Horton, Inc. has added a state-of-the-art cooling system simulator to the testing equipment at its Carmel, Ind., facility.
The simulator enables engineers to imitate real-world heat-producing conditions that engines encounter while precisely measuring the cooling capacity of fan designs.

When fully operational in the second quarter of 2009, the expanded capabilities will allow Horton to test fan drives and fans, and of radiators and charge air intercoolers used on virtually all sizes of on- and off-highway vehicles and equipment.

The cooling system simulator can test airflow through fans and shrouds, radiator cooling, intercooler (turbocharger) cooling, airflow and cooling performance of an entire vehicle. The resulting data allows Horton engineers to design and test fans and fan drives in the testing facility that are proven to deliver the required cooling needed for real world conditions.

"The simulator can replicate the temperature, pressure and airflow conditions of situations such as a truck hauling a large load up a hill in weather hotter than 100 degrees Fahrenheit," said Steve Wardleworth, general manager, fans and shrouds business unit and senior vice president of operations. "We then calculate the heat transfer of the cooling system, build the system, and test it to confirm that it meets or exceeds the most severe demands.

"It is essential that our customers have a cooling system that meets the requirements of the vehicle before the first production unit is built. This simulator ensures that the final installation will work, saving valuable time and better satisfying the end customers."



Horton's Indiana technical facility is also equipped to perform CFD (computational fluid dynamic) analysis. CFD analysis, combined with the cooling system simulator, provides a valuable testing service that will be offered to augment customers' in-house design and testing capabilities. The company is headquartered in Roseville, Minn., and has manufacturing plants in the United States and Germany, with a licensed manufacturing facility in Australia. info@hortonww.com