Numerical analysis and design optimization of engine room to improve cooling performance for a mid-class excavator

Abstract

Excavators perform high-load operations in mainly a fixed place, and the heat balance is determined by the performance of the cooling system. Prediction of the cooling system performance is difficult due to non-uniformity of the air flow field inside the engine room and complicated boundary conditions. In the present study, CFD analysis of the engine room was performed for a preliminary evaluation of the cooling system performance of an excavator, and the analysis technique was validated by comparison with heat balance test results for an actual vehicle. CFD analysis was performed according to the design of experiment method for three types of internal design variables and two types of external design variables. A sensitivity analysis of the engine room design variables was performed and a regression model for the major design variables was proposed. Based on the regression model, optimization was conducted for the engine room layout for performance improvement.