A Study of Automotive Front-End Design for Assuring Excellent Cooling and Aerodynamic Performance

Achievement of aerodynamic performance for vehicles and assurance of an appropriate volume of engine cooling air have been known to be in conflict with one another.

Efforts to achieve performance of these two factors have been stepped up in recent years as exemplified by CAFE. The writer et al.,in undertaking research aiming at front end design requirements enabling realization of this end, have clarified the following three factors.

1. (1)
   Variation in Drag by cooling air intake consist of:
   1. a)
      Inside drag within the engine room.
   2. b)
      Changes in outside drag caused by changes in streamline by existence or absence of cooling air.
2. (2)
   Inside drag can be improved by installing a duct, and outside drag by a stagnation point opening.
3. (3)
   An air dam enables control over positioning of the stagnation point, thereby improving air current exhaust capacity, hence the effects of (2) above.