Electric Radiator
A cost effective approach to save fuel and reduce noise for generators
from 2 to 10 kW
Description
An engine’s belt driven or direct driven fan and water pump present a considerable parasitic loss in the generators fuel efficiency. Engine manufactures typically size their fans (and water pumps) for the worst conditions: full load, hot weather, lowest engine speed, and this causes higher air velocities and pressure drops through the radiator.
The belt driven fan supplied with a 15 HP engine can consume as between 1.5 to 3 HP of the engines gross HP (equivalent to between 1.1 to 2.2 kW of power). Small increases in engine RPM can double the fan HP requirement, and this hurts the fuel efficiency of variable speed generators.
Polar’s Electric Radiator starts with a large radiator core popular in 500+ HP racing cars. We need this large radiator because our design performance will be stationary as opposed to moving 200+ kilometers per hour in a racing car. Using a large radiator minimizes the air pressure drops through the radiator, allowing the use of more efficient fans. Also with the low air velocities and low volumes of air, we need a larger radiator to compensate for lower heat exchange efficiencies.
Low air velocities and air flow rates allow fans of very small power. So instead of using 1.1 to 2.2 kW we use only 100 to 120 watts. This is a considerable fuel savings and noise reduction.
