LIGHTWEIGHT COOLING SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT FOR AMPHIBIOUS TRACKER VEHICLES

SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE RECENTLY IN THE AREA OF PLASTIC HEAT EXCHANGERS FOR AUTOMOTIVE USE. ADVANCES IN MATERIALS, DESIGN, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE HAVE PRODUCED A NEW GENERATION OF PLASTIC HEAT EXCHANGERS WHICH APPROACH OR EQUAL THE PERFORMANCE LEVEL OF EXISTING METAL TYPES. SEVERAL RECENT PATENT CASES HAVE BEEN FILED ON THESE SYSTEMS. THESE HEAT EXCHANGERS NOT ONLY BENEFIT FROM THE OBVIOUS WEIGHT ADVANTAGE BUT ALSO, ENGINEERED PLASTICS THAT ARE UTILIZED IN THEIR CONSTRUCTION EXHIBIT EXCELLENT COMPATIBILITY IN ENVIRONMENTS CONTAINING GLYCOLS, HYDROCARBONS, AND OTHER CORROSIVE OR DEGRADING COMPOUNDS. PLASTIC HEAT EXCHANGERS HAVE BEEN USED IN THE INDUSTRY FOR MANY YEARS NOW WITH A GREAT DEAL OF SUCCESS IN THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY, WHERE LIGHTWEIGHT, NON CORRODING HEAT EXCHANGERS ARE A REQUIREMENT. THESE TYPES OF EXCHANGERS HAVE BEEN TYPICALLY THE LIQUID TO LIQUID SHELL AND TUBE TYPE, AND WERE NOT SUITABLE FOR LIQUID TO AIR EXCHANGE. ALTHOUGH LIQUID TO AIR EXCHANGERS AND AIR TO AIR EXCHANGERS (CONSTRUCTED OF PLASTIC) DO EXIST, THEIR PERFORMANCE CAPABILITIES HAVE BEEN LIMITED DUE TO ENVIRONMENTAL CAPABILITY AND HEAT REJECTION CAPABILITY. THE NEW TYPE OF AMPHIBIOUS HEAT EXCHANGER DEVELOPED BY OUR GROUP MAY OFFER STRONG POTENTIAL IN THE AREA OF AMPHIBIOUS VEHICLES. THIS EXCHANGER SYSTEM EXHIBITS AN INCREASE IN HEAT REJECTION OF APPROXIMATELY 3 - 4 TIMES WHEN USED IN A WATER TO WATER APPLICATION OVER IT'S LIQUID TO AIR APPLICATION. GIVEN THE ADVERTISED HORSEPOWER AND HEAT REJECTION REQUIREMENTS OF THE PRIME MOVER PROPOSED IT IS FELT THAT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INTO THE APPLICATION OF THIS HEAT EXCHANGER SYSTEM WARRANTS INVESTIGATION.