Efficient process for evaluating engine cooling airflow performance

A process for evaluating airflow performance, comprising the steps of:

• developing a three-dimensional computer-aided design model of a vehicle topology;
• discretizing the design model vehicle topology;
• discretizing a volume surrounding the design model vehicle topology, the volume having outer boundaries;
• identifying vehicle topology components upon which to collect empirical data;
• obtaining empirical data for identified components;
• establishing an airflow field model;
• validating the airflow field model in comparison to experimental data;
• obtaining a mass flow rate from the validated airflow field model;
• determining whether the mass flow rate is acceptable;
• altering the vehicle topology;
• altering the validated airflow field model to include changes to the vehicle topology;
• repeating the step of obtaining a mass flow rate and each subsequent step until an acceptable mass flow rate is determined;
• wherein the step of validating comprises comparing predictions obtained from the airflow field model to experimental data, and determining that an acceptable level of error exists between the model and the experimental data;
• and,
• wherein the acceptable level of error is from about zero percent to about 10 percent error.

A process for evaluating airflow performance, comprising the steps of:

• developing a three-dimensional computer-aided design model of a vehicle topology;
• discretizing the design model vehicle topology;
• discretizing a volume surrounding the design model vehicle topology, the volume having outer boundaries;
• identifying vehicle topology components upon which to collect empirical data;
• obtaining empirical data for identified components;
• establishing an airflow field model;
• validating the airflow field model in comparison to experimental data;
• obtaining a mass flow rate from the validated airflow field model;
• determining whether the mass flow rate is acceptable;
• altering the vehicle topology;
• altering the validated airflow field model to include changes to the vehicle topology;
• repeating the step of obtaining a mass flow rate and each subsequent step until an acceptable mass flow rate is determined;
• and,
• wherein the step of determining whether the mass flow rate is acceptable further comprises determining whether the mass flow rate is less than or equal to 10 meters per second.

A process for evaluating airflow performance, comprising the steps of:

• developing a three-dimensional computer-aided design model of a vehicle topology;
• discretizing the design model vehicle topology;
• discretizing a volume surrounding the design model vehicle topology, the volume having outer boundaries;
• identifying vehicle topology components upon which to collect empirical data;
• obtaining empirical data for identified components;
• establishing an airflow field model;
• validating the airflow field model in comparison to experimental data;
• obtaining a mass flow rate from the validated airflow field model;
• determining whether the mass flow rate is acceptable;
• altering the vehicle topology;
• altering the validated airflow field model to include changes to the vehicle topology;
• repeating the step of obtaining a mass flow rate and each subsequent step until an acceptable mass flow rate is determined;
• and,
• wherein the step of altering the validated airflow field model to include changes to the vehicle topology further comprises replacing only altered portions of the vehicle topology;
• and, retaining computational results of un-altered portions of the vehicle topology.

A process for evaluating airflow performance, comprising the steps of:

• developing a three-dimensional computer-aided design model of a vehicle topology;
• discretizing the design model vehicle topology;
• discretizing a volume surrounding the design model vehicle topology, the volume having outer boundaries;
• identifying vehicle topology components upon which to collect empirical data;
• obtaining empirical data for identified components;
• establishing an airflow field model;
• validating the airflow field model in comparison to experimental data;
• obtaining a mass flow rate from the validated airflow field model;
• determining whether the mass flow rate is acceptable;
• altering the vehicle topology;
• altering the validated airflow field model to include changes to the vehicle topology;
• repeating the step of obtaining a mass flow rate and each subsequent step until an acceptable mass flow rate is determined;
• wherein the step of altering the validated airflow field model further comprises subtracting portions of the model that do not reflect the altered vehicle topology and replacing the subtracted portions with portions that reflect the altered vehicle topology;
• and,
• wherein the step of altering the validated airflow field model further comprises retaining at least a portion of the calculations from the step of establishing an airflow field model.

A process for predicting airflow rates, comprising the steps of:

• developing a three-dimensional computer-aided design model of a test body topology;
• discretizing the design model test body topology;
• discretizing a volume surrounding the design model test body topology, the volume being bounded by a test chamber;
• identifying test body components upon which to collect empirical data;
• obtaining empirical data for identified components;
• establishing an airflow model;
• validating the airflow model in comparison to experimental data;
• obtaining a mass flow rate from the validated airflow model;
• determining whether the mass flow rate is acceptable;
• and,
• wherein the step of identifying comprises selecting a maximum discretization resolution, and detei mining whether the maximum discretization resolution is too low to accurately resolve the smallest aerodynamically relevant surface features of the test body.

A process for predicting airflow rates, comprising the steps of:

• developing a three-dimensional computer-aided design model of a test body topology;
• discretizing the design test body topology;
• discretizing a volume surrounding the design model test body topology, the volume being bounded by a test chamber;
• identifying test body components upon which to collect empirical data;
• obtaining empirical data for identified components;
• establishing an airflow model;
• validating the airflow model in comparison to experimental data;
• obtaining a mass flow rate from the validated airflow model;
• determining whether the mass flow rate is acceptable;
• wherein the step of validating comprises comparing predictions obtained from the airflow model to experimental data, and determining that an acceptable level of error exists between the model and the experimental data;
• and,
• wherein the acceptable level of error is from about zero percent to about 10 percent error.