Analytical Investigation of Fan Shroud on a Thermal Heat Exchanger for Automotive Applications

Thermal management is one of the most challenging and innovative aspects of the automotive industry. The efficiency of the vehicle cooling framework unequivocally relies upon the air stream through the radiator core. Significant advances in thermal management are being embraced in the field of radiator material and coolant. The radiator shouldn't be exclusively credited for the reliable cooling of the engine. There are other auto parts that play an essential role in keeping engine temperature at a manageable level. The fan-shroud assembly is an important component of the cooling system. While the fan is responsible for drawing in air, the fan shroud's job is to ensure uniform air distribution to the radiator core. By assisting airflow in the engine compartment the fan shroud helps in dismissing excess heat from the engine. This assembly also prevents the recirculation of heated air through the cooling fan. This paper endeavors to bring forth a new design and an improvement in the cooling system ubiquitous in the new era of modern engineering. An iterative process has been undertaken to develop an effective shroud design which has been validated with the virtual results on a standardized radiator with quantified thermal properties. SolidWorks has been used for modelling while meshing and CFD Analysis has been performed in FLUENT Environment. A uniform pressure distribution was observed across the face of the radiator core which expanded the proficiency of the radiator and hence attaining a notable increase in heat dismissal when contrasted to a radiator without a fan- shroud combination. These results can be used to moderate the dimensions of the radiator for compact packaging.