Impact of underhood leakage zones on the aerothermal situation - Experimental simulations and physical analysis

The present manuscript deals with experimental investigations on thermal effects of air leakage zones at the boundaries of the vehicle hood. Measurements are carried out on a Peugeot 207 (Front Wheel Drive) in wind tunnel. The front wheels are activated by the car's engine and rolling on controlling rollers built in the wind tunnel. In parallel, the wind velocity is well controlled in order to simulate real conditions of driving. The underhood compartment is equipped with 80 thermocouples distributed on different components. Three operating conditions are studied according to the engine's rpm, to the wind and wheels velocities. The leakage zones are purposely clogged with five different configurations. The effect of the leakage zones has shown significant impact on the temperature field and has been physically analyzed.