[Fot] Aluminum Radiators and Electrolysis

[Bill Babcock]

Actually the theory still holds true, there's just better ways of  
doing things, and materials can be overcome by superior engineering  
or design that optimizes the materials. Built the same way, a copper  
radiator will transfer much more heat than an aluminum one, but it  
will weigh a ton. so the designer specifies much thinner walls, and  
that helps both the conduction and the weight, but it becomes as  
fragile as aluminum. Or the designer chooses aluminum and designs for  
better airflow and uses the fins to brace the tubes so they can be  
thinner. It's all compromises my friends. Look at the stuff they use  
in aerospace and dream. Heat exchangers with exotic metals, swirl  
tubes, super high surface area inside the tubes created by micro  
crimping the tubes to make fins. If we used those radiators in our  
cars they would be dinky--the size of an oil cooler, but they'd cost  
more than our car, and our house. they can't even afford them for F1.

On Jan 30, 2007, at 12:40 PM, John W wrote:

> Really-
> In practical use it seems with my experience that Aluminum is a better
> conductor-
> I have a 2 row x 1" aluminum radiator that will run circles around any
> copper radiators I've used , including a custom
> 4 row I had made-  Plus I have a hard time believing a Copper  
> radiator is
> the same weight since I actually weighed mine and saved a ton of  
> weight with
> approximately the same dimensions- Maybe Theory is not all its  
> cracked up to
> be in certain real world applications?
>
> John W.
> Spitfire #892 DP
> 240z CP3
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <chasgee at aol.com>
> To: <ryoung at navcomtech.com>; <chris at tr4-racing.de>;  
> <fot at autox.team.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2007 2:15 PM
> Subject: Re: [Fot] Aluminum Radiators and Electrolysis
>
>
>> Oops, I stand corrected.  I was thinking of silver.  At least its  
>> silver
>> in color!
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: ryoung at navcomtech.com
>> To: chasgee at aol.com; chris at tr4-racing.de; fot at autox.team.net
>> Sent: Tue, 30 Jan 2007 1:55 PM
>> Subject: RE: [Fot] Aluminum Radiators and Electrolysis
>>
>>
>>
>>> Actually, aluminum is a better conductor.
>>
>> Not correct.  For the same thickness, copper (and brass, which is  
>> what
>> radiators use) are better conductors of heat (and electricity) than
>> aluminum.
>>
>>>  I'm impressed that
>>> your copper radiator weighs the same as an aluminum one,
>>> especially since copper is heaver than steel.  Must be really
>>> small in comparison.
>>
>> Or simply thinner than aluminum.  Since brass is also stronger than
>> aluminum, not too hard to do.
>>
>> Randall
>>
>>
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