Radiator Cap--flow rate through radiator

[Michael Skolones]

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>I don't know if I missed it, or everybody else did, but all of these 
>back&forths assume a constant rate of flow through the block and 
>radiator.

Clearly, flow into radiator = flow out of radiator,
        and flow into block = flow out of block

There are three components to the flow:
        coolant that circulates in the block without entering the 
        radiator
        
        coolant that sits in the radiator (correct me please, but I don't 
                think water actively circulates in the radiator when the 
                thermostat is closed)
        
        coolant that flows from the block to the radiator, which is equal
        in amount to the coolant flowing from the radiator to the block


 >I'm no radiator expert, but I've yet to see one that does not hold 
>more coolant than the relevant block volume. By that I mean the coolant 
>picking up the heat in the block, not sitting around waiting to get 
>out. Only a partial fraction of the total block volume is in contact 
>with the block at one time. A much higher fraction of the total 
>radiator volume is in direct contact with the radiator flutes, and 
>there-fore you have a vastly increased heat dump, even with no air 
>flow, than you have heat pickup in the block. In can not be otherwise 
>or it would simply circulate hot water. 
     
     
>Terry
     
     If you have more thermal energy dumped at the radiator than thermal 
     energy gained in the block,  your coolant temperature would drop.  The 
     thermostat regulates how much coolant flows between the radiator and 
     block in order to keep the coolant temperature constant.  Typically 
     the radiator is oversized to allow sufficient cooling under high 
     demand conditions (towing a trailer up a mountain, for example), and 
     the thermostat makes it appear like a smaller, clogged radiator when 
     the engine isn't producing much thermal energy.
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From: Terry Martin <terry_martin at mindlink.bc.ca>
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