EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF USING DIFFERENT WATER-ETHYLENE GLYCOL MIXTURE RATES ON HEAT TRANSFER PERFORMANCE IN A HEAT EXCHANGER

Abstract

In this study, the effects of using different water-ethylene glycol mixture rates on heat transfer performance put in an automobile radiator as a liquid is experimentally analysed. Ethylene glycol is added in water volumetrically and experiments are conducted for 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% volumetric ratio of ethylene glycol. For all these mixture rates, 300 experiments are conducted for fluid inlet temperature between 40-80 °C, fluid inlet flow rate between 10-22 l/min and cooling air between 1-4 m/s. As a result of the experiments, it is observed that as ethylene glycol mixture ratio passing from the radiator increased, heat transfer decreased. However, as cooling air velocity, fluid inlet flow rate and radiator inlet temperature increased, heat transfer increased as well. When water-ethylene glycol mixture is used in the radiator instead of water, it is observed that radiator fluid freezing temperature decrease and radiator heat transfer performance is negatively impacted. As a result, optimum cooling performance for the automobile radiator was determined at 0% EG mixture (only water), fluid inlet temperature of 80°C, the flow rate of 22 l/min and air velocity of 4 m/s.

Keywords

• heat exchanger
• heat transfer
• ethylene glycol
• antifreeze
• automobile radiator