| |
Courtesy of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation
Engineers at the truck and bus R&D office of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation
have developed a design process over the last few years for modeling engine
cooling performance using FLUENT. CFD has become an integral part of Mitsubishi's
design strategy, having been used for many aspects of engine compartment
flows. For a recent engine cooling analysis of a Mitsubishi truck, the
performance of a rotational cooling fan was simulated using the multiple
reference frames (MRF) formulation. This methodology provided accurate
pressure loss characteristics in the engine compartment by correctly simulating
the rotational flow of the fan. By simulating the truck's radiator/engine
interaction at both high and low speeds, engineers could modify the radiator
earlier in the engine design process than had been possible previously.
This allowed them to shorten their vehicle prototype development time
significantly, and helped them meet increasingly tougher demands to reduce
exhaust gas emissions and engine noise.
Path lines generated by the fan when modeled using a raditional head vs.
flow rate performance curve suggest that the cooling air passes straight
back over the engine.
Path lines generated by the fan when modeled using the MRF model show
that the ooling air flow twists as it passes over the engine.
Reference:
T. Takeuchi, I. Kohri: Development of Prediction
Method of Engine Cooling Performance, 2000 JSAE
Spring Convention, Paper #20005312
|
|
|
