Vehicle Cooling Air Duct With Supplemental Intake Flaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle cooling systems face challenges in efficiently cooling vehicle components, especially when ram air through the grill is low or nonexistent, such as when the vehicle is stationary or moving slowly.
Innovation Solution
The proposed cooling system includes an air duct with an inlet funnel connected to the vehicle grill, an upper panel extending over an outlet window, and at least one heat exchanger attached to the air duct. A cooling fan assembly with a shroud and a motor-driven fan is disposed under the heat exchanger, and the system incorporates intakes with pivotally attached flaps that open at low speeds to supplement airflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the vehicle is stationary or moving slowly, then ram air through the grill is low or nonexistent, but the cooling system still needs to cool vehicle components effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts to different vehicle speed conditions by using vehicle speed sensors to control intake flaps and adjust fan operation. At low speeds, the system opens additional intakes and increases fan operation to compensate for reduced ram air, while at high speeds, it closes extra intakes to prevent overheating from excessive airflow.
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system uses the vehicle's own motion (ram air) as the primary cooling mechanism when available, and automatically supplements it with the electric fan and additional intakes when the vehicle is stationary or moving slowly, creating a self-regulating system that adapts to operating conditions.
2Temperature
If the cooling fan operates at high power to compensate for low ram air, then cooling effectiveness is maintained, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts fan power consumption based on real-time vehicle speed and cooling requirements. The control module monitors vehicle speed and automatically modulates fan operation to provide sufficient cooling at minimum energy consumption, using additional intakes to reduce the fan's workload when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by opening or closing intake flaps based on vehicle speed. At low speeds, additional intakes are opened to increase airflow without requiring high fan power, while at high speeds, extra intakes are closed to prevent overheating, thereby optimizing the balance between cooling effectiveness and energy consumption.
3Temperature
If additional intakes are opened to supplement airflow at low speeds, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The intake system is segmented into multiple independent controllable intakes with individual flaps that can be opened or closed based on vehicle speed. This segmentation allows the system to selectively activate only the necessary intakes at different operating conditions, improving cooling effectiveness at low speeds while managing system complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The additional intakes serve multiple functions: they supplement airflow at low speeds, can be closed at high speeds to prevent overheating, and work in conjunction with the fan and existing grill intake. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by providing versatile cooling control across different operating conditions.
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 configuration enhances airflow through the heat exchanger, especially at low speeds, by utilizing the intakes to provide supplementary air, which increases airflow rates and reduces the power required for the cooling fan, thus improving efficiency and reducing costs.
Implementation Method 1
at least one heat exchanger attached to the air duct at the outlet window
Implementation Method 2
A cooling fan assembly has a shroud, a fan, and a motor. The shroud is connected to the air duct opposite the outlet window
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling system for a vehicle including an air duct having an inlet funnel configured to connect to a vehicle grill, a heat-exchanger seat defining an outlet window, and an upper panel extending from the inlet funnel over top of the outlet window. The upper panel defines an intake. At least one heat exchanger is received on the heat-exchanger seat. A cooling fan assembly is disposed under the at least one heat exchanger and includes a shroud and a fan.