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This is just something we threw together to test. The cat is so close to the oil cooler / exchanger that I can't help but think that getting that out of the equation has to help.
We've been using this particular thermal blanket for some time and it really is amazing stuff.
I laid a piece on my hand and took a torch to it. You can see the blanket turns red but never transfers heat to my hand. Pretty amazing stuff. It's made from ceramic fiber.
I made an aluminum shield to cover the cooler and the fittings above it then lined the inside with this thermal blanket. I made a bottom cover to retain the thermal blanket as much as anything.
On the other side we wrapped the lines with the same thermal blanket and then wrapped them again with the thermal hose sleeve that we use in our fuel systems. That just protects the blanket and keeps it in place.
Because this is a water - oil cooling system as opposed to and external air - oil cooler. oil temp has more effect on water temp and vice versa.
The customer is doing a day and night event at the Streets of Willow this weekend. It should be hot out there and he thinks he'll get close to 10 sessions in. We'll see what the results are after that.
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[QUOTE=Andy@AandASuperchargers;1590070072]This is just something we threw together to test. The cat is so close to the oil cooler / exchanger that I can't help but think that getting that out of the equation has to help.
We've been using this particular thermal blanket for some time and it really is amazing stuff.
Good work Andy. This type thing is why many of us are here.
I have worked with heat shielding fabric before in the aviation industry (not this though).
Recommend.
1. Moving the shielding material to the outside of the bracket you made. It doesn't look as neat but it will actually shield the cooler AND your mount from the cat better. Heat is being radiated from the cat to the outside of your bracket. So if you shield the outside of the bracket you will see better results. The other benefit is you will have a larger area "air gap" and air flow between your manufactured bracket and the heat sink without the material there.
2. Shield the oil filter as well. Don't wrap it or the cat but getting material between the cat and your bracket as far away from the heat sink and oil filter area as possible while leaving as large an air gap as possible should give you the best results.
Last edited by dar02081961; 07-17-2015 at 02:09 PM.
1. Moving the shielding material to the outside of the bracket you made. It doesn't look as neat but it will actually shield the cooler AND your mount from the cat better. Heat is being radiated from the cat to the outside of your bracket. So if you shield the outside of the bracket you will see better results. The other benefit is you will have a larger area "air gap" and air flow between your manufactured bracket and the heat sink without the material there.
2. Shield the oil filter as well. Don't wrap it or the cat but getting material between the cat and your bracket as far away from the heat sink and oil filter area as possible while leaving as large an air gap as possible should give you the best results.
Great starting point...
From a heat transfer perspective (as dar mentioned), you need to prevent/shield radiation from the hot bits (cat/exhaust) while not stifling airflow around the sinks (cooler and oil filter to a lesser extent). You need to allow convective heat rejection around the oil cooler through air flow. The oil cooler was designed for this, and the blanket material where it's at is preventing air flow.
I'd also suggest the shield you've crafted either uses the bottom cover as a slight scoop at the leading edge to guide airflow past/around the cooler, or leave the bottom cover off.
DEI exhaust wrap plus high temp paint on the oil cooler heat shield will also work... here's my example which I will install soon. I got it from a forum member who fabricated one using an 18 gauge steel via bends & welds. It mounts using 2 of the existing T40 oil cooler bolts. As you can see it doesn't detract or prevent air flow on the oil filter & cooler side.
Heat shielding between the catalytic converter and anything else should be applied around the catalytic converter for best possible result, which would reduce heat radiation to all elements near the cat. This would maintain airflow to the OEM oil cooler in case there is any benefit at all from airflow. Since it is a fluid to fluid cooler, it does not really rely on airflow for cooling, rather it relies on coolant flow. Here is how OEM's insulate cats:
Heat shielding is obtained from an air gap between cat and a metal heat shield all around.
Heat shielding between the catalytic converter and anything else should be applied around the catalytic converter for best possible result, which would reduce heat radiation to all elements near the cat. This would maintain airflow to the OEM oil cooler in case there is any benefit at all from airflow. Since it is a fluid to fluid cooler, it does not really rely on airflow for cooling, rather it relies on coolant flow. Here is how OEM's insulate cats:
Heat shielding is obtained from an air gap between cat and a metal heat shield all around.
It is mysteriously absent here so oops out of room I guess?
Since it is a fluid to fluid cooler, it does not really rely on airflow for cooling
It's relying on both. Otherwise it wouldn't have all of the surface area on it via those fins. Covering that up is going to be somewhat detrimental to its ability to cool anything (not that it's helping much as it is).
