Model & approach
- Analyze the flow upstream of and through the cooler matrix
- Locate under-supplied areas and recirculation zones
- Revise the inlet geometry through several design variants
Project / Off-highway & thermal
Inlet flow distribution for a heat exchanger
An unfavorable inlet geometry left large parts of the cooler matrix under-supplied. CFD exposed the recirculation and guided the geometry iterations.
Engineering question
The baseline geometry distributed cooling air unevenly and did not reliably meet the thermal objective.
Boundary conditions
- Existing inlet and cooler geometry as the baseline
- Cooling duty and outlet temperature as target quantities
- Before/after comparison using CFD flow distribution
Results of the assessment
- A pronounced reverse-flow region formed upstream of the matrix.
- Large parts of the matrix did not receive the intended flow.
- The revised geometry distributed flow more uniformly in the CFD model.
Additional project view
Engineering consequence
The simulation guided the iteration toward an inlet geometry that met the specified flow, performance and temperature requirements in the model.
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