Anyone ever consider that a lot of engine blocks are painted black. Maybe it is not only to "blend-in"...
Fact? It's been said that black is actually the best color for dissipating heat from the engine. This statement is true, here's why:
The reason black paint dissipates heat more than any other color is that black is the most capably dissipative color for infra-red (heat) wavelengths. As we all know, back is very absorbent when energy rays (visible AND invisible) such as sunlight hit it. It is also able to cast off the most heat energy, all of its radiation being in the infra-red part of the energy wavelength spectrum. Single colors tend to focus their ability to both absorb AND dissipate in the wavelength of their color, and far less in the infra-red compared to black. One last thing about black: It absorbs energy better than it dissipates it, which is likely why the effect of black dissipating heat is less known. Also, since it absorbs far better than it dissipates (as do all colors), it has a net gain, for example when your black car sits in the sun, until an equilibrium is reached depending on the heated body's ability to be cooled (like with a fender or hood, by the surrounding air). The ambient temperature of the air around the black fender keeps it from heating beyond a certain range. I hope this helps explain the "I don't know why" of black paint being a better cooler for engines. The effect won't be much, and might not even be noticeable unless closely monitored, but it is a fact.
Black radiates heat in the infra-red spectrum better than other colors, which tend to "specialize" by radiating less efficiently in the infra-red and more in just their color portion of the spectrum.
Speakers analogy: With regard to black being able to radiate heat well, heat is like a bass note, black is a woofer, and other colors are "mere" tweeters.
But then again the block and underside of an intake don't see to much light
Considerable misunderstanding exists regarding the cooling effect that can be obtained by painting transformers with different types and colors of paint. It is thought by some that, as aluminum paint is a good reflector, that transformers
painted with aluminum will operate considerably cooler than those painted with gray or black paint. This is true only for sources of heat outside the transformer and overlooks the fact that heat inside the transformer must be dissipated. Heat is dissipated from the transformer by conduction, radiation, and convection.
You do realize that that fact only applied to heat eminated by LIGHT ENERGY?
Unless you have a mini-sun under the hood and are harnessing it's energy to power your car, you can paint your intake polka-dotted pink and it is not gonna make a difference at all.
Yeah, you will see that I spoke of that at the bottom of post #23
Those were not my words, I hope that eliminates any confusion.
I believe the second link talked about "internal" heat a bit.
It seems that maybe the "black" and heat dissipation are getting mixed with different dissipation scenarios, whether it be external (light) or internal (heat).
I don't read these thread sometimes. I just read the title and post and then go back and find out i wrote about the wrong topic and then it's a rush to edit!
I don't read these thread sometimes. I just read the title and post and then go back and find out i wrote about the wrong topic and then it's a rush to edit!