Pro/Forums - View Single Post - ok, ive come up with a new passive radiator design.not ideal, but practical

bobkoure · 01-23-2005, 09:43 AM

If you're going for cheap-plus-easy-to-build, with copper-only water contact (is that what you were trying to do?) why not just use finned "heat register" pipe?
Yes, the fins go the wrong way (built for horizontal pipe runs) so you'd either have a horizontal radiator or have to build some sort of ladder-and-rungs setup. And the register stuff is designed for a minimum 30C differential between liquid and room air, so you'd have to use a lot of it (as compared to the BTUs it's spec'ed to move from liquid to air).
Contra-wise, if you can live with water contacting aluminum (should be OK with corrosion inhibitors) then maybe the thing to do is to find an architectural aluminum extrusion that's pretty much shaped the way you need. You might start here.
I haven't done either of these things, so please take this as "thoughts" not something I know to work...

01-23-2005, 09:43 AM	#3
bobkoure Cooling Savant Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: USA - Boston area Posts: 798	If you're going for cheap-plus-easy-to-build, with copper-only water contact (is that what you were trying to do?) why not just use finned "heat register" pipe? Yes, the fins go the wrong way (built for horizontal pipe runs) so you'd either have a horizontal radiator or have to build some sort of ladder-and-rungs setup. And the register stuff is designed for a minimum 30C differential between liquid and room air, so you'd have to use a lot of it (as compared to the BTUs it's spec'ed to move from liquid to air). Contra-wise, if you can live with water contacting aluminum (should be OK with corrosion inhibitors) then maybe the thing to do is to find an architectural aluminum extrusion that's pretty much shaped the way you need. You might start here. I haven't done either of these things, so please take this as "thoughts" not something I know to work...