Design and Implementation of Fog Light Ducts to Optimize Hot Air Recirculation and Heat Transfer in the Toyota Hilux

Ttito D.N.; Suarez D.Q.; Gutierrez J.A.; Quispe W.B.; Carpio P.P.; Arapa C.D. · International Journal of Heat and Technology (2025) · DOI: 10.18280/ijht.430502

Resumen

This study computationally develops and evaluates an air duct system designed to reduce hot gas recirculation within the engine compartment of a pickup truck (Toyota Hilux 2022), aiming to improve the thermal behavior of the underhood cooling system under low-speed urban and highway conditions. Two aerodynamic ducts (Design A and Design B) were created using 3D modeling in SolidWorks and analyzed through CFD simulations in ANSYS CFX with the k-ε turbulence model. Subsonic inlet conditions of 2.78 m/s (urban, 10 km/h) and 33.33 m/s (highway, 120 km/h) were defined to represent urban and highway environments. Design A exhibited a better outlet velocity distribution, while Design B showed internal pressure accumulations exceeding 6000 Pa due to higher geometric complexity. Based on these results, Design A was selected for further thermal and structural evaluation. A transient heat transfer study was conducted using ANSYS CFX, with detailed meshing of the engine, radiator, and duct. Additionally, MATLAB was used to validate convective heat transfer calculations at the duct outlet. A maximum temperature reduction of 7.22°C was achieved at the engine’s rear zone at 120 km/h. These results support the integration of low-profile frontal ducts to enhance thermal evacuation without major vehicle modifications.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa