Rapid Flow and Thermal Signature Design

The efficient design and evaluation of Army vehicles requires accurate simulation of the factors that affect the vehicle’s infrared signature and thermal conditions inside the vehicle. The model must account for all the transient heat transfer within and outside the vehicle, including heat from the engine, air flow within the engine compartment, exhaust system, ventilation inside the vehicle, the heat and moisture produced by the crew, wind convection, solar loading, and radiation exchange with the surrounding environment. The simulation of cabin temperatures is important to managing the infrared signature as well as ensuring the proper functionality of vehicle electronics, and avoiding the degradation of soldier performance caused by exposure to heat and humidity. Through a Phase I effort, ThermoAnalytics, Inc. began development of a single-solver design tool for Army ground vehicles. This tool will be based on the signature prediction code MuSES (Multi-Service Electro-Optic Signature) that predicts the transient thermal behavior and EO-IR signature of vehicles and humans. The prediction of air flows and convection within the crew cabin, engine compartment and exhaust system, as well as wind convection across the exterior of the vehicle, will be modeled with a fluid flow solver that is an integral part of MuSES.