Internal Combustion Engines and

Gas Turbines

Engine Cooling System

 Need for engine cooling
• The temperature of the combustible gases in the engine cylinder reaches
up to 1500 to 2000°C, which is above the melting point of the material of
the cylinder body and head of the engine. (Platinum, a metal which has
one of the highest melting points, melts at 1750 °C, iron at 1530°C and
aluminum at 657°C.).

• Therefore, if the heat is not dissipated, it would result in the failure of the
cylinder material.

• Due to very high temperatures, the film of the lubricating oil will get
oxidized, thus producing carbon deposits on the surface. This will result in
piston seizure.

• Due to overheating, large temperature differences may lead to a distortion

of the engine components due to the thermal stresses set up. This makes it
necessary for, the temperature variation to be kept to a minimum.

• Higher temperatures also lower the volumetric efficiency of the engine.

Reasons for cooling

• To promote high volumetric efficiency

• To ensure proper combustion

• To ensure mechanical operation & reliability

Requirements of cooling system

• It must be capable of removing only about 30% of the heat
generated in the combustion chamber. Too much removal of heat
lowers the thermal efficiency of the engine.

• It should remove heat at a fast rate when the engine is hot. During
the starting of the engine, the cooling should be very slow so that
the different working parts reach their operating temperatures in a
short time.
Types of cooling system

• Air cooled (examples)

• Aviation engines
• Motorcycle engines
• Scooter engines

• Liquid cooled(examples)
• Stationary engines
• Automobile engines

• Types of liquid cooling system

• Direct or non-return system
• Pump or Forced circulation cooling system
• Thermosyphon system
• Evaporative cooling system
• Pressure cooling system
 Air cooled system
• Air cooled system is generally used in small engines say up to 15-20 kW
and in aero plane engines

Fin
• Air cooled system is generally used in small
engines say up to 15-20 kW and in aero plane
engines

• Fins or extended surfaces are provided on the

cylinder walls, cylinder head etc.

 Heat generated due to combustion in the

engine cylinder

 Gets transferred to the fins by conduction

 Heat will be dissipated to air when the air
flows over the fins through convection

 Effective cooling depends on the airflow

across their external surfaces of the engine
cylinders to remove the necessary heat.
 Heat dissipation

The amount of heat dissipation depends on the following;

 Area of cooling surface in contact with air

 Flow rate of air through the fins

 Thermal conductivity of fin material

 Temperature difference between engine cylinder and air

 Merits

• It is simple, cheap to manufacture and easy to maintain

• Absence of radiator, coolant, coolant jackets and pump makes the engine
system light in weight

• No leakages or freezing as compared to water cooling system

• The engine can be operated in cold climate where liquid may freeze

• In places where water is scarce, air cooled engine is an advantage

• Handling of liquid coolant requires piping and pumping auxiliaries as in the

case of liquid cooling system which is not required for air cooled engines
Demerits

• Comparatively it is less efficient

• Cooling is not uniform

• Cooling fins under certain conditions may vibrate and amplify the
noise level

• Engines are subjected to high working temperature

• It is used in aero planes and motorcycle engines where the engines

are exposed to air directly
 Liquid cooled system

It serves the following;

• It takes away the excessive heat generated in the engine and saves it
from over heating

• It keeps the engine at working temperature for efficient and

economical working
 Water cooled engines

Merits

• 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

• Water will damp the noise

 Demerits

• 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

• Requires more maintenance and care for its parts

Components of water cooling system

• Water pump
• Radiator
• Cooling fan
• Thermostat
• Water jackets
• Antifreeze mixtures

Thermosta
t

ENGINE
RADIATO
R PUMP
Schematic of typical water cooled system
Fan
Purpose of fan in the cooling system of a engine

• Draws atmospheric air through the radiator

• Increases the efficiency of the radiator in cooling hot water
• Throws fresh air over the outer surface of the engine
• To take away the heat conducted by the engine parts
• Increases the efficiency of the entire cooling system

