User:Martinhoelscher26/sandbox

History: Radiators over the years evolved to improve their performance. Since cars were created in 1900’s all engines were air cooled they didn’t have a radiator like how the older version of the Volkswagen Beetles. When radiators were beginning to be installed they used brass and copper (Copper Development Inc., 2013). The reason they used brass and copper was due to the metals many benefits, like their ability to withstand heat. In the 1970’s Volkswagen invented the water-cooled engine. At the time oil was becoming scarce and made car manufactures begin to use lighter materials to create their automobiles. Radiators at first were made of cooper and brass but, due to the oil scarcity car manufactures were switching to aluminum radiators as an alternative which is about a third of the density of the previous copper and brass radiators but, still was capable of withstanding heat. Another advantage for car manufactures was that aluminum radiators being made in the automobile industry was that it was cheaper to manufacture which also, meant it was cheaper quality. A major disadvantage for the consumers were that due to the new aluminum radiators customers would have to pay almost double for repairs on their aluminum radiators when compared to the old copper and brass radiators when they were damaged due to corrosion. A major problem that also occurred in the aluminum radiators were pin-hole corrosion which, made the radiators irreparable and had to be replaced to fix. In the late 1900’s nearing the twenty-first century the copper and brass radiators industry planned on making a comeback (Copper Development Inc., 2013). The industry invented a stronger, lighter, and durable radiator that was more compact that previous models. They were able to make a better design of a copper and brass radiator with the new technology of a laser welding with no -flux braising and electroscopic coating. Also, I am giving credit to Copper Development Association Inc. for their article “History of Car and Truck Radiators” which was published on Aug. 9, 2013. You can find the article on https://www.copper.org/applications/automotive/radiators/no_flux_history.html.

Parts and Functions: Radiators are not able to functions by itself in requires a number of parts for it to function properly. The first part is the water pump which, is driven by a fan belt usually. The purpose of the water pump is to pump the water to have pressure throughout the system. Inside the radiator there are a series of thin channels where coolant flows through for air to cool it (Nice, K. (2015). “How Car Cooling System Works.” How Stuff Works, 1-2). This works similar to a plate heat ex-changer in a ship but instead of using jacket water or fresh water to cool the other liquid a car radiator uses air to cool coolant. A thermostat is installed to regulate the temperature and can use a valve to direct some coolant to the engine block or back to the radiator depending on the temperature of the coolant (Nice, K. (2015). “How Car Cooling System Works.” How Stuff Works, 1-2). Hoses basically are the pathways for coolant to flow through it carries the coolant from the radiator to the pump and the engine block to the radiator (Hatoum, O. (2017). “Experimental and Numerical Study of Backcooling Car-seat System Using Embedded Heat Pipes to Improve Passenger’s Comfort.” Science Direct Journal, 123-131). Lastly, coolant (a mix between water and ethylene glycol) is used to prevent freezing in cold temperatures but also, has a higher boiling point than water and lubricates the pumps.

Common Problems: Broken hoses eventually wear out and begin to leak which would result in overheating (Motorist Assurance Program, 2014). Overheating can lead to major engine problems by the engine melting together due to extreme heat which, will cost a lot to repair. A broken fan belt is another major problem. Since the fan belt is broken and isn’t circulating the water through the radiator and the engine it will cause the engine to overheat due to the lack of water being circulated (Motorist Assurance Program, 2014). Even, a simple mistake of installing the radiator cap can cause the coolant to boil and leak out of the radiator which won’t cool your engine since you will have an insignificant amount of coolant and also, can overheat your engine on1 a hot day. A water pump failure is another way you can possibly overheat your car. A way you can tell you have a water pump failure is the formation of spots of coolant under your car while it is in park and a loud screeching noise while you drive (Hatoum, O. (2017). “Experimental and Numerical Study of Backcooling Car-seat System Using Embedded Heat Pipes to Improve Passenger’s Comfort.” Science Direct Journal, 123-131). The most devastating problem that can occur even though it is the least likeliness of occurring is a blown head gasket. The entire purpose of a head gasket it to have a proper seal and prevent leakage so, when a head gasket breaks it allows coolant into the cylinder. The coolant will turn into vapor and can possibly cause engine fires and heavy white smoke coming out of your exhaust and the least it can cause is cavitation which will corrode your engine and will eventually cause parts to break.