ICA Press Releases on CuproBraze
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Test Results Now Available for Copper-Brass Charge Air Coolers:
Laboratory Testing Verifies Claims of Durability, Efficiency
New York, NY (October 6, 2005) – The International Copper Association announces that new designs of copper-brass charge air coolers made using the innovative CuproBraze® method have proven more durable and efficient than their aluminum counterparts.
Recent laboratory test results from the Brazing Center in Västerås, Sweden, verify the durability and efficiency of charge air coolers (CACs) that are made using the copper and brass brazing technology. Cyclic stress tests on CAC tubes and tube-to-header joints have produced particularly encouraging results, says Bengt Gustafsson, who is the technical manager for the Brazing Team at the Brazing Center and a renowned CAC expert. These results are key since the pressure resistance of charge air coolers will be critical to the development of new clean diesel engines.
“In general, the durability of the copper-brass CACs is excellent, especially compared to the results for typical aluminum designs,” says Gustafsson.
Using various designs of CuproBraze CACs with standard material gauges, Gustafsson and his team achieved the following performance benchmarks: burst pressures up to 1.6 Mpa (1.6 million Pascals) with good quality brazing of the core; and pressure cycling lifetimes between 10,000 and 30,000 cycles at 0.5 Mpa, according to the test sequence. (Cycling to failure at 0.5 Mpa is performed after a sequence of stressing for 10,000 cycles between 0 and 0.2 MPa; 10,000 cycles between 0 and 0.3 Mpa; and then 10,000 cycles between 0 and 0.4 Mpa).
Performance at high temperatures, says Gustafsson, is another major advantage of brazed copper-brass charge air coolers. “The performance of aluminum CACs deteriorates when inlet air temperature exceeds approximately 180 degrees Celsius,” he says. “Brazed copper-brass retains its strength at much higher temperatures.”
“Results from the thorough testing at the Brazing Center prove that CuproBraze heat exchangers are the clear choice for manufacturers looking to produce superior charge air coolers,” says Nigel Cotton, automotive manager for the International Copper Association. “CuproBraze CACs represent a pivotal technology for the new clean diesel engines currently under development to meet stringent diesel emissions requirements soon to take effect worldwide for heavy duty trucks and non-road diesel equipment. The technology also holds great promise for the manufacture of superior heat exchangers for passenger vehicles.”
For more details on the latest test results, contact the International Copper Association, +1 (212) 251-7245 or write to ICA at 260 Madison Avenue, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10016-2401.
The International Copper Association, Ltd. is the leading organization for the promotion of the use of copper worldwide. The Association’s twenty-nine members represent about 80 percent of the world’s refined copper output, and its six associate members are among the world’s largest copper and copper-alloy fabricators. ICA is responsible for guiding policy, strategy and funding of international initiatives and promotional activities. With headquarters in New York City, ICA operates in 28 worldwide locations through a network of regional offices and copper development associations.