PC Radiator, how does it work?

[rcarlos243]

I know the liquid is cooled by the radiator in a loop but where does the liquid actually go inside a pc radiator?

Does anyone have a sliced up /disassembled image of a pc radiators showing its inner workings like where the liquid goes exactly and how it actually looks inside when comparing slim and thick radiator.

[Lays]

Through channels attached to fins, the water is cooled by the metal being cooled when air runs across the fins.

[rcarlos243]

Through channels attached to fins, the water is cooled by the metal being cooled when air runs across the fins.

I know that but where are the channels exactly and how do each manufacturer uses different design.

I can't find a single image or diagram of the inner workings of a pc radiator.

[Toddwjp]

I'm on phone but google shell and tube heat exchanger, exact same principle

[WoodenMarker]

Does this help? 

 

There isn't really a difference to how slim vs thick rads work.

 

This belongs in the Water Cooling section. I'm moving the thread.

Please post in the correct sub-forum in the future--do not just dump your threads into General Discussion.

[Spev]

Yeah I was wondering this a while back too, the channels almost look too thin for water to pass through, it's pretty interesting.

[rcarlos243]

 

Does this help? 

 

There isn't really a difference to how slim vs thick rads work.

 

This belongs in the Water Cooling section. I'm moving the thread.

Please post in the correct sub-forum in the future--do not just dump your threads into General Discussion.

 

 

Where does the Liquid go exactly? is it on the wavy pattern?

 

I mean if you look at this pic and zoom it, there doesn't seem to be any space where the water could go through.

 

http://www.play3r.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Corsair-H80i-9.jpg

[Mao_Zedong]

Where does the Liquid go exactly? is it on the wavy pattern?

 

I mean if you look at this pic and zoom it, there doesn't seem to be any space where the water could go through.

 

http://www.play3r.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Corsair-H80i-9.jpg

I think it goes through the straight sections (between the wavy fins). 

[VSG]

Does this help:

The thin tube channels is where the water goes through. Some radiators like those from Aquacomputer and Watercool have larger, round tubes that make it more obvious.

[Benji_w]

Let me expand on what has already been said:

 

How a rad works

 

A radiator has one simple function, to cool liquid by displacing heat. This applies to any radiator from the ones in your home, on your car, motorcycle or even our computers. Water is circulated through a loop and typically the radiator is the end destination for the hot water or coolant.

 

The coolant moves heat from a heat source (i.e. the water channels of an engine, boiler in your home, or the waterblocks on the chips in ours pcs) this is done by a pump, the fluid then moves through pipes to the radiator where is passes through thin channels etc but the actual cooling process is done mostly by the radiator fins. Heat will travel to the part of least resistance, this is how air cooled engines work or even air coolers on PC's. If you look at the stock cooler that came with your CPU you will see that typically the heat sink is a mass of metal (copper or aluminium) but is then surrounded by smaller thins, the heat collects in the metal and then travels to the tips of the fins which in turn are cooled by air flow over them. The same thing applied to radiators, the mass is the water/coolant and the fins are the least possible resistance and we either dissipate that heat through convection as we do with home radiators (I might have used the wrong term, been a long long time since I've been in science classes) or cooled by air flow through the fins like on cars and motorcycles as they move or our PC fans.

 

So how does the water move in a radiator itself? Water is pressurized which is created by the pump, in to the radiator via the inlet side (which is roughly 50% of it's size in pc radiators) and this pressure then forces it to the bottom of the physical radiator and again because the outlet has no pressure in comparison to the inlet, it is forced out to return back to the reservoir or the next part in your loop. (I'm no science professor an few of my terms may not be correct, if this is the case could someone please tell me so I can edit the post?)

 

I hope this post helps some users in understanding how it works, I don't mean to sound like a know it all cos I don't but I love helping spread a little knowledge, feel free to correct me and help me learn too! I'm not afraid to admit when I'm wrong!   

[WoodenMarker]

Where does the Liquid go exactly? is it on the wavy pattern?

I mean if you look at this pic and zoom it, there doesn't seem to be any space where the water could go through.

http://www.play3r.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Corsair-H80i-9.jpg

The fins are just connected to the water channels like heatsink fins are to a heatpipe.