Re: Painting a radiator?

Posted by Duane WI on January 05, 2017 at 07:19:57 from (174.125.242.90):

In Reply to: Painting a radiator? posted by Jdr315 on January 04, 2017 at 19:24:27:

I think painting is just for looks. I think it does more to reduce heat transfer than help it.

There are three types of heat transfer methods.
1. Conduction: The transfer of heat through a material. Materials like aluminum, copper and brass are good at conducting heat through them. Plastics are poor at conducting heat through them. Paint is more like plastic and isn't a great conductor of heat. The thicker the material including layering paint on metal the worse it is at conducting heat. For conduction the paint is hurting heat transfer. Conduction has to happen to get the heat out of the radiator to the surface of the radiator core.
2. Convection: The transfer of heat from the fluid or gas from a solid surface. This happens twice in a radiator. On the inside when the antifreeze transfers the heat to the radiator core. On the outside when the radiator core transfers heat to the air. Convection is greatly improved by fluid or air flow. Thus the need for a fan.
3. Radiation: From a surface out to something to absorb the heat. Since the surface of the radiator is mostly internal. Meaning all of the fins face each other radiation doesn't help much. There is not a lot of surface area on a radiator that actually can radiate heat out and have it absorbed by something. Radiation from one fin to the next one doesn't help because each fin just absorbs the same heat it is giving up. Radiation from the radiator to the engine doesn't help because the engine is also radiating heat to the radiator. So the only surface in the radiator that can actually radiate heat is the front through the grill. The grill actually blocks the radiation and absorbs heat which warms it up warms the air flowing to the radiator. For radiation to be effective the radiator needs to be sitting out in the open with all surfaces exposed not enclosed in sheet metal sitting in front of a hot engine.

In a radiator there is first convection from the antifreeze to the radiator core. Then conduction from the radiator core to the fins. Then convection from the radiator surface to the air. The most resistant part of these three is the convection of the radiator surface to the air. Any radiation that happens is just a small part of the overall heat transfer.

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