AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY

COOLING SYSTEM

PRASHANTH B N
Assistant Professor
Department Mechanical Engineering
Amrita School of Engineering
 Introduction
 An automobile's cooling system is the collection of
parts and substances (coolants) that work together to
maintain the engine's temperature at optimal levels.
 Comprising many different components such as water
pump, coolant, a thermostat etc. the system enables
smooth and efficient functioning of the engine at the
same time protecting it from damage.
 An automotive cooling system must perform several
functions
 Remove excess heat from the engine
 Maintain a constant engine temperature
 Cooling System
 It is a system which is used to keep engine from getting
not too hot and at the same time not to keep it too cool
either.
 Pre-ignition may be caused due to engine getting too
hot.
 Pre-ignition may be caused by some other ignition
source such as an overheated spark plug tip, carbon
deposits in the combustion chamber and, rarely, a
burned exhaust valve; all act as a glow plug
to ignite the charge.
Note: Glow plug is a device for each cylinder of a diesel
engine with a heating element to heat the incoming fuel
and air so that combustion will take place more readily
when the engine is cold.
 Necessity of Cooling
 All the heat produced by the combustion of fuel in the
engine cylinders is not converted into useful power at
the crankshaft.
 About one-fourth of the heat released in an engine is
changed into useful power.
 Half of the heat goes out the exhaust, and the other is
absorbed by the engine.
 A typical distribution for the fuel energy is given below:
 Useful work at the crankshaft = 25%
 Loss to the cylinders walls = 30%
 Loss in exhaust gases = 35%
 Loss in friction = 10%
 Need of Cooling System
 Get the engine up to optimum operating Temperature
as quickly as possible and maintains it at that
temperature.
 Controls the heat produced in combustion chamber, so
that the engine parts are not damaged & the oil does
not break down.
 The temperature of component must be maintained
within certain limit in order to obtain maximum
performance of engine. Adequate cooling is then a
fundamental requirement associated with reciprocating
I. C. engine.
 Effect of Inadequate Cooling
 Evaporation of lubricating oil and lubricating oil
burning away.
 Damage to the piston (seizing)
 Pre-ignition of charge.
 Setting up of thermal stresses in the cylinder, cylinder
head and piston.
 Burning of the piston crown.
 Damage to the cylinder material.
 If the cylinder temperature is high, volumetric
efficiency and hence power o/p of the engine is
reduced.
 Optimum Cooling
Cooling beyond optimum limits is not desirable, because
it decreases the overall efficiency due to following
reasons:
Reduction of thermal efficiency.
Increased corrosion of engine parts.
Low temperature increase the viscosity of the lubricant
and hence more piston friction is encountered, thus
decreasing the mechanical efficiency.
Improper vaporization of fuel.
Cold start (an attempt to start a vehicle's engine when it
is cold, relative to its normal operating temperature, often
due to normal cold weather).
 Types of Cooling System
 In order to cool the engine a cooling medium is
required. On the basis of medium, in general use for
cooling I.C. engine, types of cooling system are:-
 Liquid or Indirect cooling system
 Air or Direct cooling system
 Types of Cooling System
Liquid Cooling System
 In water cooling systems, water jackets are provided
in the cylinder block and the cylinder head.
 Water fills up these jackets and the heat is transferred
to the water in the water jackets thus cooling the
cylinder.
 A liquid is circulated around the cylinders and absorb
heat from the cylinder walls and cylinder head.
 Coolant absorbs heat as it passes through the engine
and also lubricates the water pump.
 Hot coolant enters the radiator in which the heat is
passed on to air that is flowing through the radiator.
 Types of Cooling System
Liquid Cooling System
Liquid cooling system can be classified as two types:
Thermosiphon system
Pump cooling
 Types of Cooling System
Liquid Cooling System
Thermosiphon System
Thermosiphon refers to a
method of passive heat
exchange based on natural
convection which circulates
liquid without the necessity of a
mechanical pump.
Its intended purpose is to
simplify the pumping of liquid
and/or heat transfer, by
avoiding the cost and
complexity of a conventional
liquid pump.
 Types of Cooling System
Liquid Cooling System
Disadvantages of Thermosiphon System
As the circulation of the coolant is maintained by
natural conventional only, the cooling is rather slow.
Therefore, to have adequate cooling, the capacity of the
system has to be large.
Due to the quantity of coolant being large, it takes
more time for the engine to reach operating condition.
Certain minimum level of coolant must be maintained
in the system. If the coolant falls below the level,
continuity of flow would break and the system would
consequently fail.
 Types of Cooling System
Liquid Cooling System
Pump Cooling System
A water pump is an important part of the engine
cooling system.
It provides circulation of the engine coolant
(antifreeze) through the cooling system.
A water pump pushes the coolant through the passages
(water jackets) in the engine cylinder block and cylinder
head and then out into the radiator.
This helps to keep the engine from overheating; the hot
coolant passes through the radiator where it cools down
and then returns back to the engine.
 Types of Cooling System
Liquid Cooling System
Pump Cooling System
 Types of Cooling System
Liquid Cooling System
Pump Cooling System
Circulation of the
coolant is proportional to
both load and speed.
Circulation of coolant
is positive and hence
more efficient due to
which the smaller jackets
can be used resulting in
overall decrease of the
engine size.
 Types of Cooling System
Liquid Cooling System
Water Pump Problems
Typical water pump problems include coolant leaks,
noisy or defective bearing, damaged or corroded
impeller.
Faulty water pump might cause the engine to overheat,
which can result in serious engine damage.
If defective, a water pump is replaced as a unit.
 Types of Cooling System
Components of Liquid Cooling System

