Vehicle Radiator Air Ducts Asymmetric Angle Flow Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional radiators placed on the side surfaces of vehicles experience significant air flow losses due to the orientation of heat-transferring elements, resulting in reduced air flow through the radiator, which is problematic for effective cooling of media like charge air, recirculating exhaust gases, and coolant in vehicles, especially in heavy vehicles with limited space and no use of energy-consuming fans.
Innovation Solution
The radiator design features heat-transferring elements forming air ducts at an angle to the forward side, reducing flow losses and enhancing air flow through the radiator by guiding air with minimal direction change, and includes a flow element to direct air effectively into the radiator, creating a progressively decreasing flow cross-section and positive pressure, along with a rear passage to manage static pressure, all without the need for energy-consuming fans.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional heat-transferring elements are used in a radiator placed on the side surface of a vehicle, then the contact surface between air and tubular elements is increased, but air flow losses increase significantly and air flow through the radiator is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The air ducts are designed at an asymmetric angle (30-60 degrees) to the forward side of the radiator rather than being symmetric or transverse. This asymmetric orientation allows air to enter the ducts with a change of direction of less than 90 degrees, significantly reducing flow losses while maintaining effective heat transfer contact surface area.
Solution Approach 2:
The orientation angle of air ducts relative to the radiator's forward side is changed from conventional transverse orientation to an angled orientation within 30-60 degrees. This parameter change optimizes the balance between heat transfer surface area and air flow resistance, reducing flow losses while maintaining cooling effectiveness.
2Temperature
If heat-transferring elements are oriented to maximize contact surface area, then cooling effectiveness improves, but air flow resistance increases and requires energy-consuming fans
Solution Approach 1:
The asymmetric angular orientation of air ducts (30-60 degrees to the forward side) creates a natural flow path that minimizes resistance. This allows the radiator to achieve effective cooling without requiring energy-consuming fans to force air through the heat-transferring elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The radiator design uses the vehicle's forward motion to naturally drive air through the angled ducts. The geometric configuration itself generates the necessary air flow for cooling without requiring additional energy-consuming mechanical components like fans.
3Area of stationary object
If the radiator is placed on the side surface of the vehicle to utilize limited front section space, then space utilization improves, but air flow losses increase due to conventional heat-transferring element orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The air ducts are oriented at an asymmetric angle (30-60 degrees) to the forward side of the radiator, which is specifically designed to work with side-mounted placement. This angular orientation reduces the change in air flow direction to less than 90 degrees, significantly reducing flow losses while allowing effective utilization of limited side surface space.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using conventional transverse air ducts that create large flow losses in side-mounted radiators, the invention introduces angled air ducts that extend in a different dimensional orientation (30-60 degrees to the forward side). This dimensional change optimizes air flow paths for side-mounted configurations, reducing flow losses while effectively utilizing limited side space.
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
This design achieves a significant reduction in air flow losses, allowing for efficient cooling of media without fans, improving the contact surface for heat transfer and maintaining effective air flow, suitable for heavy vehicles and waste heat recovery systems, ensuring efficient thermal energy conversion to mechanical energy.
Implementation Method 1
heat-transferring elements situated in gaps between adjacent tubular elements... serve as extra contact surfaces between the air and the tubular elements and thereby enhance the cooling of the medium
Implementation Method 2
heat-transferring elements form air ducts situated at an angle to the forward side of the radiator so that the surrounding air can be guided into the air ducts with a change of direction of less than 90°
Implementation Method 3
A positive pressure may thus also be created in a region external to the forward side of the radiator, further promoting the air flow through the radiator
Implementation Method 4
The air which flows through such a passage along the rear side of the radiator creates a reduced static pressure close to the outlet apertures of the air ducts, with consequent positive effects also on the air flow through the radiator
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The present invention relates to a radiator device for cooling a medium in a vehicle (1). The radiator device comprises a radiator (21) comprising a plurality of tubular elements (21c) which lead the medium through the radiator (21), heat-transferring elements (21d) which are situated in gaplike intermediate spaces between adjacent tubular elements (21c) so that they divide the gaplike space between two adjacent tubular elements into air ducts (21h) which have an extent between inlet apertures (21h1) situated in a substantially common plane (28a) on a forward side (21a) of the radiator and outlet apertures (21h2) situated on a rear side (21b) of the radiator (21), and a fastening device (30) for fitting the radiator (21) at a side surface (1b, 1c) of the vehicle (1). Said air ducts (21h) form an angle (21i) of less than 90° to the plane (28a) so that surrounding air flowing along the radiator's forward side (21a) can be led into the air ducts (21h) with a change of direction of less than 90°.