Chapter 2 –

Cooling System
Prepared by
MUHAMMAD HILMI BIN ZAID
SUMMARY
 The topic covers basic theoretical
knowledge on engine cooling systems.
Areas involving type, function and
working principles of cooling systems and
its components. Coolant or anti-freeze is
also discussed in this topic.
SYLLABUS
 Understand function, construction and operation of
cooling system and its components
 Describe types of cooling system:
 Air-cooled
 Water-cooled
 Explain the function, construction and operation of
water cooling system and its components:
 Radiator
 Water pump
 Thermostat
 Radiator pressure cap
 Radiator fan
 Water temperature indicator
 Expansion tank
 Understand different types of coolants/anti-
freeze
 Explain various types of coolants/anti-
freeze:
 Ethylene glycol
 Propylene glycol
 Organic Acid Technology
 Hybrid Organic Acid Technology
 INTRODUCTION

Metal
temperatures
Today’s engines This heat can
Most of this heat is around the
create a destroy the
generated during combustion
tremendous engine and must
combustion. chamber can run
amount of heat. be removed.
as high as 1,000°F
(537.7°C).
Purpose of Cooling System
 Purpose - To remove the
excessive heat from the
engine to avoid
components in the
engine damaged.
 Too much cooling is also
not desirable because it
reduces the thermal
efficiency.
 The engine will perform
best in the desired
operating temperature.
TYPES OF COOLING SYSTEM
 Air-cooledsystem
 Water-cooled system
Air-cooled System
 Air cooled system is generally used in small
engines such as 15-20 kW and in aero plane
engines.
 In this system fins or extended surfaces are
provided on the cylinder walls, cylinder head,
etc.
 Heat generated due to combustion in the
engine cylinder will be conducted to the fins
and when the air flows over the fins, heat will
be dissipated to air.
Factors affect cooling
efficiency
 The amount of heat
dissipated to air depends
upon :
1) Amount of air flowing
through the fins.
2) Fin surface area.
3) Thermal conductivity of
metal used for fins
Advantages
 System is light because radiator/pump is
absent.
 There are no leakages.
 Coolant and antifreeze solutions are not
required.
 Can be used in cold climates, where if
water is used it may freeze.
Disadvantages
 Comparatively it is less efficient.
 It is used in aero planes and motorcycle
engines where the engines are exposed
to air directly.
Water-cooled System
 In this method, cooling water jackets are
provided around the cylinder, cylinder head,
valve seats etc.
 The water when circulated through the
jackets, it absorbs heat of combustion.
 This hot water will then be cooling in the
radiator partially by a fan and partially by the
flow developed by the forward motion of the
vehicle.
 The cooled water is again recirculated
through the water jackets.
Types of water-cooled system
 Thermo Siphon System
 In this system the circulation of water is 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.
 Pump Circulation System
 In this system circulation of water is
obtained by a pump. This pump is driven by
engine output shaft through belts.
Thermo Siphon System
Pump Circulation System
 Working principle of water-
cooled system.

The cooled
Heat is removed A pump moves The coolant Ram air and the
coolant leaves
from around the the coolant flows to the top airflow from the
the radiator and
combustion through the of the radiator cooling fan
enters the water
chambers by a engine block and loses heat move through
pump then its
coolant and then as it flows down the radiator and
sent back
circulating inside through the through the cool the
through the
the engine. cylinder head. radiator. coolant.
engine.
Working principle of water-
cooled system.
Components
 Radiator
 Water pump
 Thermostat
 Radiator pressure cap
 Expansion tank
 Radiator fan
 Water temperature indicator
Radiator
 The radiator is basically a heat
exchanger, transferring heat from
the engine to the air passing
through it.
 The radiator itself is a series of
tubes and fins (collectively called
the core) that expose the
coolant’s heat to as much
surface area as possible.
 Attached to the sides or top and bottom of the
core are plastic or aluminum tanks.
 One tank holds hot coolant and the other holds
the cooled coolant.
 Cores are normally comprised of flattened
aluminum tubes surrounded by thin aluminum fins.
 The fins conduct the heat from the tubes to the air
flowing through the radiator.
 Most radiators have draincock or plugs near the
bottom.
 Coolant is added at the radiator cap or the
recovery tank.
Design of radiators
 Radiators are normally based on one of
two designs: cross flow or down flow.
 In a cross-flow radiator, coolant enters on
one side, travels through tubes, and
collects on the opposite side.
 In a down-flow radiator, coolant enters
the top of the radiator and is drawn
downward by gravity.
Water Pump
 The heart of the cooling
system is the water pump.
 Its job is to move the coolant
through the system.
 Typically the water pump is
driven by the crankshaft
through pulleys and a drive
belt
 The pumps are centrifugal-
type pumps with a rotating
impeller to move the
coolant.
 The shaft is mounted in the
water pump housing and
rotates on bearings.
 The pump has a seal to
keep the coolant from
passing through it.
 The inlet of the pump
connects to the lower
radiator hose, and its outlet
connects to the engine
block.
Thermostat
A thermostat is a temperature-responsive
coolant flow control valve.
 It controls the temperature and amount
of coolant entering the radiator.
 Most thermostats are located on the top
and front of an engine.
How it works?
 While the engine is cold, the thermostat
remains closed, allowing coolant to only
circulate in the engine.
 This allows the engine to uniformly warm up.
 When the coolant reaches a specified
temperature, the thermostat begins to open
and allows coolant to flow to the radiator.
 The hotter the coolant gets, the more the
thermostat opens, sending more coolant to
the radiator.
When engine is cold When engine reaches the
specified temperature

