Another Potential Weight Saving. Can Anyone Answer The Question?
07-16-2005, 09:56 AM
#1
Another Potential Weight Saving. Can Anyone Answer The Question?
Is the frame around the air conditioning condenser steel?
Last edited by Robert Linton; 07-16-2005 at 12:02 PM.
07-16-2005, 12:57 PM
#2
Hi Robert,
You 've got a cool project going.
The condenser bracket/frame is steel. I just verified with a magnet since mine is accessible due to ballast resistor replacement.
The Oil cooler frame is Alu.
HTH,
Scott
You 've got a cool project going.
The condenser bracket/frame is steel. I just verified with a magnet since mine is accessible due to ballast resistor replacement.
The Oil cooler frame is Alu.
HTH,
Scott
07-16-2005, 01:04 PM
#3
Thank you. That's what I thought but was not sure. As such, it could be made out of aluminum or, if greater strength and durability are considerations, possibly heavier (but about 35% -40% lighter than steel) titanium.
07-16-2005, 05:07 PM
#7
Robert,
I've been giving the bracket more thought.
I would recommend using Alu since the ballast resistor mounts to the bracket.
Ti. may be too thermally resistive and cause localized heating on the resistor and shortening its life.
Al may be more effective moving heat away from the resistor.
I haven't checked thermal properties of Ti lately so I may be wrong....... Just something to consider.
BTW, cool heat exchangers.
I've been giving the bracket more thought.
I would recommend using Alu since the ballast resistor mounts to the bracket.
Ti. may be too thermally resistive and cause localized heating on the resistor and shortening its life.
Al may be more effective moving heat away from the resistor.
I haven't checked thermal properties of Ti lately so I may be wrong....... Just something to consider.
BTW, cool heat exchangers.
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07-17-2005, 12:18 AM
#8
Rennlist Member
Robert,
I would concur with the assessment by Scott C. Titanium is essentially a thermal isolator compared with aluminum (coefficient of conduction is about an order of magnitude less). If the cooler were made of aluminum, making the bracket titanium might introduce corrosion issues (titanium and aluminum are pretty far apart on the galvanic table).
I would concur with the assessment by Scott C. Titanium is essentially a thermal isolator compared with aluminum (coefficient of conduction is about an order of magnitude less). If the cooler were made of aluminum, making the bracket titanium might introduce corrosion issues (titanium and aluminum are pretty far apart on the galvanic table).
07-17-2005, 12:38 PM
#9
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Scott,
The ballast resistors for both the oil cooler and AC condensor do mount to the brackets. However, as others here have done they can be moved to alternate locations that still provide for heat sink, air flow, and easier access for future replacement.
Regards,
The ballast resistors for both the oil cooler and AC condensor do mount to the brackets. However, as others here have done they can be moved to alternate locations that still provide for heat sink, air flow, and easier access for future replacement.
Regards,
10-27-2005, 04:45 PM
#12
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Sounds like a cool project, but if you're trying to reduce weight, why not just scrap the AC entirely? Are you focusing on minimizing the weight of a full-featured street car as an engineering exercise?
10-27-2005, 10:52 PM
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Sounds like an incredible engineering exercise, it's always a pleasure to see the absolute best that can be done in any automotive buildup.
A couple of the more interesting weight-saving parts I remember from recent automotive history are:
-The lightweight head unit that Kenwood developed specifically for the McLaren F1
-The hollow carpet fibers Toyota utilized in the twin-turbo Supra
Best of luck with the project, keep us updated
A couple of the more interesting weight-saving parts I remember from recent automotive history are:
-The lightweight head unit that Kenwood developed specifically for the McLaren F1
-The hollow carpet fibers Toyota utilized in the twin-turbo Supra
Best of luck with the project, keep us updated