Ideas to build Active grill ?

[holypaulie]

Have anybody tried to build own active grill ? Any ideas ?

[RoadWarrior]

Ford was meant to have designed a "passive" active grille, had aerodynamic slats set at just the right angle to deflect air up and over at above a certain speed.

I'm toying with the idea of a less sophisticated "windslammer" bolted to the front edge of the bumper, allowing air gap behind and above it. I figure at highway speeds it will push air up and over but at low speeds will allow cooling and will allow adequate ventilation when stopped with the fan running.

[kamesama980]

Some semis do this with adjustable louvers kinda like venitian blinds but operated like a butterfly valve rather than bits of string.

It depends on what you're trying to accomplish as to what will work better. if you just want more/less airflow for cooling, then butterfly valve like louvers will work well (if you can get a hold of them) if you want something primarily aerodynamic that can open a little in warm weather, you may want something more like a garage overhead door

[RoadWarrior]

A lot of guys younger than about 30 probably haven't seen one, but a manual choke cable might work well as an actuator.

[cfg83]

RoadWarrior -

Ford was meant to have designed a "passive" active grille, had aerodynamic slats set at just the right angle to deflect air up and over at above a certain speed.

I'm toying with the idea of a less sophisticated "windslammer" bolted to the front edge of the bumper, allowing air gap behind and above it. I figure at highway speeds it will push air up and over but at low speeds will allow cooling and will allow adequate ventilation when stopped with the fan running.

I got the idea from someone else to have a gravity assisted hinged panel that would be open at below-highway speeds :

1204

At rest, the panel would still be elevated by "bumps" that would double as weights. At higher speeds, the air/speed/wind pressure would close the panel. The good thing is that it's default position is "normal", open for cooling.

You'd need to tune it, i.e. add weights/bumps to the panel that would cause it to fall down at non-highway speed "X". I suppose you could do that with a stationary fan if you know what air/speed/wind pressure it is generating.

CarloSW2

[lunarhighway]

cfg83 what about useign some kind of rubber thats attached so that it's naturally open, but flexible enough to be pushed close by the ram air?

heres something i thought of... perhaps it's a little far fetched

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j55/thelunarhighway/active.png

the basic idea is that one might have better cooling by creaing a ducted exit path for the air, that even create suction at high speeds, and the intake could be a low drag naca intake. at the same time you could have a vertical cooling duct for low speeds, as hot air rises it can have an exit at the top and cool air can be drawn in by the fans from below. you could have all the intakes at the bottom to perhaps.

[tweakmenow]

This is for my 97 Honda D16Y8. A choke cable easily moves a coroplast door, sliding on rails cut from a rain gutter leaf shield. A small square piece of aluminium with a set-screw locks the cable in proper position. The rails were siliconed to the vehicle. I keep the door fully closed until the Scanguage reports the water temp to operating range. Then, depending upon the OAT and vehicle speed, I know just how much to open the slide. During long EOC. I close the door to keep in the heat. Total cost for everything is $15.00
It's awesome to be able to operate this from your seat... :p

[cfg83]

lunarhighway -

Your idea seems like an elegant solution, but I don't have the smarts to know if it will function as desired. I am trying to think of a simple+robust solution.

Here's another idea I just thought of, but I think it only applies to a stub nosed car like a Scion Xb :

1210

It would "swivel" up to close at high speeds while forming an air dam at the front, but the bottom would stick out (almost) horizontally at low speeds. Except for the frontal part that becomes an air dam, it would also be easier to drive in parking lots.

Note: I am *not* addressing the sides. This is only a flat-front proposition.

CarloSW2

[cfg83]

tweakmenow -

This is for my 97 Honda D16Y8. A choke cable easily moves a coroplast door, sliding on rails cut from a rain gutter. A small square piece of aluminium with a set-screw locks the cable in proper position. The rails were siliconed to the vehicle. I keep the door fully closed until the Scanguage reports the water temp to operating range. Then, depending upon the OAT and vehicle speed, I know just how much to open the slide. During long EOC. I close the door to keep in the heat. Total cost for everything is $15.00
It's awesome to be able to operate this from your seat... :p

Well done :thumbup: :) !!!!

CarloSW2

[boxchain]

lunarhighway -

Your idea seems like an elegant solution, but I don't have the smarts to know if it will function as desired. I am trying to think of a simple+robust solution.

Here's another idea I just thought of, but I think it only applies to a stub nosed car like a Scion Xb :

1210

It would "swivel" up to close at high speeds while forming an air dam at the front, but the bottom would stick out (almost) horizontally at low speeds. Except for the frontal part that becomes an air dam, it would also be easier to drive in parking lots.

Note: I am *not* addressing the sides. This is only a flat-front proposition.

CarloSW2

That's a good idea. :thumbup: It could be done with springs, the only thing would be to figure out which spring to use (winding your own with music wire would be best), and rig up mounting brackets.

Of course, in order to get the clearance to swivel, you will have to have a gap in your grill block. And the force of air on the bottom side has to be greater than the force of air on the top (which is trying to open it back up). Might be a rough ride for coroplast :o

I think if you bent down the bottom so that there is some A for the air to start pushing on, it would work.

[theclencher]

I'm gonna put my money on gravity/airflow/spring-loaded doors doing a lot of flapping around in the wind. Then the flapping will drive you nuts, you'll pull over, then you'll rip it to smithereens if it hasn't already self-destructed.

[usedgeo]

Your system is very good. I have removed the air dams on my Saturns and blocked the grills. I am thinking of using a panel behind the bumper on the bottom that I can pivot down to catch the air. The air would go up and through the radiator when needed. No drawings yet. If I put a large air dam on the car I will need to copy your idea.

This is for my 97 Honda D16Y8. A choke cable easily moves a coroplast door, sliding on rails cut from a rain gutter leaf shield. A small square piece of aluminium with a set-screw locks the cable in proper position. The rails were siliconed to the vehicle. I keep the door fully closed until the Scanguage reports the water temp to operating range. Then, depending upon the OAT and vehicle speed, I know just how much to open the slide. During long EOC. I close the door to keep in the heat. Total cost for everything is $15.00
It's awesome to be able to operate this from your seat... :p

[Snax]

This is for my 97 Honda D16Y8. A choke cable easily moves a coroplast door, sliding on rails cut from a rain gutter leaf shield. A small square piece of aluminium with a set-screw locks the cable in proper position. The rails were siliconed to the vehicle. I keep the door fully closed until the Scanguage reports the water temp to operating range. Then, depending upon the OAT and vehicle speed, I know just how much to open the slide. During long EOC. I close the door to keep in the heat. Total cost for everything is $15.00
It's awesome to be able to operate this from your seat... :p
That looks like the most reliable way to do it.

Nice job!

[boxchain]

I'm gonna put my money on gravity/airflow/spring-loaded doors doing a lot of flapping around in the wind. Then the flapping will drive you nuts, you'll pull over, then you'll rip it to smithereens if it hasn't already self-destructed.

Yeah, maybe. I'm just afraid of doing a grill block with our 7 months of 90 degree weather. :(

And if anything, I tend to overbuild, so I'd have to be the one to rip it out :D

[cfg83]

theclencher -

I'm gonna put my money on gravity/airflow/spring-loaded doors doing a lot of flapping around in the wind. Then the flapping will drive you nuts, you'll pull over, then you'll rip it to smithereens if it hasn't already self-destructed.

Ha ha, good point. I can see Homer ripping it to shreds! Here's another variation on the same :

1213

The "slow speed" state would have a gap between the flaps for wind to get into and open it at higher speeds. There would have to be a spring somewhere to "push it back" at slower speeds.

CarloSW2