An Automotive vehicle is subjected to run in various ambient conditions at different load conditions. For an SUV with off-roading capability, it becomes more important to size the cooling module for optimal performance.
The heat exchangers like AC condenser and radiator dimensions majorly defines the heat rejection capacity suitable for the respective powertrain configuration of a vehicle. Subsequently, the air flown over the heat exchangers will be dependent on the radiator fan capacity along with the vehicle speed.
However, being an SUV with off-roading capability, the need arises to simulate the combination of various speed ranges, in addition to the different loading conditions involved. Considering the various conditions, the ram air required for efficient cooling should be adequate for the heat exchangers to attain optimal performance. Hence, radiator & fan motor sizing plays an important role in the Powertrain as well as Cabin cooling performance.
The present study was conducted to check the adequacy of the radiator & fan motor sizing, and their effects to improve the powertrain and cabin cooling performance of the vehicle.
Also, this paper covers the experiments conducted and their respective findings on optimization of cooling performance and methodology for same.