Cooling system for a rearward portion of a vehicle and method of cooling

A cooling system for a vehicle including:

• a heat-generating component mounted in said vehicle;
• a heat-dissipating component mounted in said vehicle;
• structure defining coolant flow passages containing coolant, said coolant flow passages being in coolant flow communication with said heat-generating component and said heat-dissipating component to transfer heat therebetween;
• structure defining an air inlet in air flow communication with said heat-dissipating component for providing outside air to said heat-dissipating component for cooling thereof;
• wherein said heat-generating component, said heat-dissipating component, said coolant flow passages, and said air inlet are located in a normally rearward portion of said vehicle;
• wherein said heat-generating component, said heat-dissipating component, said structure defining coolant flow passages and said air inlet define a first cooling circuit;
• wherein said vehicle has:
• another heat-generating component and another heat-dissipating component both mounted in said vehicle;
• other structure defining other coolant flow passages operable to transfer heat between said another heat-generating component and said another heat-dissipating component;
• another structure defining another air inlet operable for providing outside air to said another heat-dissipating component for cooling thereof, said another heat-generating component, said another heat-dissipating component, said other coolant flow passages and said another air inlet being located in a normally frontward portion of the vehicle and defining a second cooling circuit, said normally rearward portion and said normally frontward portion together substantially defining said vehicle;
• and
• wherein said first and second cooling circuits are not in coolant flow communication with one another so that the respective heat generating component of each is cooled independently from the other.

A method of cooling vehicle components on a vehicle characterized by a frontward portion and a rearward portion comprising:

• installing at least one heat-dissipating component in said rearward portion;
• fluidly connecting at least one heat-generating component located in said rearward portion with said at least one heat-dissipating component to establish a first coolant flow circuit;
• and
• providing a first air inlet formed by rear vehicle structure, said first air inlet being in air flow communication with said at least one heat-dissipating component for delivering outside air to said at least one heat-dissipating component for cooling thereof.