Heat shielding between the catalytic converter and anything else should be applied around the catalytic converter for best possible result, which would reduce heat radiation to all elements near the cat. This would maintain airflow to the OEM oil cooler in case there is any benefit at all from airflow. Since it is a fluid to fluid cooler, it does not really rely on airflow for cooling, rather it relies on coolant flow. Here is how OEM's insulate cats:
Heat shielding is obtained from an air gap between cat and a metal heat shield all around.
Claude, wouldn't you run the risk of perhaps overheating the cat in this fashion since it then would not be getting as much cooling airflow?
Claude, wouldn't you run the risk of perhaps overheating the cat in this fashion since it then would not be getting as much cooling airflow?
Bish
Perhaps the shielded cat. needs direct airflow, which, isn't possible with the cats turned up on an angle. So super oil cool this thing I guess? They can't have been that dumb!
The shield C7_Z06 shows is one my son and me fab'd and several folks have installed one. It has helped some more than others. I think a lot has to do with driving style, and track layout. I have one on my Z51 and tracked it last weekend in hot as hell 96 +F heat and although the oil temps on the Z51 are not as bad as the Z06 my oil temps only got to 260. It's hard to compare track days because of ambient temp differences, but my oil temps have gotten to 277 in prior track days. The shield has got to help.
It's relying on both. Otherwise it wouldn't have all of the surface area on it via those fins. Covering that up is going to be somewhat detrimental to its ability to cool anything (not that it's helping much as it is).
There are no "fins" they are barely ripples.
If the water temp is 220 and the oil temp is 240 do you think that air temps that are a LOT higher than that will help cooling?
I don't think for a minute that my little gadget is going to cure everything because the cooler is not designed to be cooled (or heated) from the outside. I just thing that 500* plus temperatures an inch away will have some detrimental effect on it.
Originally Posted by xp800
Great starting point...
From a heat transfer perspective (as dar mentioned), you need to prevent/shield radiation from the hot bits (cat/exhaust) while not stifling airflow around the sinks (cooler and oil filter to a lesser extent). You need to allow convective heat rejection around the oil cooler through air flow. The oil cooler was designed for this, and the blanket material where it's at is preventing air flow.
I'd also suggest the shield you've crafted either uses the bottom cover as a slight scoop at the leading edge to guide airflow past/around the cooler, or leave the bottom cover off.
Same answer. The bottom is really just to keep the heat shield in place and protect it from the elements.
It's for that reason I can't put the blanket outside the shield. It would fall apart and be gone in no time.
I really don't think airflow around the brick has anything to do with it.
I wrapped the hoses on the other side with it but without the black outer sleeve it would not last any time at all.
We'll see what it does this weekend. If it works, it works.
I'm sooo confused. I agree w the shield to act as a heat sink. No blanket needed. You can't have it both ways. If you use the blanket to isolate cat heat from oil cooler, it's also isolating oil cooler from air flow (to dissapate heat). I know it doesn't have fins, but it is thin walled w releifs designed to utilize airflow to a certain extent. BTW. I believe polished stainless steel is best for use as a heat sink in this application. Superformance used it to isolate any transfer of heat from headers to foot box in their Cobras. No insulation is needed and the headers are only 3 inches from foot box/floor. I suggest definitely losing the blanket.
Last edited by Dabigsnake; 07-18-2015 at 12:48 AM.
I really don't think airflow around the brick has anything to do with it.
I can appreciate your "shot in the dark" attempts at solving engine oil heat. But you state you "don't think airflow" has anything to do with it. Why then does that cooler have fins (or ripples as you mistakenly refer to them as)? If airflow and air cooling has nothing to do with it, why would GM spend the extra money to have that shape formed into the metal versus just encasing the cooler in a smooth-sided block?
Heat shielding between the catalytic converter and anything else should be applied around the catalytic converter for best possible result, which would reduce heat radiation to all elements near the cat. This would maintain airflow to the OEM oil cooler in case there is any benefit at all from airflow. Since it is a fluid to fluid cooler, it does not really rely on airflow for cooling, rather it relies on coolant flow. Here is how OEM's insulate cats:
Heat shielding is obtained from an air gap between cat and a metal heat shield all around.
I have been working with DEI to create a custom 8x15 thermal blanket to wrap around the cats.
I tried the metal heat shield that attaches with two of the oil cooler brick's bolts a month ago and it did not provide any benefit to my Z06 on track.
07-17-2015, 01:03 PM
Another experiment in heat reduction
