Double-Pass vs. Single-Pass Radiators for Automotive Application

Experimental evaluations were made of single- and double-pass heat exchangers for automotive application. The study was concerned primarily with the effect of the working parameters, air and water mass flow rates and the inlet water temperature, on the average and local heat transfer coefficients. An automotive radiator having two water-side passes was fabricated and tested. The experimental results were compared with those for a single-pass unit. The study showed that the overall coefficient of heat transfer of the single-pass radiator was higher than that of the double-pass radiator.