Cooling system for a vehicle

Abstract

A box-like cooling system ( 10 ) is provided for use in a vehicle. The system ( 10 ) include a plurality of heat exchangers ( 16, 18, 20 ) in a box-like arrangement around a radial fan ( 12 ) that directs a radial air flow through the cores ( 42 ) of the heat exchangers ( 16, 18, 20 ). The system ( 10 ) includes a front wall ( 22 ) having an inlet opening ( 60 ) for the air flow drawn by the fan ( 12 ), and a plurality of dynamic air flow ports ( 66 ) that are closed when the fan ( 12 ) is in an operating state providing the radial cooling air flow to the heat exchangers ( 16, 18, 20 ), and are open when the fan ( 12 ) is in a non-operating state and there is a dynamic air pressure on the front wall ( 22 ) produced by forward movement of the vehicle so as to allow a cooling air flow through the ports ( 66 ) into interior space ( 26 ) of the cooling system ( 10 ) and then through the cores ( 42 ) of the heat exchangers ( 16, 18, 20 ).

I claim:  
     
         1 . A cooling system for a vehicle the provides an air stream with a dynamic air pressure to the cooling system produced by forward motion of the vehicle, the cooling system comprising: 
 a radial fan rotatable about an axis, the fan having a non-operating state wherein the fan is not driven about the axis and an operating state wherein said fan is driven about the axis to deliver a radial air flow to the cooling system;    a plurality of heat exchangers spaced radially from the fan and arranged around the fan to receive the radial air flow therefrom, the heat exchangers bounding an interior space of the cooling system; and    a front wall covering an opening to the interior space bounded by the heat exchangers, the front wall including 
 an air inlet to direct an axial air flow to the fan, and  
 a plurality of dynamic air flow ports spaced from the air inlet, the ports having an open state wherein the ports allow a cooling air flow into the interior space in response to the radial fan being in the non-operating state and a dynamic air pressure on an exterior side of the front wall, and a closed state wherein said cooling air flow into the interior space is substantially blocked in response to the fan being in the operating state.  
   
     
     
         2 . The cooling system of  claim 1  wherein said ports comprise a plurality of openings through the front wall and at least one flapper valve having a closed position wherein said valve covers at least one of said openings in response to the radial air flow of the fan and an open position wherein said valve is spaced from said opening to allow said cooling air flow in response to said dynamic air pressure being greater than an air pressure in the interior space.  
     
     
         3 . The cooling system of  claim 2  wherein said at least one flapper valve comprises a flexible member cantilevered to an interior surface of said front wall.  
     
     
         4 . The cooling system of  claim 1  wherein said ports comprise a plurality of openings through the front wall and at least one closure element movable between a closed position and an open position in response to signals that control said operating and non-operating states of the fan.  
     
     
         5 . The cooling system of  claim 4  wherein said at least one closure element is located on the exterior side of the front wall.  
     
     
         6 . The cooling system of  claim 4  wherein said at least one closure element is located on an interior side of the front wall.