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Based on the porous medium model, the monolayer coolant-side flow and heat transfer in the plate-fin oil coolers with 5 kinds of structures were numerically simulated by means of the finite volume method. The results indicate that the distribution of pressure and temperature is more even and the temperature difference is larger when the inlet and outlet are diagonally positioned than they are positioned on the same side, with the fins' layouts in the same direction. Given the same outlet positions, the distribution of pressure and temperature in the case of transverse arrangement of fins is more even, and the pressure difference is larger than those in the case of vertical arrangement, while similar temperature differences occur in both cases. The plate-fin oil cooler with clapboards has the biggest temperature difference as well as pressure difference 1 order of magnitude higher than that of other structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]