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Heat Conducting or Capacity?

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FireMogle

Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2001
Location
Lawrence, KS
I read the thread involving mercury as a thermal compound and reminded me of a discussion I had earlier. What is more important in a WC system for the fluid. It's thermal conductivity or it's capacity? Water has poor coductivity but great capacity, while lets say Mercury has great conductivity and poor capacity. So anyone know which one is more important to a cooling system?
 
There was quite a thread a while back that discussed this very issue. I'll see if I can dig it up for you.

Anyhow, conductivity plays a much bigger role than capacity in relation to convective heat transfer in a water cooling system.
 
Here's the link. If you read through most of it you will find what you are looking for.
 
This is an assumption, so don't flame me!:D
If the substance had a low capacity, but a high conductivity, just raising the flow rate would help.
If the substance had a high capacity, but a low conductivity, just slowing the flow rate would help.
 
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