporation of the coolant, and it is also lighter in weight compared to other filling methods.