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The present paper is part of a more comprehensive study concerning the surface flow in the engine compartment and focuses on the fluid flow of a cooling system in a modern vehicle. The complexity of this field needs to further optimization in the integration of 3D CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) methods. An important focus lies on the modeling of radiators and fans. A new simulation method needs to be validated. For this purpose a component test bench was built. This paper shows the results oft the simulation on the test bench and the CFD analysis. All the fan and radiator model configurations have been studied by means of a commercial CFD package. The comparison of the results gives a better understanding of the total system performance for a faster and more reliable preliminary design.

Developing a low interior noise level of vehicles is a big challenge - even a greater one if one thinks about aeroacoustics. Aeroacoustic noise and its origins are usually identified with the help of prototypes when exterior design changes or the replacement of exterior parts like side mirrors are very limited. However, computational aeroacoustic (CAA) methods in virtual project phases offer more design options for the vehicle's geometric shape. The early consideration of aeroacoustic relevant design changes helps to keep project costs low by avoiding tool changes. This paper describes MAGNA STEYR's virtual aeroacoustic process starting from standardized model generation and simulation of wind noise, including the validation of computational results via comparison with measurement data gathered in an acoustic wind tunnel. The simulations are carried out using the commercial CAA code “PowerFLOW” (Exa) based on the Lattice-Boltzmann method.