Study of the Arrangement of Automobile Air-Conditioning Condenser and Engine Radiator in the Cooling Air Circuit

Side-by-side arrangement of condenser and radiator in the cooling air circuit of automobile requires smaller exchanger core volume and less fan air horsepower than those required in the back-to-back arrangement for the same thermal performance requirements under same operating conditions. Side-by-side arrangement also contributes significantly to the improvement of overall system efficiency and fuel economy. A set of criteria in terms of Relative Radiator Core Volume and Relative Radiator Fan Air Power Requirement is developed. It can be used for selecting appropriate arrangement of condenser and radiator and for determing their optimum operating parameters.