PAPER SERIES
2003-01-0613
James A. Acre
Delphi Corporation
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2003-01-0613
James A. Acre
Delphi Corporation
Copyright 2003 SAE International
ABSTRACT
The concept of condenser, fan, and radiator
power train cooling module (CFRM) was further
evaluated via three-dimensional computational
fluid dynamics (CFD) studies in the present
paper for vehicle at idle conditions. The analysis
shows that the CFRM configuration was more
prone to the problem of front-end air recirculation as compared with the conventional
condenser, radiator, and fan power train cooling
module (CRFM). The enhanced front-end air recirculation leads to a higher air temperature
passing through the condenser. The higher air
temperature, left unimproved, could render the
vehicle air conditioning (AC) unit ineffective. The
analysis also shows that the front-end air recirculation can be reduced with an added sealing
between the CFRM package and the front of the
vehicle, making the CFRM package acceptable
at the vehicle idle conditions.
INTRODUCTION
Condenser, radiator, and fan are standard
equipment of vehicle HVAC sub-system for
vehicle underhood thermal management, power
train cooling, and air conditioning. These
components are typically packaged into a
condenser, radiator, and fan module (CRFM)
with the fan located at the rear of the package.
Pusher fan configuration, in which the fan is
placed at the front of the package, has also been
in service and is mainly being used as auxiliary
cooling fan to supplement the main fan located
at the rear of the package. A recent entry for the
configuration of packaging these components is
the center-mounted-fan (CMF) configuration
= pa/RT,
(1)
U=-1m/s
U=-1m/s
(with
seal)
CRFM
49.5C
56.5C
48.0C
CFRM
49.9C
58.7C
48.5C
Temp.
Production
CRFM
Prototype
CFRM
Prototype
CFRM
with
deflector
57.2C
60.6C
56.1C
2.
3.
4.
5.
Ni, W., `Heat exchanger thermal model for StarCD, Report No. GME2000-13, General Motors,
2000.
6.
7.
8.
9.
a
full-scale
automotive wind tunnel, SAE-820371, 1982.
13. Launder,
CONTACT
For information regarding this paper, please
contact:
Zhigang Yang
General Motors Corporation
Phone: 586-578-3688
E-mail: Zhigang.Yang@gm.com
For information regarding center-mounted fan
(CMF), please contact:
James A. Acre
Delphi Corporation
Phone: 716-439-2932
E-mail: james.a.acre@delphiauto.com