Conical Vehicle Cooling Layout With Mixed Radial Airflow Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle cooling systems with rectangular heat exchangers and circular axial fans fail to utilize the entire surface area effectively, leaving corners unswept and requiring large openings, which compromises cooling efficiency and aesthetics.
Innovation Solution
A cooling system featuring a conical or cylindrical heat exchanger with a fan rotor that generates mixed radial and axial airflow, ensuring complete coverage of the heat exchanger surface, reducing the need for large frontal openings and enhancing cooling efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a conventional axial fan with circular configuration is used, then the fan construction is simple and inexpensive, but the fan only sweeps a portion of the rectangular heat exchanger surface leaving substantial area unswept
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies curvature by transitioning from a rectangular heat exchanger to a conical shape, and from axial to radial fan airflow. The conical heat exchanger surface naturally directs airflow radially outward, ensuring complete coverage of the entire surface area including corners, while the radial fan configuration maintains manufacturing simplicity.
2Ease of manufacture
If a conventional axial fan is used, then the fan construction is simple, but a large opening is required in the front of the vehicle to obtain sufficient airflow
Solution Approach 1:
The conical heat exchanger geometry focuses and directs airflow radially outward, maximizing the utilization of available airflow through a smaller frontal opening. The curved conical surface area provides increased heat exchange surface within a compact frontal profile, reducing the required opening size while maintaining cooling effectiveness.
3Device complexity
If a rectangular heat exchanger with axial fan is used, then the system is conventional and simple, but cooling efficiency is reduced due to unswept areas
Solution Approach 1:
The conical heat exchanger with radial airflow configuration ensures that airflow sweeps the entire surface area including corners, eliminating dead zones and maximizing heat transfer efficiency. The curved conical geometry naturally directs radial airflow to cover 100% of the surface, significantly improving cooling efficiency while maintaining relatively simple system configuration.
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 system achieves better cooling performance by covering the entire heat exchanger surface with airflow, improving efficiency and maintaining a compact, aesthetically pleasing design.
Implementation Method 1
The fan rotor is configured to discharge air in a predetermined direction including an axial component and a radial component
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling system for a vehicle includes a fan rotor having a conical shape and a plurality of fan blades and a heat exchanger having a conical shape. The fan rotor is configured to discharge air in a predetermined direction which includes an axial direction component and a radial direction component. In a further aspect, a vehicle cooling system includes a fan rotor including a plurality of fan blades; and a heat exchanger having a cylindrical shape. The fan rotor is configured to discharge air in only a radial direction.