Patent ID: 8479853

Claim:
A system for controlling a flow rate of an airstream through a portion of a front end of a vehicle body, the system comprising: a hood configured to cover the portion of the front end to thereby define an under-hood area; a grille opening disposed at the front end of the vehicle body and configured to permit the airstream to enter the under-hood area from the ambient; a vent opening defined by the hood, wherein the hood is configured to permit at least a portion of the airstream to exit the under-hood area to the ambient; a selectable position shutter assembly configured to control the size of the vent opening and adjust a flow rate of the airstream through the under-hood area; and a divider arranged in the under-hood area and configured to split the airstream into a first portion and a second portion; wherein: the under-hood area houses an internal combustion engine and a heat exchanger, wherein the engine is cooled by a fluid circulating through the heat exchanger and the airstream is passed through the heat exchanger to cool the fluid after the fluid is passed through the engine, and wherein selection of the position for the shutter assembly varies the flow rate of the airstream passed through the heat exchanger; and after the airstream enters the under-hood area through the grille opening and is split by the divider, each of the first and second portions of the airstream is passed through the heat exchanger, and wherein the second portion is directed to the vent opening after the second portion of the airstream is passed through the heat exchanger.