Effect of a Dual Loop Thermal Management Arrangement with a Single Module Radiator on Vehicle Power Consumption

摘要

A single module radiator within a dual loop vehicle thermal management setup was investigated as a method for reducing the vehicle power consumption when the air conditioner was operating. The cooling fan and the air conditioning compressor consume the most vehicle power within the vehicle thermal management system. The simulation results indicated that the single module radiator decreased the fan power consumption by 31% compared to the dual loop setup while the power consumption of the air conditioning compressor did not change. The total vehicle power consumption improved by 3% compared to the dual loop setup when the air conditioner was operating and by 7% compared to the standard vehicle thermal management setup. The simulations revealed that this was due to an improvement in the underhood cooling airflow rates and an increase in the initial temperature difference between the coolant and air entering the radiator.