DaimlerChrysler is developing new ways of creating computer models that will allow its designers to optimise airflow through vehicle ventilation and climate control systems, writes Jonathan Thomson.
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Researchers at the company’s laboratory for acoustics and climate control told just-auto.com that ventilation channels normally “snake their way around many corners” on the way from the engine to the interior, creating high resistance to the airflow.
Instead of using time-consuming numerical calculations to improve airflow, the laboratory said it had developed a faster method, which it calls “bionic optimisation”.
Researcher Franz Klimetzek said it now takes them “only a few hours” to design a low-loss airflow channel within the space available – a process that can take several days, even when using powerful computer systems.
While Mr Klimetzek would not reveal much about the new technique, he did explain: “The process is based on the fact that the airflow will always seek out the best route for itself.”
