Automotive and motorsport heat management specialist Zircotec has launched a new heat shield solution, ZircoFlex Shield, which the company claims outperforms traditional products in weight, thermal performance and packaging space.
The material comprises a traditional insulation core combined with Zircotec’s proprietary thermal barrier coatings. At half the thickness of the next best heat shield from another manufacturer, the company claims that ZircoFlex Shield achieves a 40% improvement in heat shielding with as much as a 125°C reduction in surface temperature on exhausts.
Extensive real-world testing has been carried out on the engine of a four-cylinder British Touring car (350+bhp, 2-liter turbo) with many different exhaust pipes fitted with several industry-leading insulation materials, to analyze varying levels of insulation.
The research and development program examined detachable and integral heat shields at different engine speeds and loads, and simulated typical under-hood temperature conditions. The key area of interest was at high rpm and full load, when heat flux is the highest. Exhaust gas temperatures (from 660-730°C) were measured entering and exiting the exhaust pipe, along with surface temperatures (from 116-695°C). Measurements showed that the material had significantly better thermal performance at a lower weight (by 40%) and lower volume (by 46%) than existing solutions.
