Air Cooled Oil Coolers

Air-cooled oil coolers are used to bring the temperature of the fluid down in a hydraulic system. They are also called fan-cooled radiators, hydraulic oil coolers, or air-cooled hydraulic exchangers. There are generally two types of oil coolers based on their construction; Plate and Fin type oil coolers or D Cup Oil Coolers (Bar and Fin Oil Cooler).

These air-cooled oil coolers typically have bars and fins or plates. The bars or plates act as heat sinks for the oil flowing through the cooler. There are fins attached to the plates. The heat flows from the oil to the plates and in turn to the fins. The air generated by the fan dissipates the heat absorbed by the fins.

Many different kinds of media such as water, refrigerants, air, and hydrogen are used to transfer heat from cooling oils and lubricants. Air and water are the two readily available and cost-effective cooling media among the options available. In air-cooled oil coolers, the fluid is passed in close proximity to an ambient supply of cool air.

Below are a few of the applications of air-cooled oil coolers:

1. Gear Boxes
2. Lubrication Systems
3. Welding Equipment
4. Machine jacket cooling
5. Bearings
6. Electrical transformers
7. Hydraulic power packs
8. Spindles
9. Other industrial applications