Effect of an Inclined Position on the Aerodynamic Characteristics of Active Grille Shutters

Recently, an aerodynamic theory for active grille shutters (AGS) of road vehicles has been developed that analytically describes the relationship among the flap position, cooling air mass flow, and drag. The experimentally validated theory is based on the assumption of a geometrically simple shutter which is arranged in a straight air duct and is flowed frontally, i.e., perpendicular to the flap plane. In the present work, this theory is extended and it is investigated how an inclined position affects the aerodynamic characteristic of an AGS. The theoretical results are then validated experimentally. Measurements on real vehicles with suitable AGS are used for this purpose. The results show good agreement between the theoretical predictions and experiment. The theoretical and experimental analyses allow conclusions to be drawn about how and under what conditions an inclined position affects the aerodynamic behavior of AGS.