Industrial manufacturers often include an ask-the-expert type of section on their websites, which are a good source of technical help. Below is a shortened version of a question and answer from "Ask an Engineer" on the website for Lytron, Woburn, Mass., a manufacturer of cooling components and systems.
Q.What custom heat exchanger technologies do you recommend for cooling oil?
Q.What custom heat exchanger technologies do you recommend for cooling oil?
A.There are two heat exchanger technologies that Lytron uses for custom oil coolers: flat tube and plate-fin. Both are vacuum-brazed and high performance. If flat tube will meet your thermal and mechanical requirements, it's generally recommended over plate-fin because flat tube typically costs less. For applications requiring the highest performance and the lightest weight, Lytron usually recommends plate-fin heat exchangers over flat-tube units. The company's flat-tube exchanger can be bent into a 0.375" (3mm) inside radius without buckling, allowing engineers to give the flat-tube heat exchanger a curved shape, if necessary. The majority of military and aerospace oil coolers designed today use plate-fin technology, Lytron says.
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