radaitor blocking powered damper???

[lextoy]

i am no expert on the prius electronics, but i cant help wondering why noone has put together a kit to automatically block the radiator in colder temps, unblock in warmer temps.
obvious gains in mpg, and readily available damper systems, should be easily adaptable to our needs.
HVAC dampers are avaialbe in all shapes and sizes. this one i found comes spring loaded to fail open... or spring loaded to fail closed(better for prius),
can be custom sized to any dimension, i think our radiators are about 24 wide by 14 tall???
4" deep so should fit in front of radiator with minor mods.
motorized, motor can be mounted on side or on top or bottom, so ideally placed to fit in a prius.
only problem is what to wire it to, independent Tstat control, or integrated into prius system. its 24 V also, but any decent electrician or HVAC person should be able to figure out how to turn the motor.
its all aluminum, so easy to cut and modify, and add brackets to with sheet metal screw or rivets, and easy to cut extra holes in louvers along bottom row, for example, for full time partial ventilation of inverter loop.

i am no engineer, but some of you are very skilled, i wonder why noone has gotten this solved, or is it jsut not necessary, easier to shove pipe insulation into the grilllol

http://www.zonefirst.com/products/ZD.pdf

[lextoy]

can probably retrofit a 12 v motor for less than 4 dollars. maybe even order it with a 12v motor,
or order it with no motor at all. pop in a 12 v.

[lextoy]

here we go.
12v system already available
any size you want 24X14 would be approx 600mm X 350mm
powdercoated anodized electroplated...
price shown 18-52 dollars each depends on size i assume.

Electric Air Damper - Detailed info for Electric Air Damper,Air Damper,Electric Air Damper,OBD-B on Alibaba.com

[lextoy]

who knows exactly when the cooling fans turn on?
when the AC is running YES
AC ON above 25mph ????
AC ON below 25 mph ????
when required to cool the engine below 25 mph YES
when required to cool the engine above 25 mph ????????
as i have read, cooling fans almost never come on, even in summer heat, except when called upon by the AC

so we could probably simply hardwire the damper motor to the fan motor, fans on damper open, fans off damper closed. assuming the damper is sprung closed in the off position.
only question is then, will engine know to turn on fans in a high temp, high speed run.
like going down the highway at 70 mph in 90F degree heat...???
temps below 50F not a problem, nothing heats up in winter temps
short trips below 15 miles not a problem, nothing heats up until after about 10 miles
lower speeds 0-40 mph not a problem, ICE intermittent, MG intermittent

only problem is high speed, long trips, high temps, how does prius stay cool then, normally airlfow provides ample cooling, even though ICE and MG are running more strenuously, but if you block airflow??
if fans would come on intermittently while running, then it would be fine.
is normal airflow in summer temps too much?? aka does the prius actualy get too cold when running at high speed in high temps??
has anyone monitored unblocked temps in the summer to see if ICE stays hot or gets too cool???

[mort]

Originally Posted by lextoy

i wonder why noone has gotten this solved, or is it jsut not necessary, easier to shove pipe insulation into the grilllol

http://www.zonefirst.com/products/ZD.pdf

Most likely you can buy a lot of pipe insulation for what one damper costs

-mort

[lextoy]

ahhh
but the damper could be automatically adjusted for optimum temps year round,
insulation requires daily monitoring, and attentive owner.
damper could be dummy proof.
why toyota doesnt do this is beyond me...

[Patrick Wong]

Originally Posted by lextoy

...why toyota doesnt do this is beyond me...

1. Incremental cost
2. No customer demand for that feature

Note that starting in 2011, auto manufacturers will need to perform fuel economy tests in cold temperature operation. That might prompt some manufacturers to devise a damper design.
Regulatory Announcement: EPA Issues New Test Methods for Fuel Economy Window Stickers | Fuel Economy | US EPA

Also note that the fail-safe mode should allow the damper to be fully open, since that would provide maximum cooling for the engine compartment, thus providing highest reliability. If the fail-safe mode was for the damper to be shut, then the powertrain would be impaired under hot ambient temps.

[don_chuwish]

It's a common topic at EcoModder. I've seen several threads where someone has an idea for it:
Arduino controlled actuated grill block
Lower Grill block that can open and close
Active grill block idea

One from Chevy:
Chevrolet Cruze Eco to Have Variable Geometry Air Shutter for Better MPG : TreeHugger

But personally I think if this is going to be done it should be louvres that are flush smooth with the bumper when closed, not hiding behind the open maw of the grill. They should open/close in increments as dictated by engine temperatures, not ambient temps. Faster warmup in all conditions and most likely closed at speed for better aero.

- D

[ken1784]

FYI for Gen3 Prius...
AEROPRIUS YURASTYLE-neo

Ken@Japan

YouTube - SANY0018.MP4

YouTube - SANY0018.MP4

[lextoy]

aha!!!!! very sweet, looks to be manual control? still requires driver to monitor temps. love the integration into bumper, instead of wedging btw grill and radiator.
very small, not much larger than a license plate.
could a Tstat be wired inline to actuate when coolant reaches specified temp?
easy to tap a sensor into radiator inlet.
just monitor sensor along with scangauge engien temps to figure out what best temp would be to open damper.