Design and optimization af a race car cooling system

The aim of this thesis is the design and the optimization of water radiator for the Tatuus F3 race car. Tatuus is a racing car manufacturer which designs, produces and sells cars for different racing categories. In a race car is essential that weight and occupied volume are kept as low as possible. This requirement is achieved by optimizing the vehicle’s components. For this reason, Tatuus commissioned a project focused on the optimization of heat exchangers. It is very important that the flow inside every radiator is as uniform as possible, to make it works in the most efficient way. With this respect, if in some channels the flow-rate is low or nil, they do not contribute to the cooling process, hence represent a waste of space and weight. To avoid this, it is crucial that inlet and outlet collectors have a shape such that the flow is distributed almost uniformly inside each channel. This optimization can be obtained simulating different radiator configuration with CFD software and analyzing the internal flow distribution. Using simulation solutions, it was possible to design radiators that guarantee a sufficiently uniform flow.