Wheel Loader Heat Exchange Process Analysis With Different Underhood Structures

The wheel loader has a compact underhood, with many components installing in it. The underhood heat dissipation system contains the cooling fan, radiators, wind guide cover, the air inlets and outlets in the cabin and so on. The cool air flows into the underhood by the rotating fan, and then it makes heat exchange with the radiators and flows out of the underhood after some components blocking and high-temperature parts heating. With the wheel loader power increasing and the heat dissipation demand improving, the wheel loader overheating problem becomes more evident and people pay more attention to it. The heat exchange process differs a lot and the heat dissipation effect varies because of different underhood structures. This paper analyzes the wheel loader heat exchange process with different underhood structures using CFD method. The main content is as follows:Firstly, the wheel loader underhood structures, the cause and influence of the overheating problem are introduced. Then the paper lists the current research status, proposing the major studies.Secondly, the paper introduces the CFD method and the k-ε turbulence model, then builds, simplifies the underhood model, and analyzes the heat exchange process of scraping, backing, and high-speed driving working conditions. From the analysis, some improvements are made to the heat dissipation system and the effect turns out to be better.Thirdly, the paper analyzes the heat exchange process of the underhood partition. This chapter starts with the three working conditions heat exchange process analysis of the plane partition model, and then do some research about how the inlets and outlets sizes affect the heat dissipation. After that, the trapezoid partition model is built by making some improvements to the plane partition, and its heat dissipation effect is better.Finally, how the fan’s locations affect the heat dissipation effect is analyzed. This chapter is mainly about four models three working conditions heat exchange process:(1) the blowing fan in the middle;(2) the sucking fan in the middle;(3) the blowing fan in the back;(4) the sucking fan in the back. Through a comprehensive comparison, the sucking fan in the middle model and the blowing fan in the back model perform better in heat dissipation than the other two.