Determination of the Factor of Condensation in Automobile Radiators

The purpose of this thesis is the empirical determination of the adaptability of the automobile radiator as a steam condenser. The information available on this subject is limited to comparatively few types of radiators- In truth, results obtained from previous experiments are based solely on conditions peculiar to the motor of that particular car without regard to the generality of certain conditions.

The factor of condensation is defined as being the British Thermal Units (B.T.U.) dissipated per hour per square foot of radiation surface per degree difference in temperature between the inside and outside. In making these determinations, it was necessary to make a number of corrections for calculations, such as correction for friction of air in the pipe, temperature of air while passing through the radiator, temperature of the steam passing through the radiator.