Coolant problem

[Caprirs]

The chiller listed in the first post states a capacity of 2 hp. That equals to about 1.5 KW. From what I can find 1KW-hr equals 3512 BTU/hr. So if you need to move 14K BTU/hr, four of those chillers would be required.

I think the automotive radiators are a good suggestion. Even the wimpiest econobox car has an engine rated at 60hp. That means the cooling system has to be capable of rejecting approximately 60hp to the ambient air although it does not have to achieve ambient temps and it has a 60hp engine to drive the fan and water pump. Get a radiator for a heavy duty pickup truck, especially if it has an integral electric fan with shrouding. Then all that is needed is a 12VDC source.

[NC Cams]

It is purely a function of Delta T and Q where Delta T is the temp differential and Q is the amount of heat you're trying to dissipate.

The auto radiataor trick WORKS. It is cheap, easy to implement and anything but elegant. The amount of heat you need to dissipate is known. THe temp rise is all that you're trying to control.

If an auto radiator or radiators can keep a 100 thur 600 hp engine cool while dissipating perhaps a 70% thermal inefficiency factor, surely, keeping much less of a thermal load should NOT be a major undertaking. Chances are, you might even be in a sitaulation where you can overcool for the thermal load predicted. If so, simpyl slow down the coolant flow rate and/or the air flow thru the radiators or perhaps via the thermostat which you'll surely implement.

The plumbing of an auto radiator is not a major issue - not with PVC or tubing as it is anymore. Ditto that for pumps as it is now possible to find simple recirulating pumps ala what they use on IC engines. We found some real nice small 4 cyl Ford pumps that darn near drove themselves when we crafted up a supplmental cooling tower for a dyno quite a few years ago. Once you get the air out and managed, the thing dumps heat simply and effectively.

Besides, when you go to/with water to water heat exchange, you can regulate temps to unglodly close tolerancese even without relying on city water. The city water does the final "tuning" - the radiators dumps most of the heat whiichi is the hard part of the problem.

Calculating the heat flow WITHOUT knowing how much heat you can dissipate ACCURATELY thru the radiatiors is the PITA part. Finding out the heat flow consants is NOT an easy thing to dig out. The radiator guys don't offer up their secrets that readily. Reason: becuase underhood air flow is all EMPRIICALLY evolved and confrimted - they test the hell out of them based on SWAG"s and Calculations.

Solution: pick some big radiatiors. Force a bunch of air thru them and adjust the available vairables to get the Delta T you can live with from the Q you can dissipate.

[RICHARD ZASTROW]

Is the oil cooler from an automatic transmission adequate? Or multiples in a stack with a fan between? Oil to air heat exchanger using parts from the local junk yard?

I would still follow NC Cams suggestion on collecting data. Then you can share it with the rest of us on the Zone. We won't tell anybody, promise!!!! lol

Dick Z

[Teyber]

Originally Posted by Caprirs The chiller listed in the first post states a capacity of 2 hp. That equals to about 1.5 KW. From what I can find 1KW-hr equals 3512 BTU/hr. So if you need to move 14K BTU/hr, four of those chillers would be required. I think the automotive radiators are a good suggestion. Even the wimpiest econobox car has an engine rated at 60hp. That means the cooling system has to be capable of rejecting approximately 60hp to the ambient air although it does not have to achieve ambient temps and it has a 60hp engine to drive the fan and water pump. Get a radiator for a heavy duty pickup truck, especially if it has an integral electric fan with shrouding. Then all that is needed is a 12VDC source.

1hp~9-12k btu.... i thought at least? I think air cooling would be best bet, for practicality

[Smackre]

I am pretty sure 1hp = 2500btu and 1 ton = 12000btu

But the place who makes that unit said it was a 24000btu unit.