RAD

PLATE

RAD & PLATE User Support

RAD & PLATE Pricing and Ordering

Program RAD is for thermal design of tube-and-center construction  radiators, oil coolers, and charge-air coolers having serpentine (folded) louver fins or plain  fins. This program allows radiator manufacturers to predict the thermal performance (rating calculation) of a given radiator design, or to calculate the required number of tube rows and fins/in (fins/m) to meet a specified heat rejection rate (sizing calculation). The user friendly interface brings up the program and allows you to edit data on screen, then, to run the program, and to view you output results. The user friendly interface sends the data file to the compiled Fortran program (RAD.EXE), that does the actual numerical calculations. The calculated results are sent to a text OUTPUT file.  Program RAD supports the following design options:

1. Fin geometry: Serpentine louver or plain fins.
2. Tube geometry: Plain, dimpled, or multi-port (for CAC and oil coolers).
3. Materials: Copper or aluminum fins, and copper, brass or aluminum tubes.
4. Single or multi-row cores.
5. Tube-side fluids: Water, 50/50 glycol, oil, or air (for CAC).
6. Any fin pitch, fin thickness, or louver geometry.
7. Accounts for the effect of elevation above sea level on radiator performance.
8. Can make either “rating” or “sizing” calculations.
9. Can make calculations in either British or System International (S.I. metric units).
10. The program will calculate the fan-radiator balance point, when used in the "rating" mode (see description below).
11. Accounts for the effect of the un-finned region at the headers.
12. Applicable to 2-passes on the coolant side
13. In addition to the “standard internal correlation for air side performance, one may use "Experimental curve fits" for core geometries that have been tested in a wind tunnel.  See HELP file under RAD & PLATE User Support.

The computer program is distributed on a CD and installed as a packaged program using the Windows software installation utility. Updates are sent to users via email.

Sizing and Rating Calculations Performed

Rating Calculation: This calculates the cooling capacity and pressure drop (air and coolant) of a radiator of known size. The results are printed for a user specified air velocity range, in specified (m/s or ft/s) intervals. The designer specifies the air and water inlet temperatures and the water flow rate.

Sizing Calculation: This calculates the number of tube rows and fins/in (fins/m) required to meet the cooling capacity for a radiator of known height and width. The designer specifies the air and water operating conditions and the air velocity.

Control Panel and Examples of RAD Input and Output

Control Panel
This allows the user to:

• Edit an existing data file – in either British or S.I. (Metric) units.
• Create a new data file – in either British or S.I. (Metric) units.
• To run the program.
• To delete specific files.
• To exit the program.

Screenshot of Control Panel

Input Data Files
Examples are provided of two input data screens:

• The first is “Rating Example input” for a “rating” calculation using British units.
• The second is “Sizing Example input” for a “sizing” calculation using S.I. (Metric) units.

Output Data Files
Examples are provided of two output data files:

• The output for a rating calculation in British Units is illustrated by
  “Rating example output”
• The output for a rating calculation in S.I. (Metric) is illustrated by
  “Sizing example output”

Program PLATE has a similar Control Panel, input screens, and output files.

Demo

Potential purchasers of RAD and PLATE can request a free copy of the RAD “Demo” program.
This program is identical to the full RAD program, except the user cannot change the fin pitch, tube length, or header width. The demo version allows "hands on" evaluation of RAD. Should you desire to have a Demo CD sent to you, please contact Dr. Ralph L. Webb under "Pricing and Ordering" below.

Program PLATE is for plate-fin radiators, oil coolers, and charge-air coolers. As with RAD, one performs either a rating or a sizing calculation. The program operation and features are are very similar those of RAD. It supports the following finned-tube geometries:

1. Flat tubes: Louver fins or plain fins – either staggered or inline tube layouts.
2. Flat dimpled tubes: Louver fins with either staggered or inline tube layouts.
3. Round tubes: Louver fins or plain fins with staggered tubes.

For oil coolers with round tubes, the tube may be specified to have an insert device. This is either a twisted tape, which has 180 degrees of twist in a tube length equal to 2.45 inside tube diameters. Or, an “extended surface” insert device. The user may select any material combinations of copper, brass, steel, or aluminum fins or tubes.

The RAD and PLATE programs run on the Windows operating system. The Installation and User Instructions are available for download by selecting this link:Installation and User Instructions. This file gives a detailed description of the program and how to use it.

This document is in PDF format. To view the file you will need Adobe's free reader. If you need to install the reader, click on the Adobe Get Acrobat Reader button below.

The text files listed below may be viewed to understand additional detail about radiator,or core, design principles and capabilities of the programs.

• Heat Transfer Fundamentals
• Correlations Menu Choice: Standard and Experimental
• Principles of Louver Design
• Balance Point Calculation
• Selection of Coolant Velocity
• j and f Curve Fits:  How to get these

$1,500 for each program (RAD or PLATE)

To order contact:

Dr. Ralph L. Webb
1632 Bristol Avenue, #301
State College, PA 16801
Pho. 814-235-7358
Email: Ralph.Webb@psu.edu