Thinking of blocking the grill in cold weather

[LeftieBiker]

The Leaf grille would probably require tape with pipe wrap. If I go the tape route I'll just tape on the blocker I made. I should do something though, as we are in a long-term cold spell now...

 

[knightmb]

..............

 

[Nekota]

I am not doing it for aerodynamics....

My homemade way of blocking it will be no great feat of engineering

There was a thread about insulating all the heater hoses . I bought a roll of the foil pipe insulation and will wrap everything incl the resevoir. If you pull the battery you get better access.

Is there a radiator or cooler for the engine? Or is it just airflow?

I am only going to use it at sub zero C temp so I am not worried about overheating anyhing. I will try and figure a way to easily put it on and off.

Just read this thread and didn't see a reply addressing the coolant for the engine. The electric motor engine, the inverter and the on board charger in the 2011 MY are all water cooled and all on the same coolant system with an air exchange radiator.

You can get a temperature logging device for about $70 that will record the temperature (also reads RH and dew point). It's about 10 cm long and 2 cm in diameter, records 16,000 readings at sample intervals of 30 sec to 60 minutes. To read the coolant temperature, I would wrap the logging device and the pipe/tube with insulation. The logging device has a USB port that is used to set the data logging parameters and readout the data with a Microsoft OS based program. The logging device uses a lithium battery so it works at cold temperatures.

I wonder if a temperature active grill could be made for cold climates. A quick search pulled up a device for satellites in space.

http://www.orbital.com/SatelliteSpaceSystems/SpaceTechnicalSystems/ManufacturingServices/Publications/Thermal_Louvers_Brochure.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And an SAE paper on the subject of active grill shutters. The Tesla model S is using these - I didn't know that !
http://papers.sae.org/2014-01-0633/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Abstract:
Automotive manufacturers are looking for ways to reduce the CO2 emissions of their vehicle fleet. Increasingly, OEMs are focusing on intelligent air flap systems, which enable high cooling capacity through maximum air flow when they are in an open position. In a closed position, they reduce drag and the time necessary to bring the engine up to operating temperatures. Electric vehicles like the Tesla S benefit from Röchling's Active Grille Shutters (AGS) with a total of four independently controlled flap systems and the new generation of actuators. The module extends the driving range through improved aerodynamics and ensures optimized battery cooling and temperature control. Maximum benefit can be achieved if the controlled air flap systems are mounted right in the front to optimize aerodynamics. While adaptive air flap systems are increasingly used to improve aerodynamics today, they can be a key component of a future thermoacoustic engine encapsulation. This presentation is giving an overview about the current active grille shutter systems as well as a prospect for further CO2 reduction when integrated into a thermoacoustic engine encapsulation.

 

[ElectricEddy]

I am not doing it for aerodynamics....

My homemade way of blocking it will be no great feat of engineering

There was a thread about insulating all the heater hoses . I bought a roll of the foil pipe insulation and will wrap everything incl the resevoir. If you pull the battery you get better access.

Is there a radiator or cooler for the engine? Or is it just airflow?

I am only going to use it at sub zero C temp so I am not worried about overheating anyhing. I will try and figure a way to easily put it on and off.

Just read this thread and didn't see a reply addressing the coolant for the engine. The electric motor engine, the inverter and the on board charger in the 2011 MY are all water cooled and all on the same coolant system with an air exchange radiator.

You can get a temperature logging device for about $70 that will record the temperature (also reads RH and dew point). It's about 10 cm long and 2 cm in diameter, records 16,000 readings at sample intervals of 30 sec to 60 minutes. To read the coolant temperature, I would wrap the logging device and the pipe/tube with insulation. The logging device has a USB port that is used to set the data logging parameters and readout the data with a Microsoft OS based program. The logging device uses a lithium battery so it works at cold temperatures.

I wonder if a temperature active grill could be made for cold climates. A quick search pulled up a device for satellites in space.

http://www.orbital.com/SatelliteSpaceSystems/SpaceTechnicalSystems/ManufacturingServices/Publications/Thermal_Louvers_Brochure.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And an SAE paper on the subject of active grill shutters. The Tesla model S is using these - I didn't know that !
http://papers.sae.org/2014-01-0633/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Abstract:
Automotive manufacturers are looking for ways to reduce the CO2 emissions of their vehicle fleet. Increasingly, OEMs are focusing on intelligent air flap systems, which enable high cooling capacity through maximum air flow when they are in an open position. In a closed position, they reduce drag and the time necessary to bring the engine up to operating temperatures. Electric vehicles like the Tesla S benefit from Röchling's Active Grille Shutters (AGS) with a total of four independently controlled flap systems and the new generation of actuators. The module extends the driving range through improved aerodynamics and ensures optimized battery cooling and temperature control. Maximum benefit can be achieved if the controlled air flap systems are mounted right in the front to optimize aerodynamics. While adaptive air flap systems are increasingly used to improve aerodynamics today, they can be a key component of a future thermoacoustic engine encapsulation. This presentation is giving an overview about the current active grille shutter systems as well as a prospect for further CO2 reduction when integrated into a thermoacoustic engine encapsulation.

I wonder if it would block VSP? Get one for the back too!

 

[LeftieBiker]

I wonder if a temperature active grill could be made for cold climates. A quick search pulled up a device for satellites in space.

The Japanese Prius has it, so there is no technological or real cost barrier.