All,
A few years ago I built an F1000 from a Reynard that had been turned into a DSR. Confusing history but great fun and especially enjoyed building the project. Raced in the SF Region a few times with reasonable success. It's gone now and been replaced with an old fashion laydown roadracing kart.
I'm completely rebuilding the kart and installing a water-cooled gearbox engine.
The question is: Where to put the cooling intake and therefore radiator? I'm building/modifying a full body (wheels covered sports-racer style) with open cockpit area (required by rules).
1) My first thought is to install the radiator in the nose and allow the air to run past my feet and out of the open cockpit. The air will not be too hot, given 120F maximum water temp's. Testing indicated a 10 - 30F rise in air temp from front to rear of radiator. In this scenario air mass passing over/around the outside bodywork and possibly entering the cockpit opening would be reduced. Air mass to feed the very conservative rear diffuser would be very slightly reduced. There will be an ~3" splitter around the front nose.
2) A second approach is to locate the radiator ahead of the RL wheel and feed air from a side intake. Air would be fed from the high pressure, flat sided bodywork and exit past rotating axle, brake rotor, seat side, etc. to the rear, low pressure area of the kart.
3) A third approach is to locate the radiator at the very rear behind the driver's head. Air would be ducted by vents protuding into the airflow each side of the driver's head.
Of course, there are other mostly mechanical considerations involved with location and routing of coolant, but the first consideration is lowest drag.
Any thoughts or additional ideas?
Thanks,
Greg