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Challenge Level
Intercoolers are used as a cooling mechanism, for instance for a car engine, by maximising the air-flow around the engine.
Your task is to design and construct a prototype intercooler, based on a cube, to house a model engine which requires cooling.
Intercooler Specifications
- two opposing faces to be punctured by a diamond shaped hole in the centre, which should be as large as possible without weakening the structure or allowing the 'engine' to fall out
- the other two opposing faces to be punctured by 4 holes to take support tubes (drinking straws will be used in the prototype)
- the intercooler must support the engine when suspended by the support tubes
You have available to you:
- A3 sheet of card
- Scrap paper
- rulers, glue-sticks, pencils, scissors
- 4 drinking straws
- 1 model engine (you could model this with a cube constructed of 4x4x4 multi-link cubes for A3 card)
Key questions you should consider before starting
- What do you need to know/decide to complete this task?
- What tasks will each group member have?
- How will you make sure the coolers pass quality control?
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NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.
NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.