Chapter eleven

Engine Cooling system

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 Introduction

 The burning of fuel in an internal combustion engine

produces heat, which is sufficient to melt the metal of the
cylinder.(Platinum, a metal which has one of the highest
melting points, melts at 1750 °C, iron at 1530°C and
aluminum at 657°C.)
 It is the function of the cooling system to prevent the
engine overheating
 But it must also allow it to operate at a temperature high
enough to assist in effective combustion.
 If the engine operating temperature were allowed to go
unchecked, it would burn and dry up the lubricating oil
film, so that the pistons would seize in their cylinders and
distortion would result from over-expansion of metals.
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 Need for Cooling

 The engine burns fuel in the cylinder to transform its thermal energy
(heat energy) into a driving power.
 But the thermal energy of the fuel is not converted into power
entirely.
 It can be stated that approximately 25 per cent of the energy
contained in the fuel is converted into useful work; 30 per cent is
absorbed by the engine itself, and the remaining 45 per cent passes
away in the hot exhaust gases or frictional losses & pumping
losses.
 The heat that is absorbed by the engine must be discharged to the
atmosphere because the engine will become overheated and
eventually seize up.
 Therefore a cooling system is built into the engine to cool it and
prevent overheating.

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 Need for Cooling cont…

 The temperature attained during combustion in the cylinder

of a petrol engine may be as high as 2000C.
 These temperatures are considerably higher than the melting
points of the materials used in the construction of the engine.
 Therefore, it is essential that excessive heat is removed
quickly and efficiently to avoid serious damage to the
engine.
 To ensure that the engine operates efficiently it must be
kept within a given range of temperatures. In the case of a
normal water-cooled engine this would be in the region of
75C-90C; for air-cooled engines this range would be
higher.
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 Effects of Increased Working Temperatures (overheating)
 Operation at high temperatures, high loads, or extremely high speeds
without adequate cooling, results in oxidation of the lubricating oil.
 This, in turn, may result in high temperature varnish and sludge deposits
being formed, also piston ring sticking. Ring scuffing may follow ring
sticking.
 In some cases, oil oxidation may cause corrosion of some types of
bearings.
 If working temperatures are too high, excessive expansion will take place
in the pistons and the crankshaft journals, causing them to exceed their
running tolerances and, as a result, they may seize into their bearings.
 Areas within the combustion chamber such as the exhaust valve seats,
sparking plugs, etc., may become overheated and ignite the fresh charge of
mixture before the spark occurs.
 This condition is known as ‘pre-ignition’ and may result in permanent
damage to the engine if allowed to continue.
 If the fresh charge of mixture entering the cylinder is overheated, its density
will be reduced and a loss of power will result. 6
 Effects of Reduced Working Temperatures (Overcooling)

 Excessive cooling may result in lower thermal

efficiency, which prevents proper vaporization of the
fuel, leading to dilution of the engine oil by the
Unvaporized fuel, which gets past the piston.
 Unvaporized fuel tends to remove the oil film from the
cylinder walls and therefore increases cylinder bore wear.
 The engine lubricating oil is unable to maintain its
correct working temperature and will not flow freely,
resulting in greater frictional losses and inefficiency.
 In general, overcooling causes loss of power, poor fuel
economy, and reduced engine life.

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 Types of cooling system

There are two types of cooling systems:

1. Air cooling system and
2. Water-cooling system.

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 Air cooling

 When the engine is air-cooled, excess heat is radiated from

the cylinder bores and head directly into the surrounding air.
 In order to increase the surface area exposed to the cooling
effect of the air, fins are formed on the external surfaces of
the engine.
 The fins are cast integrally with the cylinder and cylinder
head and act as a means of increasing the amount of
radiation surface presented to the cooling air stream.
 Heat produced by the combustion process passes through the
walls of the cylinder and cylinder head to the fins, where it is
dissipated into the passing air.

