Car radiators, also called water tanks, are an integral part of automotive cooling systems. Its function is to dissipate heat, reduce engine operating temperature, and ensure that it can work normally and efficiently. As a traditional product, the current technology of radiators has been able to meet the needs of automakers. Many people think that this technology is relatively mature and complete. However, it is understood that radiator technology development is still relatively backward compared with other engine components. In particular, with the tightening of energy-saving and emission-reduction policies and the acceleration of the promotion of new energy vehicles, this raises higher requirements for radiator design and technology.
Energy-saving emission reduction performance needs to be improved
Radiator has been developed for many years in China, and it belongs to more traditional technology. At present, there are many domestic production companies and products are uneven. As for the difference between the advantages and disadvantages of the product, the RAND of R&D personnel of the company said that it is mainly determined by three key factors: heat dissipation performance, weight and volume (light weight), and service life (reliability).
The improvement of emission standards has caused the engine to impose higher requirements on the heat dissipation performance of radiators. For example, in order to reduce NOx emissions, it is necessary to optimize injection timing, which will increase engine oil heat load; in addition, more and more consumers are pursuing dynamic performance. Driving pleasure, which promotes the continuous increase of engine power, resulting in a gradual increase in the amount of heat dissipation; In the new energy vehicles, the fuel cell vehicle heat load is very large. In the fuel cell system, about 50% of the energy is converted into heat by the water to the atmosphere. Compared with about 33% of the thermal load of the traditional internal combustion engine, the heat dissipation capacity of the radiator is higher. All require high performance heat sinks to assist. The heat dissipation performance has a great influence on the engine's power, economy and reliability.
In addition to emission reduction, energy efficiency and fuel consumption standards have also become serious problems faced by various vehicle manufacturers. Lightweighting has become one of the major solutions. Engine miniaturization has become a trend, which requires all parts including radiators to reduce their weight. . However, whether or not the miniaturization of the engine will lead to a reduction in the size of the radiator, said Shi Hua, the head of the technology department of the Fu'o-Visteon Heat Exchange System Co., Ltd., “This is not proportional, but the miniaturization of the engine requires that the performance of the radiator be continuously improved.â€
In terms of reliability, Feng Zonghui, general manager of Zhejiang Luneng Aluminium Oil Cooler Division and chairman of the board of supervisors, said, “The current OEMs are demanding higher and higher requirements for the service life of the radiators, including the matching of materials and the design of the products. It has a greater impact."
Under the policy of energy saving and emission reduction, high performance, light weight, and low cost will become the development trend of the radiator, which will lead to a new round of technological and product changes.
“To meet these three requirements, the selection of materials is of utmost importance. Currently, the main materials in the market are mainly aluminum. In the future, there may be new materials to replace them.†Wang Zhongzhu, Secretary-General of the Automotive Radiator Committee of China Association of Automobile Manufacturers Indicated.
Development of materials used
Because copper has good heat transfer performance, strong corrosion resistance, sufficient strength, good brazing performance, easy processing and good economics, the radiator industry has been using copper and copper alloy as the main radiator material. With the continuous development of industry, the consumption of copper is increasing. For the radiator industry, the issue of materials has become an urgent issue to be solved. The aluminum radiator has the advantages of light weight, high heat dissipation performance, low raw material cost, and good reliability. Since the mid-1980s, it has gradually replaced copper radiators and has been widely used in cars. In the course of 20 years of development, the tube wall has become thinner, the overall device has become lighter, and the heat dissipation efficiency requirements have also been gradually increased to meet the requirements of low-cost and high-efficiency markets.
However, aluminum radiators also have their drawbacks. Feng Zonghui said that the performance of aluminum radiators in terms of high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and high strength has yet to be improved. Secretary-General Wang Zhongzhu believes that the current problem of high temperature resistance is not very large, and the high pressure and high strength aspects need to be improved. Pan Yunxian, head of technology at Shanghai Beibei Thermal Systems Co., Ltd., pointed out that compared with copper, aluminum does have some shortcomings, but we have to look at the overall cost-effectiveness of a product. Overall, the advantages of aluminum far outweigh the disadvantages.