Water Jackets
Designed to keep engine block
and cylinder head cool.
Open spaces between the
outside of cylinder and inside of
cylinder block and head.
When engine is running at
normal operating temperature,
the coolant is forced through the
water jackets in the engine block,
through the head gasket, into the
head, and back to the radiator.
 Types of Cooling System
Components of Liquid Cooling System

Water Pump
Draws the coolant from the radiator,
through the lower radiator hose, and
then forces it through the water
jackets, back into the radiator.
If the clutch fan can be wiggled up
and down, most likely the water pump
needs to be replaced.
Water pumps gasket is placed
between the water pump and the
engine block to prevent leakage (if
left loose it might leak and if
tightened too much it might crack).
 Types of Cooling System
Components of Liquid Cooling System
Pressure Cap
The engine can operate at
higher temperature without
boiling the coolant.
With sealed cap, loss of
coolant due to evaporation or
surging is prevented.
 Types of Cooling System
Components of Liquid Cooling System

Fan
The fan is mounted on the
impeller spindle driven by a
suitable belt pulley
arrangement.
Fan draws air through the
radiator at low speeds.
 Types of Cooling System
Components of Liquid Cooling System
Thermostat
Thermostat placed between
the cylinder head and top
radiator hose.
The temperature that the
thermostat opens is called
thermostat rating.
The thermostat's main job is
to allow the engine to heat up
quickly, and then to keep the
engine at a constant
temperature.
 Types of Cooling System
Components of Liquid Cooling System
Radiator
Radiator is a heat exchanger
that removes heat from the
coolant passing through it.
Vehicles equipped with
automatic transmission have
transmission cooler build into
the radiator.
The purpose of radiator is to
provide a large amount of
cooling surface area so that
water passing downward
through it in thin stream is
cooled efficiently.
 Types of Cooling System
Components of Liquid Cooling System

