A vehicle's engine cooling system serves not only to keep the engine cool, but also to keep its temperature warm enough to ensure efficient and clean operation. System components include a radiator to dissipate heat, a fan or fans to ensure adequate airflow for cooling the radiator, a thermostatic valve that opens when the desired operating temperature is reached, and a water pump (or air pump). coolant) to circulate coolant through the engine, hoses and other components. Most vehicles now employ an expansion tank that allows coolant to expand and leave the coolant circuit when hot and return when the car is turned off and the engine has cooled. The cooling system also incorporates elements of the cabin ventilation system, as heat from the engine is used to heat the interior of the car.
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While running, an engine continually produces heat and converts it into energy. This heat is derived from the burning of fuel in the engine. But as we all know, there is no engine in the world that is 100% efficient. There is always some amount of thermal energy that is wasted. If we do not transmit this thermal energy to the atmosphere, this heat will overheat the engine. This overheating will result in engine stalling. When the engine stalls, due to excess heat, the piston melts inside the cylinder. To avoid this overheating problem, a car is provided with engine cooling system.
An engine cooling system is a system integrated into engines. It removes excess heat from the engine with the help of a flowing fluid. This fluid can be air or water.
Engine cooling systemTypes of refrigeration system:
Or we can say that there are two types of refrigeration systems
1. Liquid or indirect cooling system
2. Air or direct cooling system
LIQUID OR INDIRECT COOLING SYSTEM
In a liquid cooling system, the engine is surrounded by water jackets. With the help of a pump, this water circulates in this water jacket.
The water flowing through these jackets removes heat from the engine. This hot water flows through a radiator, where it is cooled by cold heat blown by a fan.
In this system, water removes heat from the engine and this water is cooled by the air and then circulates back to the engine.
This is an indirect cooling process, where the actual cooling, which is the air, is not directly cooling the system. The air is cooling the water and the water is cooling the engine.
The liquid or indirect cooling system is mainly used in large engines, such as those in cars and trucks.
Benefits
1. Compact design of engines
2. Provides uniform cooling to the engine
3. The engine can be installed anywhere on the vehicle. It is not necessary to install the engine at the front.
4. Can be used on small and large engines
Limitations
1. Here the water jacket becomes an extra part of the engine.
2. Circulating water consumes energy, thus reducing engine efficiency.
3. If the cooling system fails, serious damage to the engine may occur.
4. The cost of the system is considerably high.
5. It requires routine maintenance and therefore generates extra maintenance costs.
diesel engine cooling systemAIR OR DIRECT COOLING SYSTEM
In a direct cooling system, an engine is cooled directly with the help of air flowing through it. It's the same refrigeration system used to cool our bike engines.
As we can see here, the air is in direct contact with the engine, which is why it is also known as a direct cooling system.
The air cooling system is used for small engines such as those in bicycles and lawn mowers, etc.
Benefits
1. Engine design becomes simpler.
2. Repair is easy in case of damage.
3. The absence of a bulky cooling system makes system maintenance easier.
4. There is no danger of refrigerant leakage.
5. The engine is not subject to freezing problems.
6. System weight is less.
7. It is an independent unit as it does not require a radiator, collector, tanks, etc.
8. Installation of the air-cooled system is easy.
Limitations
1. It is only applicable to small and medium-sized engines.
2. It can only be used in places where the ambient temperature is lower.
3. Cooling is not uniform.
4. Higher working temperature compared to water-cooled engines.
5. Produces more aerodynamic noise.
6. Specific fuel consumption is slightly higher.
7. Reduce the maximum allowable compression ratios.
8. The fan, if used, consumes almost 5% of the energy generated by the motors.
Features of an efficient engine cooling system
The following are two main characteristics of an efficient engine cooling system.
1. It must be able to remove approximately 30% of the heat generated in the engine, maintaining the ideal working temperature in the engine.
2. It should remove heat faster when the engine is hot and remove heat more slowly when the engine is cold.
