The method to improve the heat sink utilization of fuel is the primary issue for thermal management of advanced aeroengines. In order to study the methods to control the fuel heat sink utilization, a one dimensional model of flow and heat transfer process in a single cooling channel of endothermic hydrocarbon fuel cooled scramjet in terms of endothermic reaction is developed, which is validated by corresponding experimental data. Different methods are put forwarded to control the utilization level of fuel heat sink and effective residence time of fuel during fuel cooling process is defined to distinguish global method and local method. The control of fuel mass flow rate or the height of cooling channel can be regarded as a global method, while the control of operating pressure in the cooling process can be considered as a local method. Analytical results indicate that the control methods can effectively improve the fuel heat sink utilization. However, the efficiency of the global method is limited by the allowable wall temperature. In contrast, the local method can be used not only to control the utilization of fuel heat sink, but also to improve the heat transfer and pressure drop performance of fuel. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.