Radiator
 Types of Cooling System
Components of Liquid Cooling System

Radiator
 Types of Cooling System
Components of Liquid Cooling System
Radiator
The function of the radiator
is to ensure close contact of the
hot coolant out of the engine
with outside air, so as to
decrease the high rates of heat
transfer from the coolant to air.
Two Types:
Down Flow
Cross Flow
 Types of Cooling System
Components of Liquid Cooling System
Radiator
Down Flow
A down-flow radiator is used on larger vehicles that
requires more cooling capacity.
 Types of Cooling System
Components of Liquid Cooling System
Radiator
Cross Flow
The cross-flow radiator is normally shorter than a down
flow allowing for shorter hood lines.
 Types of Cooling System
Components of Liquid Cooling System
Coolant Recovery Tank
Keeps the coolant level full in
the system at all times.
Works in conjunction with
the radiator cap.
When the engine heats up the
coolant expands and flows to
the recovery tank.
When the engine cools, the
coolant contracts and creates a
vacuum and draws the fluid
back into the radiator.
Reduces air in system
Reduces rust
Less need to open radiator
 Material
 Materials used for radiators should be resistant to
corrosion, possess higher thermal conductivity, form
easily apart from having adequate strength.
 Copper and yellow brass are widely used for radiators.
 Aluminum is also used from cost and weight
consideration.
 Both the core and tubes are made from thinnest
possible material. Tubes are made from 0.1 mm to 0.3
mm. where as fins are made from 0.1 mm.
 Problems
 The most common problem associated with radiators
is leakage.
 Leaks must be properly repaired quickly as engine
damage can occur with over heating.
 Leaks can be caused by age, corrosion, road debris
damage and/or collision.
 Some neglected vehicles may suffer from clogging.
 Types of Cooling System
Liquid Cooling System
Advantages
Uniform cooling of cylinder, cylinder head and valves.
Specific fuel consumption of engine improves by using
water cooling system.
If we employ water cooling system, then engine need
not be provided at the front end of moving vehicle.
Engine is less noisy as compared with air cooled
engines, as it has water for damping noise.
 Types of Cooling System
Liquid Cooling System
Disadvantages
It depends upon the supply of water.
The water pump which circulates water absorbs
considerable power.
If the water cooling system fails then it will result in
severe damage of engine.
The water cooling system is costlier as it has more
number of parts. Also it requires more maintenance and
care for its parts.
 Types of Cooling System
Air Cooling System
 Air cooling is a method of dissipating heat.
 It works by making the object to be cooled have a
larger surface area or have an increased flow of air
over its surface, or both.
 The basic principle involved in this method is to have
air flowing continuously over the heated metal surface
from where the heat is to be removed.
 Heat dissipation depends upon the following:
 Surface area of metal into contact with air.
 Mass flow rate of air.
 Temperature difference between the heated surface
and air.
 Conductivity of metal.
Types of Cooling System
Air Cooling System
 Types of Cooling System
Air Cooling System
 An example of the former is to add fins to the surface
of the object, either by making them integral or by
attaching them tightly to the object's surface (to
ensure efficient heat transfer).
 In the case of the latter it is done by using a fan
blowing air into or onto the object one wants to cool.
 In many cases the addition of fins adds to the total
surface area making a heatsink that makes for greater
efficiency in cooling.
 In all cases, the air has to be cooler than the object or
surface from which it is expected to remove heat.
 Types of Cooling System
Components of Air Cooling System
Cooling Fins
In the study of heat transfer, a fin is a surface that
extends from an object to increase the rate of heat
transfer to or from the environment by increasing
convection.
The amount of conduction, convection, or radiation of
an object determines the amount of heat it transfers.
Increasing the temperature difference between the
object and the environment, increasing the convection
heat transfer coefficient, or increasing the surface area of
the object increases the heat transfer.
 Types of Cooling System
Components of Air Cooling System
Baffles
The rate of heat transfer from the cylinder walls can be
substantially increased by using baffles which force the
air through the space between the fins.
 Types of Cooling System
Air Cooling System
Advantages
Air cooled engines are lighter because of the absence
of the radiator, the cooling jackets and the coolant.
They can be operated in extreme climates, where the
water may freeze.
In certain areas where there is scarcity of cooling
water, the air cooled engine is an advantage.
Air cooled engines get warmed up earlier than the
water cooled engines.
Maintenance is easier because the problem of leakage
is not there.
Cylinder and head castings are less complicated.
Volume or size reduced.
 Types of Cooling System
Air Cooling System
Advantages
Radiator/pump is absent hence the system is light.
In case of water cooling system there are leakages, but
in this case here are no leakages.
Coolant and antifreeze solutions are not required.
This system can be used in cold climates, where if
water is used it may freeze..
 Types of Cooling System
Air Cooling System
Disadvantages
It is not easy to maintain even cooling all around the
cylinder, so that the distortion of cylinders takes place.
As the coefficient of heat transfer for air is less than
that for water, there is less efficient cooling.
The fan used is very bulky and absorbs a considerable
portion of the engine power(about 5%) to drive it.
Air cooled engines are more noisy, because of the
absence of cooling water which acts as sound insulator.
The cooling fins around the cylinders may vibrate
under certain conditions due to which noise level would
be considerably enhanced.
 Coolants
 Some times instead of water, other liquids having
higher boiling points are used for engine cooling.
 Glycerine (boiling point 290 Degree C)
 Ethylene glycol ( boiling point 195 degree C)
 Higher Boiling point increases the capacity of the
coolant to carry heat.
 Anti-Freeze Solutions
 In cold climates, there is always a danger that the water
in the cooling system may get frozen.
 As the volume of the water when converted into ice
increases by about 10%, this may results in the damage
of the entire cooling system.
 To avoid this some additives are used, which when
mixed with proper proportions, lower the freezing
point of water. Such additives are called Antifreezes.
 Requirements of an Anti-freeze
1. It should be thoroughly miscible with water and it should
prevent the freezing of the coolant down to the lowest ambient
temperature.
2. It should not have any corrosive action on system components,
especially the radiator hose pipes.
3. Its boiling point should be high so that there is minimum loss
due to evaporation and coolant can operate at higher
temperatures.
4. It should not deposit any foreign matter in the jackets, hose
pipes or radiator core.
5. It should not be inflammable and its flash point should be
higher than the maximum possible operating temperature.
6. Its viscosity should not be excessive so that the circulation is
not affected.
7. It should readily miscible with corrosion inhibitor and anti-
scaling compounds.