The principle of a car radiator is relatively simple. When driving, the momentum of the air cools the individual tubules, resulting in the hot coolant giving off heat. As a result, temperatures equalize – the coolant becomes cooler, while the space around the radiator heats up.
The cooling system in a car performs many important functions, without which it would be impossible to provide the drive unit with optimal operating conditions. One of its main components is the car radiator. What does a car radiator do, how does this part work and what are its most important tasks?
Automobile radiators are constructed of a pair of metal or plastic header tanks, linked by a core with many narrow passageways, giving a high surface area relative to volume. This core is usually made of stacked layers of metal sheet, pressed to form channels and soldered or brazed together. For many years radiators were made from brass or copper cores soldered to brass headers. Modern radiators have aluminum cores, and often save money and weight by using plastic headers with gaskets. This construction is more prone to failure and less easily repaired than traditional materials.
Radiators are heat exchangers used for cooling internal combustion engines, mainly in automobiles but also in piston-engined aircraft, railway locomotives, motorcycles, stationary generating plants or any similar use of such an engine. Internal combustion engines are often cooled by circulating a liquid called engine coolant through the engine block and cylinder head where it is heated, then through a radiator where it loses heat to the atmosphere, and then returned to the engine. Engine coolant is usually water-based, but may also be oil. It is common to employ a water pump to force the engine coolant to circulate, and also for an axial fan[1] to force air through the radiator.
Unique Composition and Physical Characteristics Aluminum alloys incorporate aluminum and other metals (e.g., copper, zinc, manganese, magnesium), giving them low density and high strength—used extensively in aerospace, automotive, construction, and sports equipment. Excellent thermal and electrical conductivity also make them valuable for electronics and power transmission.
An inlet restrictor is a device placed inside the inlet of a fuel tank or radiator system to control or restrict certain functions. In automotive fuel systems, it has specific uses, but some systems can apply similar concepts to coolant systems as well. Here is a breakdown of its uses:
