Knowledge base
A V-type radiator - also called a V-type dry cooler or V-bank cooler - is an air-cooled heat exchanger whose two finned coils stand inclined against each other in the shape of a V, with a common row of fans on top drawing the air in through the coil faces and discharging it upwards. It is the same thermal machine as a flat remote radiator, built differently so that nearly twice the coil face fits on the same ground area. This guide explains the arrangement, what it gains and what it costs, and the installations where it is the right choice.
The Arrangement
The two coils are mounted at an angle - typically 50 to 70 degrees from the horizontal - on a steel frame, open at the bottom and the sides so that the air enters through both coil faces, and closed at the top by the fan deck. The fans, induced draught, pull the air through the coils and blow it upwards. Collectors run along the bottom and the top of each coil; the connections are at one end, and the expansion tank, the level switch and the junction box sit on the frame. Single-circuit and LT/HT units are built the same way, with the LT and HT coils either side by side along the length or one on each face of the V.
What It Gains: Footprint And Spacing
Ground area is the V-type's argument. A flat unit presents one coil face to the air; the V presents two, so a V-type bank rejects nearly twice the heat per square metre of plot. On a roof, on a site where many units stand together or where land is dear, that halves the plot or doubles the capacity on it. Because the air enters low on both sides and leaves upwards at speed, V-type units tolerate closer spacing than flat units placed side by side: the discharge of one rises away rather than drifting into its neighbour's intake.
What It Costs: Height, Frame, Access
A V-type unit stands about three metres tall with its fans on top, which means a platform or a ladder for fan service and a heavier frame to carry the fan deck; it is usually somewhat dearer than a flat unit for the same duty, and transport and lifting need more care. Its coil faces are vertical-ish and outside, so hosing them down is easy, but the fans are not reached from the ground. In a strong wind across the intake side the design is checked for recirculation and, where needed, a screen is added.
Thermally and acoustically it is the same as the flat unit with the same fans and speed; the V radiates its fan noise upwards and shields the sides a little, which can help a limit at a low measurement point, while a long flat unit with more and slower fans is the stronger lever when a limit is tight.
Where It Is Used
Data center backup generators and chillers on a roof; engine power plants with many units in a bank; gas-engine CHP plants and chiller economiser circuits where the plot is small; industrial process cooling where several duties share one yard. Where a single unit stands in the open with room around it, the flat remote radiator is the simpler installation. TECS designs and builds V-type radiators as single-circuit and LT/HT units with EC or AC fans, and compares the V-type with the flat unit on the project's own figures when the choice is open.
In Short
- Two inclined coils under one fan row: nearly twice the coil face on the same plot
- Air in low on both sides, out upwards: close spacing in a bank
- About three metres tall; fans serviced from a platform
- Same coil surface and fans as a flat unit for the same duty
- Single circuit or LT/HT, EC or AC fans
- Chosen for roofs, banks and small plots; the flat unit for single units with room
What To Send With An Enquiry
- Heat duty, flows and temperatures, or the engine data sheet
- Number of units and the plot or roof available
- Height limit and the lifting possibilities on site
- Sound limit and the measurement point
- Site ambient, altitude, prevailing wind
- Power supply and the control interface
Questions We Are Often Asked
Is a V-type more efficient than a flat radiator?
Not thermally: for the same duty it needs about the same coil surface and fan power. It is more efficient in ground area, which is its reason to exist.
How close can V-type units stand?
A gap of around half the unit width between units is common in a bank, because the discharge is vertical and the intake is low. The arrangement is checked for the site wind.
Can a V-type be installed on a roof?
Yes, often; the roof must carry the operating weight and the lifting must be possible. The height and the wind on a roof are checked in the design.
How are the fans maintained?
From a platform or a ladder on the fan deck; the coil faces are cleaned from the outside at ground level. Access is planned when the unit is placed.
Can a V-type be LT/HT?
Yes. The LT and HT coils are arranged along the length or on the two faces of the V, each with its own collectors and connections, under the common fan row.
Contact Us
Send us the heat duty, the fluid temperatures and flow rates, the ambient conditions and the installation limits. We answer with a design proposal - or write to us on WhatsApp.
