Experimental Investigation of Thermal Performance of Novel Finned Radiators for Automotive Cooling System

This research investigates innovative fin-type radiators for automobile engine cooling system.Micro-channel and helical radiators,along with straight type,were analyzed for heat transfer characteristics under various conditions.The uniqueness of this study is evident in the design of microchannel and helical radiators.For helical radiators,the inner rod features 4/8 helical-shaped water galleries,while the outer tube frame with embedded fins remains consistent.In contrast,the microchannel radiators have compact trapezoidal-shaped water galleries with separate fin strips.Furthermore,the novelty of the research is enhanced by the utilization of 3D printing technology in the manufacturing process.In constant fin height analysis at varied water and air flow rate,Microchannel Water Air Radiator with fin height 10.5 mm(MCWAR10.5)depicted a higher heat transfer rate amongst the radiators.In comparison to Straight Water Air Radiator with fin height 9.5 mm(SWAR9.5),the heat transfer rate is 30.3%and 1.3 times higher.However,in constant fin surface area analysis,microchannel radiator(MCWAR3.2)illustrates lower heat dissipation than Helical radiator(HWAR138)but higher than HWAR134 and Straight radiator(SWAR6).The examination of pumping loss indicated that the Micro-channel radiator outperformed helical radiators due to its lower pressure loss.The average pressure loss for Micro-channel radiators was 0.74 kPa,making it 1.2 times higher than that of a straight radiator(0.62 kPa),indicating a better trade-off.