Aeroacoustics Analysis of Radiator Installation Effects in a Pulling Engine Cooling Module

Fan noise is a critical issue for manufacturers, as they must balance aerodynamic and acoustic performance. Coupling a fan with a radiator in a pulling configuration, introduces significant challenges. Since it is challenging to perform scale resolved simulations of a radiator, an equivalent fluid approach is adopted. This study investigates the effects of an equivalent porous medium mimicking the radiator, and casing geometry on inflow and noise sources in an industrial cooling fan. Three configurations (Fan + Frame + Equivalent Porous Medium, Fan + Frame, Fan) are investigated using high-fidelity simulations. While aerodynamic performance remains consistent, the equivalent porous medium and casing geometry introduce inflow distortions, causing tonal noise variations, particularly in the full module configuration.