Collapsible Radiator Fairing Panels for Drag and Pedestrian Impact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle fairings that reduce drag also compromise pedestrian safety in low-speed impacts, and there is a need for a design that maintains aerodynamic efficiency while minimizing pedestrian injury.
Innovation Solution
A fairing assembly with collapsible panels that absorb impact energy by moving from an extended to a retracted position, using spring-loaded mechanisms to maintain structural integrity and allow air flow, reducing drag and protecting pedestrians.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a rigid fairing is used to reduce drag, then aerodynamic efficiency is improved, but pedestrian safety deteriorates in low-speed impacts
Solution Approach 1:
The fairing incorporates movable panels that can dynamically change their state between rigid (for aerodynamics) and collapsible (for safety). The panels are connected via hinges or pivot points, allowing them to rotate and collapse upon impact while maintaining a rigid structure during normal operation. This dynamic adaptability resolves the contradiction between drag reduction and pedestrian safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The fairing changes its structural parameters (rigidity, shape, volume) in response to impact conditions. During normal operation, the panels maintain a fixed aerodynamic shape. Upon impact, the panels change their configuration by collapsing or rotating, altering their physical parameters to absorb impact energy. This parameter transformation allows the same structure to serve both aerodynamic and safety functions.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the fairing is made collapsible to protect pedestrians, then pedestrian safety is improved, but aerodynamic efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fairing is divided into multiple separate panels rather than a single rigid structure. Each panel can independently collapse or rotate upon impact, providing safety functionality. When not in use, the panels are positioned to maintain the aerodynamic shape. This segmentation allows the fairing to exhibit both collapsible behavior for safety and rigid behavior for aerodynamics at different times.
Solution Approach 2:
The collapsible panels are designed to nest within or against each other when collapsed, similar to a nested doll structure. This nesting mechanism allows the panels to compact into a smaller volume during impact, maximizing energy absorption while minimizing the space occupied. When extended, they form the aerodynamic fairing structure, thus resolving the contradiction between safety and aerodynamics.
3Strength
If the fairing structure is strengthened to maintain integrity, then structural strength is improved, but impact energy absorption deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fairing structure transitions from a static rigid design to a dynamic system where panels can move and collapse. The panels are designed with controlled strength - strong enough to maintain aerodynamic shape and resist normal forces, but designed to fail in a controlled manner during impact by rotating at hinge points or collapsing along predetermined lines. This dynamic behavior allows the structure to be both strong and energy-absorbing.
Solution Approach 2:
The fairing incorporates collapse mechanisms and hinge points in advance, creating predetermined failure paths that will activate during impact. These pre-designed weak points act as cushioning elements that absorb impact energy through controlled deformation. The rest of the structure maintains its strength to preserve overall integrity, thus resolving the contradiction between structural strength and impact energy absorption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The fairing assembly effectively reduces drag while absorbing impact energy, minimizing pedestrian injury and maintaining the vehicle's structural integrity, suitable for both combustion and battery-powered vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
The moveable panel is spring-loaded to return to the extended position from the retracted position
Implementation Method 2
The at least one first overlapping part is moveable from an extended position to a retracted position proximate the second overlapping part when the fairing is impacted
Data Source
AI summary
A fairing assembly 10 installed about a heat exchanger, such as a radiator R, to reduce the drag on the vehicle, comprising: a frame installed about the heat exchanger, the frame having a curved contour; a panel mounted in the frame, the panel and fairing assembly defining an air passage for air flow to the heat exchanger; a cover installed in the frame and movable to control air flow through the passage to the heat exchanger; and, moving means for moving the cover over the frame to expose a portion of the opening and allow air to flow into the heat exchanger, the frame and cover thereby reducing the amount of drag on the vehicle while still allowing air flow into the heat exchanger; wherein the panel comprises a first overlapping part and a second overlapping part; and wherein the first overlapping part is moveable from an extended position to a retracted position when the fairing is impacted.