radiator

1. A heating device consisting of a series of connected pipes, typically inside an upright metal structure, through which steam or hot water is circulated so as to radiate heat into the surrounding space.
2. A cooling device, as in automotive engines, through which water or other fluids circulate as a coolant.
3. Physics. A body that emits radiation.
4. A transmitting antenna.

Any of numerous devices, units, or surfaces that emit heat, mainly by radiation, to objects in the space in which they are installed. Because their heating is usually radiant, radiators are of necessity exposed to view. They often also heat by conduction to the adjacent thermally circulated air.

Radiators are usually classified as cast-iron (or steel) or nonferrous. They may be directly fired by wood, coal, charcoal, oil, or gas (such as stoves, ranges, and unit space heaters). The heating medium may be steam, derived from a steam boiler, or hot water, derived from a water heater, circulated through the heat-emitting units.

Electric heating elements may be substituted for fluid heating elements in all types of radiators, convectors, and unit ventilators. See also Hot-water heating system; Radiant heating; Steam heating.

A heating unit usually exposed to view within the room or space to be heated; transfers heat by radiation to objects within visible range, and by conduction to the surrounding air, which in turn is circulated by natural convection; usually fed by steam or hot water.

radiator

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This article is about radiators in automobiles, buildings, and electronics. For other uses, see Radiator (disambiguation).

Radiators are heat exchangers used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating. The majority of radiators are constructed to function in automobiles, buildings, and electronics. The radiator is always a source of heat to its environment, although this may be for either the purpose of heating this environment, or for cooling the fluid or coolant supplied to it, as for engine cooling.

Contents 1 Radiation and convection 2 Engine cooling 3 Heating 4 Electronics 5 External links

Radiation and convection

One might expect the term "radiator" to apply to devices that transfer heat primarily by thermal radiation (see: infrared heating), while a device which relied primarily on natural or forced convection would be called a "convector". In practice, the term "radiator" refers to any of a number of devices in which a liquid circulates through exposed pipes (often with fins or other means of increasing surface area), notwithstanding that such devices tend to transfer heat mainly by convection and might logically be called convectors. The term "convector" refers to a class of devices in which the source of heat is not directly exposed.

Engine cooling

Main article: Radiator (engine cooling)

Radiators are used for cooling internal combustion engines, chiefly in automobiles but also in piston-engined aircraft, railway locomotives, motorcycles, stationary generating plants or any similar use of such an engine.

They operate by passing a liquid coolant through the engine block, where it is heated, then through the radiator itself where it loses this heat to the atmosphere. This coolant is usually water-based, but may also be oil. It is usual for the coolant flow to be pumped, also for a fan to blow air through the radiator.

Heating

Main article: Radiator (heating)

Radiators are commonly used to heat buildings. In a central heating system, hot water or sometimes steam is generated in a central boiler, and circulated by pumps through radiators within the building.

Electronics

As electronic devices become smaller yet more capable the problem of dispersing waste heat becomes more difficult. Tiny radiators known as heat sinks are used to convey heat from the electronic components into a cooling air stream.

Heat sinks, which dissipate thermal energy, should not be confused either with electric radiators or electromagnetic radiator elements, a subdivision of antenna in electronics which transmit or receive electromagnetic energy.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Radiators

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - radiator, varmeapparat, køler

Nederlands (Dutch)
radiator, radiateur, kachel, zendantenne, iets dat uitstraalt

Français (French)
n. - radiateur, (Aut) radiateur

Deutsch (German)
n. - Heizkörper, Heizgerät, Kühler

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - σώμα καλοριφέρ, ψυγείο αυτοκινήτου

Italiano (Italian)
radiatore

Português (Portuguese)
n. - radiador (m)

Русский (Russian)
радиатор

Español (Spanish)
n. - radiador, aparato de calefacción

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - värmeelement, bilkylare

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
暖房装置, 散热器, 辐射体, 冷却器, 发射天线

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 暖房裝置, 散熱器, 輻射體, 冷卻器, 發射天線

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 발광체, 복사체, 라디에이터, 냉각장치

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 放熱器, 冷却装置, ラジエーター

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) المشع, كل ما يطلق إشعاع‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮מקרן, מקרן חום, מצנן‬

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