> One of the cable TV car shows just did a tour of the Be Cool custom
> radiator company and the head guy there said more thickness or rows is
> not the way to increase heat transfer - it's determined by the frontal
> surface area (height and width).
Not to sound cynical ... but I wouldn't take the word of someone selling
used cars that I had to have a used car ... likewise for custom radiators
...
The important thing is how much heat does the radiator transfer from the
water to the air, under actual operating conditions. Adding rows may be
counter-productive if the water flow is inadequate, since smaller rows
present more resistance to water flow. Adding thickness may be
counter-productive if airflow is inadequate, since it (usually) provides
more resistance to airflow. However, since the usual limiting factor is the
surface area of the radiator, any of these solutions will improve the
situation.
Randall
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