Champion radiator for ~500hp small block??
It really isn't. And look, my point is not that the fine details don't make a difference, because they absolutely do when it comes to aerodynamics. The slight curvature that you can see here on the inside of the Contour shroud assembly is important, that little detail of directing air into the fans will absolutely improve efficiency.
But again, this is not the only OEM fan shroud out there and some are absolutely more flat than this one is. Heck you could probably manage this level of curvature by putting the other shroud on a frame around the edge and stepping on it in the middle.
And even without that, what are we comparing? Efficiency percentages. Is the curvature on the Contour set up worth blocking ~20% more of the radiator core area compared to @Just Send It 's set up? That's a BIG number, and surface area is a HUGE factor in both thermodynamics and aerodynamics. So now we're comparing the efficiency lost by the flat panel to the curved panel vs a 20% -ish difference in covered area. And unless you've got a wind tunnel, you can't say which one is better.
The fact is that he built a shroud and it WORKS. His car runs cooler at idle and low speeds, and it might even run cooler at speed. Like it or not, that means his shroud works. The whole point of the shroud is to improve fan efficiency at idle and low speeds. And sometimes that means losing some free air flow efficiency at higher speeds when the volume of free air flow is typically more than enough to handle the cooling needs. But it doesn't even seem like that's an issue for him, so, his shroud works. Not all flat panel fan shrouds do, and I'm sure the large open area of his shroud is an important part of that.
And I'm not arguing that people should just buy whatever cookie sheet fan shroud and underpowered electric fan that comes with their eBay aluminum radiator, because a lot of those set ups do not work for various different reasons. But @Just Send It doesn't have a cooling issue, so, he doesn't need to do anything to change his set up.
It really isn't. And look, my point is not that the fine details don't make a difference, because they absolutely do when it comes to aerodynamics. The slight curvature that you can see here on the inside of the Contour shroud assembly is important, that little detail of directing air into the fans will absolutely improve efficiency.
But again, this is not the only OEM fan shroud out there and some are absolutely more flat than this one is. Heck you could probably manage this level of curvature by putting the other shroud on a frame around the edge and stepping on it in the middle.
And even without that, what are we comparing? Efficiency percentages. Is the curvature on the Contour set up worth blocking ~20% more of the radiator core area compared to @Just Send It 's set up? That's a BIG number, and surface area is a HUGE factor in both thermodynamics and aerodynamics. So now we're comparing the efficiency lost by the flat panel to the curved panel vs a 20% -ish difference in covered area. And unless you've got a wind tunnel, you can't say which one is better.
The fact is that he built a shroud and it WORKS. His car runs cooler at idle and low speeds, and it might even run cooler at speed. Like it or not, that means his shroud works. The whole point of the shroud is to improve fan efficiency at idle and low speeds. And sometimes that means losing some free air flow efficiency at higher speeds when the volume of free air flow is typically more than enough to handle the cooling needs. But it doesn't even seem like that's an issue for him, so, his shroud works. Not all flat panel fan shrouds do, and I'm sure the large open area of his shroud is an important part of that.
And I'm not arguing that people should just buy whatever cookie sheet fan shroud and underpowered electric fan that comes with their eBay aluminum radiator, because a lot of those set ups do not work for various different reasons. But @Just Send It doesn't have a cooling issue, so, he doesn't need to do anything to change his set up.