Radiator question, for thermodynamics/heat transfer experts Options

[bondo]

Hopefully I can get some input on this without too much of the inevitable "that won't work" (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/smile.gif)

I'm cutting down a large tall radiator into a shorter one.. 1/3 the height to be exact. The 3 layers of radiator will be set up in a cross flow, sequentially. The hottest water will enter the rearmost later, travel across, then across again in the middle layer, and across yet again in the front layer. The idea is the hottest water gets the hottest air, and the coldest water gets the coldest air. This way delta T stays pretty constant.. I'm thinking of it as trying to heat the air as much as possible, which would cool the water as much as possible.

So I realize that cooling capacity will be reduced, as I will be dealing with 1/3 as much air. But then the cooling capacity must be more than 1/3, because it's 3 layers thick instead of 1. My question is what percentage of the original cooling capacity should I be expecting? Would it do me any good to do 5 layers instead of 3? (by adding 2/3 of a second radiator)

The original radiator cooled the same engine just fine, in a heavier car, with an AC condenser preheating the air. I will be running an electric pump, so I will have an advantage at idle.

[ArtechnikA]

QUOTE (bondo @ Feb 2 2005, 02:22 PM)

Apparently by the time the termostat opens, and the hot water runs up to the radiator, cools, and comes back to the engine, it can already be too late. My idea to solve this problem (and the problem of firewall interference) is to place the entire LT1 water pump assembly in the front trunk

seems to me that when the thermostat opens sending hot water to the radiator, it is also opening the path that admits the ambient-temp water in the radiator and lines from the radiator to the engine. that oughtta produce an immediate cooling effect ...

but i am way outta my depth dealing with water-cooled plumbing issues ...
(however, that's the way it works with oil coolers with thermostats in the circuit...)

i do not like the idea of trying to suck a fluid. how many high-mounted water pumps do you see? you get one good bubble in there - steam pocket, leftover from filling, slosh from bumpy road, whatever - and you (theoretically at least) run the risk of cavitation and loss of prime.

also - pulling a vacuum on a liquid depresses its boiling point, but pressurising it by pushing it increases it.

maybe modern electric-drive water pumps handle all this stuff in stride nowadays.
but it would scare me ...