Car radiator heat transfer
Car radiator heat transfer
(OP)
Hello!
I've been dealing with the idea of using a car radiator for cooling an electric engine. The engine has the connectors made for hoses and it can be cooled with glycol/water (50/50).
But, I can't find any good piece of advice related to the heat transfer coefficient of any car radiator nor the head loss of the water that goes inside it. I know I can make a rough guess, but I'd prefer not.
The only experimental values I found:
- A 4025 Btu/min car radiator and its curves (of course that heat depends on the flow, at least) www.maplesoft.com/view.aspx?SF=6403/Radiator.pdf
- This curve on slide 19 http://es.scribd.com/doc/35669547/Heat-Transfer-in... that looks like a good piece of info, but has no references
Do you know more about this topic? I saw that there are papers related to nanoparticles used to improve cooling properties, but also no detailed info. It's important to note too that the temperature ranges will probably differ.
For now, I'll make a wild guess and let fly some numbers.
I've been dealing with the idea of using a car radiator for cooling an electric engine. The engine has the connectors made for hoses and it can be cooled with glycol/water (50/50).
But, I can't find any good piece of advice related to the heat transfer coefficient of any car radiator nor the head loss of the water that goes inside it. I know I can make a rough guess, but I'd prefer not.
The only experimental values I found:
- A 4025 Btu/min car radiator and its curves (of course that heat depends on the flow, at least) www.maplesoft.com/view.aspx?SF=6403/Radiator.pdf
- This curve on slide 19 http://es.scribd.com/doc/35669547/Heat-Transfer-in... that looks like a good piece of info, but has no references
Do you know more about this topic? I saw that there are papers related to nanoparticles used to improve cooling properties, but also no detailed info. It's important to note too that the temperature ranges will probably differ.
For now, I'll make a wild guess and let fly some numbers.





RE: Car radiator heat transfer
Still it sounds like you are in for a bit of testing.
What will you be using for a pump? That will make a big difference.
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Plymouth Tube
RE: Car radiator heat transfer
For the pump, I'll probably use a DC pump like this one http://martinsliquidlab.org/2011/03/09/laing-ddc-1...
RE: Car radiator heat transfer
RE: Car radiator heat transfer
RE: Car radiator heat transfer
I hope you've just made an error in listing those DC "pumps". They are minute compared to the flow in a car radiator. What size motor are you talking about cooling here??
My motto: Learn something new every day
Also: There's usually a good reason why everyone does it that way
RE: Car radiator heat transfer
RE: Car radiator heat transfer
I think you're concentrating on the wrong thing.
My motto: Learn something new every day
Also: There's usually a good reason why everyone does it that way
RE: Car radiator heat transfer
If that doesn't pan out (gut feeling says it will put you pretty close) then look for other applications that are similar to what you are trying to do. Maybe also look into automotive heater cores, you'd just be using it backwards and you'd have no real starting point for a pump.
RE: Car radiator heat transfer
Thanks for the advice LittleInch, but money is a factor too. With that in mind, car radiator seems to be the cheapest choice.
Those temperatures of the heat exchanger I haven't find them neither.
RE: Car radiator heat transfer
I kind of struggle to see why you're going to all this trouble, but it's been fun commenting on it....
My motto: Learn something new every day
Also: There's usually a good reason why everyone does it that way
RE: Car radiator heat transfer
I don't know of any automotive engine coolant heat exchanger that is designed for rejecting a 6kW load. That is a far smaller heat load than any automotive application requires.
Instead, I'd suggest looking at commercial liquid-to-air heat exchanger systems that use an electric fan.