How to Improve LXi Engine Cooling Performance

[cmillsap]

David,

There may be more of a hot air recirculation issue with the panel totally removed than with louvers added to the panel when in stop & go traffic.

I doubt that those louvers would have much negative effect on the coolant temps while sitting in stop and go traffic. There maybe a little recirculation of hot air but the minimal load on the S60 would more than compensate for the hot air regenerated back through the radiator.

I also suspect that adding the louvers will not fully duplicate the results you experienced in your test run with the panel completely off. So the question would be just how much cooler would the coolant temperature run with just the louvers as designed in the schematic.

Before spending time designing a panel with closable louvers, it would be prudent to try a panel with just the louvers as presently designed. Who knows, they may help. Obviously, BB didn’t install them on the Wanderlodge. It could be that they felt they didn’t need them. But those engineers probably never tried climbing Baker Hill in 115 degree heat. I have and I know how excruciatingly slow you must go to keep coolant below 205*F. It’s a long way to the top of that hill.

You mentioned that the louver panel was probably fitted to the LTC40. I would think most LTC40s would experience more day to day stop and go city traffic than a Wanderlodge.

If later, you find a need to close the louvers at idle or low speed, a simple solution would be to follow the technology developed to close the awnings at a certain wind speed. In this case, use wind speed to open the louvers with a simple air cylinder and a 2 way control valve.

Chuck