Study on the Influence of Fan and Fan Cowl on Intake Air Parameters of Cooling Module

Abstract

Due to the increase in heat load, the demand for heat dissipation of the cabin cooling module has increased. The fan arrangement and the design of the fan cowl can significantly affect the intake air parameters, thereby affecting the performance of the heat exchangers. In this paper, the whole vehicle model was set up and the effect of the fan installation distance, the fan cowl coverage ratio, and the radial extension of the fan cowl outlet was researched by numerical simulation. The results show that due to the relative position of the layout of the cooling module, the effect of the fan arrangement and the fan cowl design on the intake parameters of the radiator is greater than that of the intercooler. The improvement of the air velocity uniformity can reduce the intake air average temperature for better heat dissipation; a 2% improvement in air intake velocity uniformity can lead to a 6% reduction in air intake average temperature event at a low air mass flow. The extended installation distance of the fan or the increased closure degree of the fan cowl leads to more favorable intake parameters, thereby optimizing the cooling performance of the heat exchangers. Moreover, when the fan cowl coverage ratio reaches 0.9, the air intake average temperature increases by 5.6%, which means that the fan cowl coverage should not be too high. This study will provide useful reference information for the design of cooling modules in the cabin.