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Automotive world is rapidly changing driven by the CO2 emission regulations [1], [2] worldwide asking for a dramatic fuel consumption reduction. The on board thermal management has a relevant role influencing the front vehicle design and sizing to assure the right heat rejection capacity and being crucial to guarantee the on board system efficiency and reliability. In this context the dual level cooling system with water cooled charge air cooling is a clear trend leading to a new generation of systems [3, 4]. This paper describes a compact solution to effectively implement a dual cooling loop system with water cooled charge air cooler and water cooled condenser on small/subcompact cars giving the opportunity to integrate additional modules (e.g. in case of hybrid powertrain) to the secondary loop.

In perspective of the incoming CO₂ emission regulation, the on-board heat management is becoming even more relevant to assure the engine performance improvement minimizing the impact on the vehicle lay out, cooling drag and cost. The paper highlights the benefit of dual-level heat rejection system where the conventional front module is replaced by two coolant-to-air exchangers and where the charge air cooler and condenser are liquid-cooled. This approach allows to review the engine bay design allowing a deeper integration level: the charge air cooler can be integrated in the air intake manifold while the condenser can be placed near the compressor minimizing the tube lengths and refrigerant charge. In addition, the coolant thermal inertia reduces the temperature fluctuations of the engine intake air temperature.