Duct for engine bay cooling and ventilation

Abstract

An air cooling system provides cooling air within an engine bay of a vehicle. The vehicle includes a radiator and a cooling fan, the cooling fan is operable to force air to flow through the radiator, and the cooling fan is also operable to blow air within a blow zone away from the cooling fan and into the engine bay. The air cooling system includes a duct having a first end that defines an inlet, a second end that defines an outlet, and a sidewall that extends between the first end and the second end. The duct is operable to be mounted to the vehicle with the second end and the outlet disposed within the downstream blow zone such that air exiting the outlet is blown by the cooling fan toward the engine bay.

1 . An air cooling system for providing cooling air within an engine bay of a vehicle, the vehicle including a radiator and a cooling fan, the cooling fan operable to force air to flow through the radiator, the cooling fan also operable to blow air within a blow zone away from the cooling fan and into the engine bay, the air cooling system comprising:
 a duct having a first end that defines an inlet, a second end that defines an outlet, and a sidewall that extends between the first end and the second end, the duct operable to be mounted to the vehicle with the second end and the outlet disposed within the downstream blow zone such that air exiting the outlet is blown by the cooling fan toward the engine bay;   wherein a passage extends through the duct from the first end to the second end, the passage defined by an inner surface the inner surface including a projection that is operable to reduce momentum of a projectile that is moving through the passage from the first end toward the second end.   
     
     
         2 . The air cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the duct defines a longitudinal axis and wherein the outlet tapers outward radially from the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         3 . The air cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the duct defines a longitudinal axis that curves, the duct operable to be mounted to the vehicle such that the longitudinal axis curves from the inlet to the outlet both toward a roll axis of the vehicle and vertically upward along a yaw axis of the vehicle, 
     
     
         4 . The air cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the duct is operable to be mounted to the vehicle with the first end and the inlet disposed forward relative to the cooling fan such that airflow through the duct from the inlet to the outlet bypasses the radiator and the cooling fan. 
     
     
         5 . The air cooling system of  claim 1 , wherein the side wall includes at least one opening that receives airflow from the cooling fan to bias airflow into the inlet and out of the outlet. 
     
     
         6 . The air cooling system of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one opening is disposed within the blow zone. 
     
     
         7 . The air cooling system of  claim 1 , further comprising a compressed air source that is operable to selectively inject compressed air into the duct, a sensor that is operable to detect a predetermined condition of the vehicle, and a controller that causes the compressed air source to selectively inject compressed air into the duct to flow out of the outlet when the sensor detects the predetermined condition of the vehicle. 
     
     
         8 . The air cooling system of  claim 7 , wherein the sensor is a vehicle speed sensor that is operable to detect a vehicle speed of the vehicle, the controller causing the compressed air source to selectively inject compressed air into the duct to flow out of the outlet when the vehicle speed sensor detects the vehicle speed below a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         9 . The air cooling system of  claim 7 , wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor that is operable to detect a temperature in the engine bay, the controller causing the compressed air source to selectively inject compressed air into the duct to flow out of the outlet when the vehicle speed sensor detects the temperature in the engine bay above a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         10 . The air cooling system of  claim 7 , further comprising a compressed air chamber that is in communication with the compressed air source and that includes a compressed air opening that extends through the sidewall and that is disposed adjacent the inlet, the opening configured to generate a Coanda effect and induce airflow into the inlet from outside the vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A vehicle comprising:
 a vehicle body that defines an engine bay;   a radiator;   a cooling fan, the cooling fan operable to force air to flow through the radiator, the cooling fan also operable to blow air within a blow zone away from the cooling fan and toward the engine bay; and   a duct having a first end that defines an inlet, a second end that defines an outlet, and a sidewall that extends between the first end and the second end, the duct mounted to the vehicle body with the second end and the outlet disposed within the downstream blow zone such that air exiting the outlet is blown by the cooling fan toward the engine bay,   wherein a passage extends through the duct from the first end to the second end, the passage defined by an inner surface, the inner surface including a projection that is operable to reduce momentum of a projectile that is moving through the passage from the first end toward the second end.   
     
     
         13 . The vehicle of  claim 12 , wherein the duct is mounted to the vehicle body with the first end and the inlet disposed forward relative to the cooling fan such that airflow through the duct from the inlet to the outlet bypasses the radiator and the cooling fan. 
     
     
         14 . The vehicle of  claim 12 , wherein the vehicle body defines a vertical direction, and wherein the duct is mounted to the vehicle body with the first end mounted below the radiator assembly in the vertical direction. 
     
     
         15 . The vehicle of  claim 12 , wherein the side wall includes at least one opening that receives airflow from the cooling fan to bias airflow into the inlet and out of the outlet, wherein the at least one opening is disposed within the blow zone. 
     
     
         16 . The vehicle of  claim 12 , further comprising a compressed air source that is operable to selectively inject compressed air into the duct, a sensor that is operable to detect a predetermined condition of the vehicle, and a controller that causes the compressed air source to selectively inject compressed air into the duct to flow out of the outlet when the sensor detects the predetermined condition of the vehicle. 
     
     
         17 . The vehicle of  claim 16 , wherein the sensor is a vehicle speed sensor that is operable to detect a vehicle speed of the vehicle, the controller causing the compressed air source to selectively inject compressed air into the duct to flow out of the outlet when the vehicle speed sensor detects the vehicle speed below a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         18 . The vehicle of  claim 16 , wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor that is operable to detect a temperature in the engine bay, the controller causing the compressed air source to selectively inject compressed air into the duct to flow out of the outlet when the vehicle speed sensor detects the temperature in the engine bay above a predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         19 . The vehicle of  claim 16 , further comprising a compressed air chamber that is in communication with the compressed air source and that includes a compressed air opening that extends through the sidewall and that is disposed adjacent the inlet, the opening configured to generate a Coanda effect and induce airflow into the inlet from outside the vehicle. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled)