New Product at AC Store - Oil Filter Heat Sink

[jaudette3]

Oil Filter Heat Sink

This technology has long been used on aircraft. A finned heat sink mounts on your oil color. It’s made of cast aluminum, a metal with a much higher rate of heat conductivity than steel, which is why it’s often used for heat sinks. It’s secured with a easily released stainless steel band. A previous model, inferior to this one, claimed that it reduced engine temperature by about 12% (18-23 degrees Fahrenheit) based on three separate tests (I’ll post more information on the testing here soon). Compared to the version tested, this new model has taller fins and more of them and is molded as opposed to being a sheet.

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For me this product fits the category of everything to gain and very little to lose. It’s in the last stages of production and more technical data will be available at that time. If you would like to be advised when they are available please email or PM me.

Firm pricing hasn’t been set yet but it’s estimated to be about $80.00 for the raw aluminum version. Other colors may also be available at higher prices.

Cheers,
John

[jaudette3]

Why This Really Works

A heat sink works to dissipate heat because a metal is used that is a high conductor of heat, measured by what is called its thermal conductivity. You’ve commonly seen them on the back of computer chips (and LED headlights!). Aluminum is highly conductive compared to steel which is why it’s often used. Pure aluminum is the best with a thermal conductivity of 247 watts/m·K but it’s expensive and not as easy to work with as an alloy. These heat sinks are made with 6061, a high quality magnesium and silicon alloy with a high thermal conductivity of 151–202 watts/m·K. For comparison, carbon steel is around 50 watts/m·K.

Cheers,
John

[jaudette3]

Laboratory Test

Castrol GTX 10W30 motor oil was heated to a temperature of 220 degrees F. and pumped simultaneously through two identical oil filters. One oil filter had a heat sink attached, the other did not. A fan was used to direct seventy degree F. ambient air over both oil filters at a velocity of fifty miles per hour. The oil exiting the filter having the heat sink installed indicated a heat removal approximately equal to two degrees per minute. Whereas the oil temperature exiting the filter without the heat sink showed no change. (Typically an automotive engine passes all the oil through the filter more than once per minute)

Results

With a constant heat source applied to the oil, the temperature dropped to 202 degrees F (from 220 degrees F.) with five minutes. This translates to a 12% temperature decrease of the heat added to ambient temperature.

Air Cooled Engine (Road Test)

The test vehicle used was a 1978, 911SC Porsche, equipped with a Carrera style oil cooler. The car was driven 65 MPH on a 85 degree day for approximately 35 miles. The car was then stopped and a I.R. thermometer was used to check the temperatures at various points along the oil lines, tank and cooler. In addition, the reading on the dash temperature gauge was noted. An average temperature of 220 degrees was logged. Testing was then resumed, with the heat sink installed on the oil filter, over the same course and speed.

Results

At the end of the 35 miles the temperatures were then checked again using the infra-red thermometer at the same points as before. The indicated temperature readings showed an average reading of 208 degrees, a reduction of 12 degrees.

Liquid Cooled Automotive Engine (Road Test)

This test was an actual highway test. The car used was a late model Corvette equipped with digital readout oil temperature and coolant temperature gauges. On a 72 degree F. day, at 65 miles per hour, the oil temperature read a constant 221 degrees F. The water temperature was 195 degrees. The Corvette was then pulled off the road and a heat sink was installed. Testing was then resumed. Within a distance of five miles the heat sink was responsible for lowering and maintaining the oil temperature at 203 degrees F.

Results

Our tests again indicated a 12% approximate reduction above ambient temperature of oil heat. On similar testes, it was found that after installation of the heat sink the oil temperature will typically drop near to the level of the engine coolant temperature.

Coming soon to the Audette Collection Store

[davep]

I worked with thermo-electrics for 30 years. Most of the heatsink extrusions I designed used 6063T5 alloy; higher conductivity with good extrusion and machining characteristics.
Thermal conductivity (k) = 201-218 W/m*K for 6063 compared to 151–202 W/(m·K) for 6061
What was mandatory with our heat pump assemblies was a thermal grease to improve the contact between surfaces.

[jaudette3]

Thanks Eric. Other than the unfortunate name the humor is lost on me. What’s funny about having your engine run cooler?

Have you given any thought to making Rolex knock-offs? Now that’s funny.

Cheers,
John

[jaudette3]

After seeing Dave’s post (thanks Dave) I checked with the manufacturer and the heat sinks are made of 6063 aluminum. One of our members is about to embark on a long drive and has requested a heat sink for testing purposes as we continue to gather data.

Cheers,
John

[jaudette3]

I can be naive at times and maybe this is a joke. But here is a company called Airwolf that appears to have been making and selling oil filter heat sinks in the aircraft industry for a long time: http://www.airwolf.com/aw/products/oil-filter-chiller

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Here are excerpts from the site:

ONLY $150 *** BEST VALUE IN AVIATION ***
IT'S CHEAP, AND IT WORKS FANTASTIC

These fins total a whopping 300 sq/in of cooling area to suck the heat from your oil filter, thereby cooling your engine oil. The fins are gold anodized and quickly secured to the oil filter with two hose clamps. Easy on..easy off. Everything you need is in the kit. Lower your oil temperatures today with our "Poor Mans" oil cooler.

I belong to a local soaring society. One day I happened to be talking to a couple of the tow pilots. Given my curious nature, I asked them what the oil temps were on the Scout. They said on a 5,000 foot tow, the temps were right at 250F. I said, "Say what?" They said, “You heard us correctly, the Oil Temps are 250F.” I said, "are you guys crazy, you can't let temps get that hot, you are going to cook the engine.” I said, “guys, I will pass on a saying an old timer at Lycoming once told me which is at 265F you have two minutes to live.” The oil temp you read on your instrument panel is actually 50 F lower than what the oil is in the sump. (265 plus 50 = 315) At 315F there is no lubricity left in the oil and engine failure will occur. I told them the first thing they need to do was calibrate the engine temp sensor to see what the engine was really operating at. They calibrated it and found it to be accurate, and the engine was truly running at 250F.

What bothered me the most is that these guys thought nothing of running the temps this hot because they were "still in the green". Granted common sense says that you want to be in the bottom of the green, not at the top of the green which sits right next to red line on the gage. Given that fact that one of the tow pilots is a 737 driver, I was baffled that there was such a lack of concern about high oil temps, [Yeah, I will probably catch hell when he reads this, but it is, what it is.]

Full story at the link provided.

Cheers,
John

P.S. Aside to Eric. Since you appear to enjoy learning new vocabulary words from me (i.e. anorak) here's a new one for you - emulous.

[jaudette3]

A little over the top but not bad.

[9er]

https://www.pelicanparts.com/techart...ool_collar.htm

For anyone here who hasn't seen this thread yet on the cool-collar:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...ol-collar.html

And Wayne's update....
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...revisited.html

And yet more....
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...available.html

The "cruel" collar:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...ol-collar.html

And still more!
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...ol-collar.html

The gift that never stops giving:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...ol-collar.html

And maybe the best one yet...
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/porsc...e-history.html

I was ignorant of this debate, but feel better informed having read some of the posts in those threads, thanks.