Coolant colour and efficiency
Coolant colour and efficiency
It won't just happen—it will hit the freezing point of water and even go further. In Colorado's winter, my garage isn't as well insulated as his, but without heat, it still reaches freezing, sometimes dropping below 0°F. On average, nighttime temperatures here range from 10 to 30°F, and sometimes stay that way for days during the day.
When the ambient temperatures are very low, air cooling seems like a better choice. It will maintain good temperatures too. The benefit is that it won't freeze solid.
These are the truer words my friend. Unfortunately, not my rig or my dime. Thanks Rubix.
Following extensive reading and a discussion with an engineer friend of a friend at a birthday gathering, it seems black dye versus clear water would probably only matter for cooling when the pipes are clear, and even then, only slightly, affecting the pipes themselves in a negligible way. The impact on water’s thermal properties would be too small to notice. At room temperature and typical scales, the only scenario where color becomes significant is in the radiator—such as black versus white fins—but there, the heat transfer between material and air was far more complex than just surface color. In short, color matters mainly when emissivity, absorptivity, and reflectivity are relevant, not when it comes to direct thermal contact.
I'm not an engineer, but I've spent around 30 years on automotive and industrial cooling projects, so I'm happy to hear that my early remark about Rubix's point falls within the acceptable range confirmed by your engineer. Good luck with Invader's cooling initiative.
After much reading and a conversation with an engineer friend of a friend of a relative at a birthday gathering (who was really excited to discuss it, likely because of alcohol), it seems that black dye versus clear water would probably only matter for cooling if the pipes were clear, and even then, only slightly, and in a very limited way. As if the effect were significant enough to notice. In practice, the changes in water’s thermal conductivity from adding dye would be negligible compared to other factors.
At room temperature and in typical setups, the only area where color would noticeably influence performance is in the radiator—such as black versus white fins—but even then, the heat transfer between the material and air was much more important than the surface color.
In short, color only matters when emissivity, absorptivity, and reflectivity are relevant, not when it comes to direct thermal contact. A dye is mainly for visual purposes and has no impact on heat conduction, regardless of color.
The most effective thermal coolant is steam-distilled water; adding more additives to improve critter control reduces its thermal conductivity. This should be considered when deciding what to include.
Appearance has little effect on cooling efficiency, which is why some people use it just for aesthetics. But if you don’t protect against algae or critters, steam-distilled water can quickly become contaminated.
Happy dyeing!