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CFD Simulation for Automotive Radiator Fan

by

Lucas-TVS Ltd

Anand.M

Development Engineer

Date:06-Jun-2014

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Background

• Lucas - TVS established in 1961 as a joint venture between Lucas UK and T

V Sundram Iyengar & Sons (TVS), India to manufacture Automotive Electrical

Systems. Lucas-TVS is the Leader in Auto Electricals in India today with 50

years experience in design and manufacturing.

• Lucas - TVS is a TS16949 and OHSAS 18001 certified company. Lucas-TVS

has bagged the Deming application price in 2004 from the Japanese Union of

Scientists and Engineers (JUSE).Lucas-TVS is awarded Deming Grand

Price(DGP) in 2012 for excellence in applying the principles of Total Quality

Management(TQM) from JUSE.

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CFD analysis for Automotive Radiator Fan

Objective of case study

• To perform CFD analysis of automotive radiator

fan and establish correlation with the

experimental data.

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FAN-SHROUD ASSEMBLY

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Test Setup and condition

Air Flow Chamber

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Fan geometry and Domains

Fan

Inlet Domain

Outlet Domain

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Problem setup

•For the steady RANS simulations, the single equation Spalart-Allmaras

(SA) turbulence model was used.

•The turbulence equation is solved segregated from the flow equations

using the GLS formulation.

•Reference Frame is used to simulate the Rotating Flow

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Boundary Conditions

Inlet – Mass Flow inlet

Outlet – Pressure Outlet

Fan –Reference Frame

All other surfaces are No-Slip wall BC

Air In

Air Out

Mass Flux at

Inflow Surface

Pressure

at Outflow

Surface

Fan Speed(3457 RPM)

0 Pa

0.8634 Kg/s

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Mesh-Cut Plan View

Number of Elements = 7724386

Number of Boundary Layer = 6

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Results

Pressure - 224.455 Pa

Pressure Vs. Time

At Convergence

Pressure at

inlet surface

Pressure Vs. Time

Eddy viscosity

Pressure

Velocity

Residual ratio

Vs. Time

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Result - Cont..

Pressure

Wall distance (Y+ )

Velocity

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Result – Streamlines

Case-1

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Result & Discussion - Correlation

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Conclusion

• Acusolve could predict the pressure drop for given mass

flow rate of an automotive radiator fan(370 mm frame)

with >90 % accuracy.

• LucasTVS proposes to use this approach to optimize

radiator fans to enhance the fan efficiency.

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Q&A

Thanks !