Radiator
• To cool down the water received from the engine

Parts
• Upper tank
• Lower tank
• Tubes
 Radiator
Working

•Hot water from the upper tank comes from the engine flows downwards
through the tubes

•The heat contained in the hot water is conducted to the copper fins
provided around the tubes

•An overflow pipe connected to the upper tank permits excess water or
steam to escape

• Made out of copper and brass and their joints are made by soldering

Types
(i)Tubular (ii)Cellular
 Components of water cooling system

Radiator configuration or types

based on geometry
(i) Tubular (ii) Cellular

Tubular
Elliptical or circular tubes pressed into
a number of punched hole fins
Tubes are finned to guard against
corrosion
Initial cost is less
There is more inconvenience to repair
any of the damaged tubes
 Cellular type

 A large number of
individual cells re provided
and surrounded by water.

 Because of its appearance,

Cellular type is also known
as “honeycomb” radiator.
 Thermostat Valve

Thermostat is closed and the water

pump circulates the water only
throughout the cylinder block and
cylinder head during warm-up period

Thermostat valve opens and allows

the hot water to flow to the radiator
when normal temperature is attained

Designed to start opening at 70 to

75°C.
 Water Jackets

 Cooling water jackets are provided

Around the cylinder, cylinder head

valve seats and any hot parts

 Heat generated in the engine

cylinder

 Conducted through the cylinder

walls to the jackets

 Water flowing through this jacket

absorbs the heat and get hot

 The hot water is then cooled in the

radiator
 Antifreeze mixtures
In cold regions if the engine is kept

•Water may freeze

•Leads to fractures in
•Cylinder block
•Cylinder
•Head pipes and/or radiators

•Chemical solutions mixed with water in order to prevent the water in

the cooling system from freezing.
Requirement of Antifreeze solution

Boiling point of the anti-freeze solution should be as high as that of

water

Easy to dissolve in water

Reasonably cheap and

Should not deposit any foreign matter in the jacket pipes and
radiator
 Antifreeze mixtures
No single material would satisfy all the requirements

Commonly used materials are given below;

Wood alcohol, denatured alcohol, glycerin, ethylene glycol, propylene

glycol, mixtures of alcohol and various mixtures of other chemicals.
Cooling water jacket

• Cooling water jackets are provided around the cylinder, cylinder head,
valve seats etc.

• Heat generated during combustion is absorbed by circulating water

• Cooling of hot water

• Partially by a fan in the radiator
• Partially by the flow developed by the forward motion of the
vehicle

• Cooled water is again recirculated through the water jackets

Direct or non-return system
• This type of cooling is used in large engines for which plenty of water is
available for cooling.

• Water from a storage tank is directly supplied through an inlet valve to

engine cooling water jacket.

• Hot water is not cooled for reuse but discharged.

Pump or forced circulation system

Pump circulation system

In this system circulation of water is obtained by a pump.

This pump is driven by means of engine output shaft through V-belts.

Water flows from the lower portion of the radiator to the water jacket of
the engine through the centrifugal pump

 Water comes back to the radiator, where it loses its heat

 Employed in cars, trucks, tractors

 Thermosyphon system
• In this system the circulation of water is done due to difference in
temperature (i.e. difference in densities) of water.

• So in this system pump is not required but water is circulated because of

density difference only.

• Circulation of water is set up in the system

• As the water in the jacket becomes hot, it rises to the top of the radiator

• Cold water from the radiator takes the place of the rising hot water
Advantages
(a) Cheap as no water pump is required

(b) Reliable as there are no moving parts

(c)Circulation of water depends solely on engine temperature

(d)The hotter the engine, the greater is the circulation.

 Demerits

(a) In order to achieve efficient circulation, the radiator top tank must be well
above the engine. This needs a high bonnet line.

(b)Cooled water enters the engine at the bottom of the cylinder, where the
engine normally runs fairly cool and it heats up to maximum as it reaches the
top of the cylinders. Therefore, it has a reduced cooling effect on the hottest
part of the engine.

(c) Difficult to fit an interior heater successfully without a water pump.

