Computational fluid dynamics based performance evaluation of louvered fin radiator

The automotive industry has changed in recent years shifting from larger and heavier vehicles to small and lighter ones. The objective is to make its parts more efficient by improving its performance rating while decreasing its size or weight to make the vehicle more energy efficient and aesthetically appealing. Radiator being an essential part of an internal combustion engine was considered for this study. Its performance optimization will help reduce its size and achieve streamlined face of the vehicles to improve their aerodynamics. This study is concentrated on evaluating the performance of an existing rectangular fin tubular model radiator as a benchmark then comparing with louvered fin tubular model by help of commercially available Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software. The louvered fin tubular model shows huge levels of heat transfer performance improvement which can aid reduce the size of the currently used radiators. The results obtained were compared with the analytically obtained results of heat transfer for the radiator and the CFD results were satisfactory. The structural analysis provides insight on the product life-cycle and durability and ensures its workability in real world scenario.