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Currently in automotive industrial, the emphasis on developing a better heat exchanger for vehicle thermal management is not only to address its functional performance but also its durability levels. One of the requirements for the latter is to test the heat exchanger in a simulated stone impact bench test with specified impact energy criteria. Due to various complex influence factors of this test, there is no existing simplified and physical-based relationship for heat exchanger design engineers to apply. With above considerations in mind and based on impact mechanical principles, impact heads configurations and heat exchangers geometrical details, this paper is proposing and developing a simplified impact mechanical models, where physical reasoned influence design factors can be presented and analyzed.

Radiator thermal cycle test is a test method to check out the robustness of a radiator. During the test, the radiator is going through transient cycles that include high and low temperature spikes. These spikes could lead to component failure and transient temperature map is the key to predict high thermal strain and failure locations. In this investigation, an accurate and efficient way of building a numerical model to simulate the transient thermal performance of the radiator is introduced. A good correlation with physical test result is observed on temperature values at various locations.

The current market uses Nylon66 or PA66 based compounds for radiator end tank applications. This study will focus on investigating the feasibility of using Polypropylene based compound material for radiator tank application. Interest in Polypropylene (PP) exists due to various material property advantages as well as cost and weight reduction opportunities. Study will involve 3 different grades of Polypropylene (PP). The Finite Element (FE) simulations and corresponding product testing will investigate the feasibility range for such compounds in radiator tank applications. Validated Finite Element (FE) model will be used to compute the Stress, Strain and Deflection magnitudes in the radiator using specific grade of Polypropylene. Various iterations will be computed to fully understand the effect of temperature on specific grades and its impact on the feasible application range.

Aluminum Radiator end tank is simulated for internal static pressure using Finite Element Analysis technique. Strain gage testing is done on the actual tank to collect strain data. Strain data from Finite Element results and the collected test data are compared to validate the brazing methodology used to simulate the brazed joint between various components. Also, pressure cycle test on the radiator end tank is simulated using Finite Element method. Radiator Tank consists of various components, which includes header, outlet tube, tank top and sides brazed together in the furnace at elevated temperatures. Separate Finite Element model is created for each individual component and joined together simulating appropriate brazed joints to perform the pressure cycle test. Constrain Equation Technique has been used to simulate the brazed joint and will be discussed in this paper. Also, included in the simulation is the extension of Radiator end tank to include core with fin & tube assembly.