The Science behind Water Cooling

[actorindp]

I'm doing a Science project on water cooling. And I need to find the science behind the Evaporative cooling tower, and the radiator cooling method. Any sources, and help would be GREATLY appreciated!

-Nick

 

[Iron Hawk]

what is your focus going to be? there is lots of science when it come to heat transfer, and when it come to the science (more specificly the physics) of water flow you may want to read:

http://www.overclockers.com/articles511/

 

[actorindp]

Well I guess I want to be explain
how the evaporative cooling tower actually works, heat disapation.

And also how the heat transfer takes place in a radiator witha fan strapped to it

-Nick

 

[Iron Hawk]

And also how the heat transfer takes place in a radiator witha fan strapped to it

my understanding is that the fins on the rad. absorb the heat from the water like a giant heatsink, and the air moving past them "blows" the heat away (like a giant heatsink).

 

[Tiger]

Well I guess I want to be explain
how the evaporative cooling tower actually works, heat disapation.

The cooling effect of a tower is based on the Latent Heat of Vapourisation. The latent heat of vapourisation is the amount of energy required to convert 1g of water to water vapour at the same temperature. An example is your kettle. When it boiling the water will remain at 100C unti all the water is converted to vapour. The amount of energy required heat 1g of water by 1C is 1 Joule but the amount of energy required to convert 1g of water to vapour is 540 Joules. In a cooling tower the higher energy water molecules are converted to water vapour by absorbing energy from surrounding molecules. The molecules that "donate" this energy are then depleted of energy and are therefore colder. If you go and do a serach under the heading of cooling towers you will find a lot of info on this process.

And also how the heat transfer takes place in a radiator witha fan strapped to it

The heat is transfered from the water to the metal radiator by conduction and then from the metal surface by forced convection.

 

[RoadWarrior]

For the radiator method, either look up convective cooling, for large radiators with no fan, or forced convection/convective cooling for radiators with a fan, in the textbooks.