DENSO Corp. says it has developed a new and more efficient radiator that is 40% smaller and lighter than DENSO’s previous radiators.
The radiator’s tank is made with a plant-derived resin making it more environmentally friendly than conventional radiators.
“The radiator’s reduced size translates into greater design flexibility for installation in the engine compartment,” says Akio Shikamura, senior executive director of DENSO's Thermal Systems Business Group. “This also helps make the vehicle safer in the event of a frontal collision because the reduced size allows for a larger impact or crash zone.”
Shikamura says the radiator’s plant-derived resin tank has been mass-produced by DENSO since 2009.
With higher heat radiation efficiency, the new radiator is only 16 mm wide, but equal in performance to the conventional 27 mm wide radiators. The company says this results in a substantial size and weight reduction.
The radiator’s more efficient heat radiation is achieved through improvements in the design of the fins. DENSO increased the amount of louvers – that are located on the surface of the fin - to 30% per unit area. This design change allowed the radiator to have 10% more efficient heat radiation than DENSO’s conventional radiators.
