Low temperature radiator
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing modular radiators for low-temperature heating systems have high material usage and costs due to inefficient manufacturing processes, resulting in a low heat-output-to-weight ratio, despite using materials like copper and aluminum for enhanced thermal conductivity.
Innovation Solution
A radiator design featuring an extruded body with fluid channels and thin foil fins, connected by closure elements to form series fluid pathways and elongate air channels, with a casing that enhances air draft through a stack effect, allowing for increased natural convection and reduced material usage while maintaining or improving heat output.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If modular radiators are manufactured through extrusion or die-casting, then the radiator can be produced with standard manufacturing processes, but the material usage for fluid channels and fins is high resulting in low heat-output-to-weight ratio
Solution Approach 1:
The radiator is divided into separate components: an extruded body containing fluid channels, and separate thin foil fins attached to the body. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the body can be efficiently extruded while the fins can be made as thin, lightweight foils with high surface area, resolving the contradiction between manufacturability and weight efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The fins are made from thin foil materials rather than traditional thick metal sections. These thin films provide high surface area for heat transfer while minimizing material usage and weight, directly addressing the low heat-output-to-weight ratio problem while remaining compatible with standard manufacturing processes.
2Power
If materials with high thermal conductivity like copper and aluminium are used, then convective heat transfer is improved at lower temperature differences, but material costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Thin foil fins made from aluminium or other lightweight materials provide large surface area for convection at minimal material cost. The thin foil geometry maximizes the surface area-to-volume ratio, enabling effective convective heat transfer without requiring expensive high-conductivity bulk materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The fins are configured to extend in multiple directions from the extruded body, creating a three-dimensional heat transfer surface. This dimensional expansion increases the effective heat transfer area without proportionally increasing material usage or cost, allowing effective convection with lightweight, inexpensive materials.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the radiator is designed for low temperature difference operation, then heating system efficiency is improved, but radiative heat transfer reduces dramatically making convection the main component
Solution Approach 1:
The radiator design incorporates fins that extend in multiple dimensions from the fluid channels, creating extensive surface area for convective heat transfer. This dimensional expansion compensates for the reduced temperature difference by providing more surface area for convection to occur, maintaining effective heat transfer at lower operating temperatures.
Solution Approach 2:
Thin foil fins provide large surface area with minimal material, enabling efficient convective heat transfer at low temperature differences. The high surface area-to-volume ratio of the thin foils maximizes convective exchange between the radiator surface and surrounding air, making convection the dominant and effective heat transfer mechanism.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The radiator achieves a higher heat-output-to-weight ratio compared to prior art, with a heat-output of 80-100 watts per kilogram and a weight-to-heat-output ratio of 10-12.5 kg/kW, significantly reducing material costs and improving efficiency in heat transfer.
Implementation Method 1
convective heat transfer, in particular natural convection, can take place between the radiator and the surrounding environment
Implementation Method 2
The casing is configured to increase the draft of air through the air channels
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a radiator, which is configured to transfer heat between a fluid in an interior thereof and a surrounding environment, wherein the radiator comprises an extruded body with at least four fluid channels therein and two closure elements, which are sealingly mounted against head ends of the extruded body and are configured to fluidly connect adjacent fluid channels in series. The radiator further comprises fins, which extend along sides of the extruded body and are configured to increase the interfacial area between the radiator and the environment. The invention further relates to a heating system, comprising a fluid feed, a fluid discharge and a radiator. The invention further relates to a climate system, comprising at least one radiator, wherein the climate system is configured to regulate the climate in a chamber by means of heating or cooling the chamber with the at least one radiator.