Comparative Study and Performance Analysis of Copper, Aluminium and Cuprobraze Radiators Using Flow Simulation Software

Cooling system in an automotive vehicle plays an important role in the engine performance. It dissipates excessive heat and maintains the performance of an engine at an optimum level. Size of the radiator mainly depends on heat load and availability of space. In this paper, an attempt has been made to examine the performance of radiators namely copper, aluminium and Cuprobraze employed in various commercial vehicles. Specifications of copper radiator and validation of numerical analysis were identified. After modifying the material properties of a radiator, performance analysis have been carried out using fluid flow software, which is fully integrated in solidworks for computing fluid flows. The result obtained from the analysis is commendable and this method may be taken as an effective approach for the prediction of heat transfer in radiators. Though aluminium has noted to perform better than copper and Cuprobraze, but it has limitations such as irreparability, non recyclability. This paper proposes an alternative solution for existing aluminium radiator with suitable cuprobraze radiator to provide required cooling effect to the engine, thereby overcoming the drawbacks of the radiator.