4 ms·

I think this design works well only in the context of computer casing or similar. The warm air coming from Sandia doesn't seem to get very far away? So it would

by nosse 14y ago

I think this design works well only in the context of computer casing or similar. The warm air coming from Sandia doesn't seem to get very far away? So it would eventually disrupt the cooling process if it's not blown away by the regular fans of the computer housing. Isn't there a problem in fluid cooling that you can't really get the fluid as cool as the air where heat ends up eventually? My professor told that cars usually use fluid cooling because it makes engine temperatures more predictable, and therefore slight loss in efficiency is acceptable.

sliverstorm 14y ago
My professor told that cars usually use fluid cooling because... Fluid cooling is more stable, because you have the added thermal mass of a couple gallons of fluid. It is easier to regulate temperature, through the use of the thermostat. It also reduces problems with hotspots, and multi-cylinder engines can be made much more compact. Really, the question of efficiency is practically not even a concern- in modern times it is typically not until you have a racing engine, that you begin to have cooling problems. The real concerns are reliability and added complexity of the cooling system. The biggest advantages are improved longevity and performance of your engine. It is true that an old car going uphill on a roasty day with the A/C on may overheat, but even then it is often a problem with poor maintenance or the wrong mix of coolant. (When your coolant boils, your cooling system cannot cool the engine effectively. Vapor has far, far inferior heat conduction properties. This is one of the reasons why the system is typically pressurized)