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 Air cooling cont…
Direct Cooling
 It is the most straightforward method and normally
used on motorcycles which have an engine exposed to
the air stream on its forward motion and no
surrounding bodywork.
 To improve the thermal conductivity of cylinders and
cylinder heads, they are usually alloy castings with
cooling fins (in some cases the crankcase also) to
maximize the cooling effect.
 Drawback: cooling effect depends on vehicle speed
& outside temperature
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 Air cooling cont…
Fan (or) Blower Cooling
 Fan cooling enables engines enclosed within bodywork, for instance in
cars, trucks and motor scooters, to be adequately cooled.
 The fan can be mounted directly on the crankshaft or driven by a V-
belt.
 The cowling (enclosed bodywork) often encloses the engine to control
the flow of air over the hotter sections of the engine.
 In many arrangements, baffles or deflector plates are located near or
between the cylinders to deflect the air through the finning and around
the rear of the engine cylinders.
 A thermostat may be fitted on an air-cooled engine to prevent the fan
from forcing air past the engine cylinders until they have reached their
normal working temperature.
 This will take the form of a flap or shutter assembly which is
controlled by a thermostatically operated valve.
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 Advantages of Air-Cooling system

1. Its design of air-cooled engine is simple.

2. It is lighter in weight than water-cooled engines due
to the absence of water jackets, radiator, circulating
pump and the weight of the cooling water.
3. It is cheaper to manufacture.
4. It needs less care and maintenance.
5. This system of cooling is particularly advantageous
where there are extreme climatic conditions in the
arctic or where there is scarcity of water as in deserts.
6. No risk of damage from frost, such as cracking of
cylinder jackets or radiator water tubes
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 Disadvantages of Air-Cooling system

 Relatively large amount of power is used to

drive the cooling fan.
 Engines give low power output.
 Cooling fins under certain conditions may
vibrate and amplify the noise level.
 Cooling is not uniform.
 Engines are subjected to high working
temperature.

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 Water cooling (indirect air-cooling)

 The term ‘indirect air cooling’ refers to the

conventional liquid-or water-cooled engine.
 In a water-cooled system the heat from the
cylinders is transferred to the coolant
contained in jackets surrounding the
cylinders.
 This coolant then passes through a radiator
which transfers heat to the cool air flowing
around it.

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 Water cooling (indirect air-cooling) cont...
METHODS OF CIRCULATION
 For the efficient and successful operation of a liquid
cooling system it is necessary to maintain constant
circulation of the coolant under all operating conditions.
 The simplest method of coolant circulation is the
‘thermo-syphon’ system which depends upon the
natural circulation of heated water.
 An improvement on this basic method of circulation can
be found in the modern ‘forced circulation (or) pump
assisted’ cooling system which ensures a more positive
circulation of the coolant.

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 Water cooling (indirect air-cooling) cont...
1.Thermo-Syphon Cooling System
 It this simple cooling system, which is rarely used in
modern vehicle engines, movement of the coolant
depends upon the natural circulation.
 The water surrounds each of the cylinders, combustion
chambers, valves, etc.
 As the water in these areas absorbs heat it expands,
becomes less dense, and so rises to the top of the
radiator, thus making room for cold water from the
bottom of the radiator to take its place and so maintain
circulation by natural means.
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 Water cooling (indirect air-cooling) cont...

2.Forced Circulation (or) Pump Assisted

Pressurized Cooling System
 The pump provides for more positive
circulation of the coolant and is essential for
powerful engines and complex cooling
systems

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 Water cooling (indirect air-cooling) cont...
Advantages of a Pressurized Cooling System
 The engine is able to operate at a higher, more efficient
temperature without the coolant boiling and producing dangerous
steam pockets.
 By pressurizing the cooling system, water pump efficiency is
maintained irrespective of coolant temperature.
 By using the radiator pressure cap to seal the cooling system,
losses of coolant by evaporation and surging are prevented.
 This in turn improves cooling system operation and eliminates the
need for frequent topping-up of the radiator.
 As coolant losses are minimized and cooling efficiency is
increased, a smaller size of radiator may be used.
 Alternatively, a smaller cooling fan requiring less engine power
may be fitted, therefore improving the effective horsepower of the
engine. 22
 Water cooling (indirect air-cooling) cont...

The main component parts of a pump assisted

pressurized cooling system are:
1.Water jacket 4. Cooling fan
2.Radiator 5. Thermostat
3.Water pump 6. Radiator pressure cap

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Water cooling (indirect air-cooling) cont...
1.Water jacket

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Water cooling (indirect air-cooling) cont...
2. Radiator

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Water cooling (indirect air-cooling) cont...
3.Water Pump

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Water cooling (indirect air-cooling) cont...
4.Cooling Fan

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Water cooling (indirect air-cooling) cont...

5.Thermostat

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Water cooling (indirect air-cooling) cont...
6.Radiator Pressure Cap

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Thank you

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