At present, some new materials are being gradually developed. Previously, Oakridge National Laboratory developed a unique graphite foam material with a density of 0.2-0.6 g/cm3 and a thermal conductivity of 40-187 W/mK. And because the foam is a honeycomb network structure, the contact surface area is very large, which can greatly increase the heat transfer coefficient. In addition, some engineering plastics are also gradually used on radiators that do not involve heat exchange components. Commonly used are reinforced nylon 66 (Nylon 66 with glass fiber) to inject water into radiators, radiator cores and water. Without brazing between chambers, mechanical assembly is used. However, it is unknown whether there are other non-metal materials such as polymer composites that can be used for heat sink heat-dissipation components in the future. However, firstly, the material itself needs to have good thermal conductivity, and it also needs a relatively large structure. Adjustment. At present, the research of radiators made of foamed materials can be seen from some foreign materials, and nanofluids are used as internal heat exchange media.
Reduction of technological gaps at home and abroad
“Before our technology was mainly copied, we currently have our own R&D team and we can independently research and develop.†Mr. Feng said with pride, “We have increased our investment in technology and talents, and we have constantly introduced experienced The international talents are basically the same as those of foreign-funded companies. After unremitting efforts, they have been matched with Ford, Mercedes-Benz, and General Motors.
Wang Zhongzhu also stated that “at present, there are many radiator manufacturers in China, and the technological gap at home and abroad is gradually narrowing. However, most of the supporting fields are mainly foreign-owned brands. Private enterprises mostly supply after-sales or export, and the foreign markets are developing well, but The domestic supply chain system of domestic vehicle companies is difficult to break."
However, for the existing gaps, the above two points indicate that there is still a certain gap between private and foreign countries in the standardization and automation of production. In addition, foreign brands have advantages in the matching of new energy vehicles and technology research and development.
For OEMs, the inherent philosophy still holds that foreign brands are relatively advanced in terms of technology and quality. Therefore, private enterprises will enter the supporting system in the future, and the resistance will remain large.
Technical discussion and cooperation
Although the current radiator technology is relatively mature and the gap between domestic and foreign companies has narrowed, the distance still exists. Where do these specific differences behave? Faced with the trend of energy-saving and emission-reduction of automobiles and the development of new energy vehicles, how do all companies improve on the basis of existing technologies to meet the needs of the actual development? For this, heat exchanger aluminum The leading supplier, Grandis Aluminum (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., has recently conducted a test study on the differentiation of radiator technology based on its position in the industry and unique observations. Based on precise research, the study selected 12 different types of heat sinks, and conducted microscopic measurements and research on the heat dissipation, thermal fatigue, vibration and corrosion resistance, as well as dimensions, weight, and design and construction. The industry provides differentiated and valuable references.
Project owner HOUSE told the reporter that there were few such studies before. As an upstream of the supply chain, on the one hand, we wanted to deepen understanding of radiator technology through research to promote product and technological innovation. At the same time, we hope to share this research result with our downstream radiator companies and let them find their own gaps from the subdivided data, so as to improve their technical strength.
According to reports, Grangers will hold a large-scale seminar on radiator-related technologies every two years to provide technology exchange platforms for domestic and foreign companies. This year's October will also hold such a grand event in Chengdu, focusing on the current technology of radiators. The status quo and future developments are discussed and the previous test reports are shared at the meeting.
Whether it is foreign or private enterprises, although there is a certain degree of familiarity in the radiator technology, it is necessary to keep pace with the rapid development of the entire vehicle and continue to expand and improve. Markets do not need to be old-fashioned, traditional technologies need to go beyond and improve, and mutual understanding and mutual promotion are not an advantageous way to promote technological innovation.
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