(d) Under conditions of very heavy load or in hot climates the water may not
circulate as quickly as required.

 Incorporation of a water pump insures positive water circulation and

removes all the disadvantages of the thermosyphon cooling process.
Evaporative cooling
 This system is mainly used in stationary engines.

 Engine is cooled because of the evaporation of water in the cylinder

water jacket into steam.

 The advantage is taken from high latent heat of vaporization of water

by allowing it to evaporate in the cylinder jackets.

 If the steam is formed at a pressure above atmospheric the

temperature will be above the normal permissible temperature.

 There are two arrangements used based medium of cooling used in

condenser: (a) air cooled and (b) water cooled.
A: Pump B:Overhead tank C:Heat exchanger D; Radiator tubes
E : Lower tank F: Small pump G; Vertical pipe

Evaporative cooling with air cooled condenser

Air cooled condenser
 In this arrangement water is circulated by the pump A, When water is
delivered to the overhead tank B part of it boils.

 The tank has a partition C.

 The vapour rises above the partition C and because of the condensing
action of the radiation tubes D, condensate flows into the lower tank E
from which it is picked up and returned to the tank B by the small pump
F.

 The vertical pipe G is in communication with the outside atmosphere

to prevent the collapsing of tanks B and E when the pressure inside
them due to condensation falls below atmosphere.
 Water cooled condenser

A: Pump
B:Overhead tank E : Lower tank
C:Heat exchanger
D; Radiator tubes
E : Lower tank
F: Small pump
G; Vertical pipe
F: Small pump

Evaporative cooling with water cooled condenser

 In this arrangement condensation of the vapour formed in the overhead
tank B occurs in the heat exchanger C cooled by a secondary water circuit
and the water returns to B by gravity.
 The pump A circulates the cooling water to the engine and the heated water
from the engine is delivered to tank B thereby the circulation is maintained.
Pressure cooling system
 It is known that the rate of heat transfer depends upon the
temperature difference between the two mediums, the area of
exposed surface and conductivity of materials.

 Incase of radiators, in order to reduce the size of the radiator, it is

proposed to seal the cooling system from the atmosphere and to allow
a certain amount of pressure to build up in the system.

 The temperature of the boiling point of water increases as the

pressure increases.

Pressure of water at different temperatures

Pressure (bar) 1.0 2.0 5.0 10.0
Temperature (oC) 100 121 153 180
Pressure cooling
system
 In pressure cooling system moderate pressures, say upt 2 bar are
commonly used.

 The pressure cooling system is shown in Figure. A cap is fitted with

two valves, a safety valve which is loaded by a compression spring and
a vacuum valve.

 When the coolant is cold both valves are shut.

 But as the engine warms up the coolant temperature rises until it

reaches a certain preset value corresponding to the desired pressure
when the safety valve opens;

 But if the coolant temperature falls during the engine operation the
valve will close again until the temperature again rises to the
equivalent pressure value.
 When the engine is switched of and the coolant cools down vacuum
begins to form in the cooling system.

 But, when the internal pressure falls below the atmosphere the
vacuum valve is opened by the higher outside pressure and the cooling
system then attains atmosphere pressure.

 A safety device is incorporated in the filter cap so that if an attempt is

made to unscrew it while the system is under pressure, the first
movement of the cap at once relieves the pressure.

 Therefore, it prevents the emission of scaling steam or the blowing off

the cap due to higher internal pressure.
References
1.V. Ganesan, Internal Combustion Engines, New Delhi. 4th Edition, TMH
Publications,

2.J.B. Heywood, Internal Combustion Engines Fundamentals, TMH

Publications, New York.

3.https://www.ingenieriaymecanicaautomotriz.com/valve-timing-diagram-of-
two-stroke-and-four-stroke-engines-theoretical-and-actual/

4.www.ignou.ac.in › upload › unit-5R. K. Rajput, Thermal Engineering, 6th

Edition, Laxmi Publications. New Delhi

5.http://what-when-how.com/automobile/thermo-syphon-water-cooling-
system-automobile/

5. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2007