Thermostat Closed Thermostat Open

 The thermostat permits fast engine warm-
up.
 Slow warm-up causes condensation in the
crankcase, which can cause the
formation of sludge.
Radiator Pressure Cap
 Radiator caps keep the coolant from
splashing out of the radiator.
 They also keep the coolant’s temperature
within a desired range by keeping the
coolant pressurized to a specified level.
 The pressure raises the boiling point of the
coolant.
 This allows the coolant to reach higher-
than-normal temperatures without boiling.
 This also allows the coolant to absorb
more heat from the engine and more
heat to transfer from the radiator core to
outside air.
 This is due to a basic law of nature that
states that the greater the heat
difference is between two objects, the
faster the heat of the hotter object will
move to the cooler object.
 Thepressure in the system is regulated by
a pressure relief or vent valve in the
radiator cap.

When the pressure reaches the pressure rating of the

cap, it pushes up on the spring in the pressure relief
valve.

This opens the valve and allows excess pressure to exit

the radiator.

When enough pressure has been released, to drop

system pressure below the cap’s rating, the spring will
close the pressure relief valve.
Expansion tank
 Alllate-model cooling systems have an
expansion or recovery tank.
 Cooling systems with expansion tanks are
called closed-cooling systems.
 They are designed to catch and hold any
coolant that passes through the pressure
cap.
 How it works?

The vacuum
As the engine
The coolant passes release valve
warms up, the
to an expansion inside the pressure
coolant expands.
tank. When the cap opens and the
This eventually
engine is shut coolant in the
causes the
down, the coolant expansion tank is
pressure cap to
begins to shrink. drawn back into
release.
the cooling system.
Radiator Fan
 The efficiency of the cooling system
depends on the amount of heat that can
be removed from the system and
transferred to the air.
 At high speeds, the ram air through the
radiator should be sufficient/enough to
maintain proper cooling.
 At low speeds and idle, the system needs
additional air. This air is delivered by a fan.
 The fan may be driven by the engine, via
a belt, or driven by an electric motor.
 A belt-driven fan is bolted to a pulley on
the water pump and turns constantly with
the engine.
 Thus, belt-driven fans always draw air
through the radiator from the rear.
Problem of belt-driven fan
 Fan air is usually only necessary at idle
and low-speed operation.
 Horsepower is required to turn the fan. The
operation of a cooling fan reduces the
available horsepower to the drive wheels
and the fuel economy of the vehicle.
 Fans are also very noisy at high speeds,
adding to driver fatigue and total vehicle
noise.
Solution?
 To eliminate this power waste during times
when fan operation is not needed, many of
today’s belt-driven fans operate only when
the engine and radiator heat up.
 This is accomplished by a fan clutch.
 When the engine and fan clutch are cold, the
fan moves independently from the clutch
and moves little air.
 In most cases, the clutch slips at high speeds;
therefore, it is not turning at full engine speed
Water Temperature Indicator
 Coolant temperature indicators alert the
driver of an overheating condition.
 These indicators are a temperature
gauge and/or a warning light.
 A temperature sensor is threaded into a
bore in a water jacket.
Coolant/Anti-freeze
 Engine coolant is a mixture of water and
antifreeze/coolant.
 Water alone has a boiling point of 100°C and a
freezing point of 0°C at sea level.
 Engine coolant has a higher boiling temperature
and a lower freezing point than water.
 The exact boiling or freezing temperatures
depend on the mixture.
 The typical recommended mixture is a 50/50
solution of water and antifreeze/coolant.
Types of Coolant/Anti-freeze
 Ethylene glycol
 Propylene glycol
 Organic acid technology (OAT)
 Hybrid organic acid technology (HOAT)
Ethylene glycol
 This is the most commonly used
antifreeze/coolant.
 It is green in color and provides good
protection regardless of climate, but it is
poisonous.
 Should be handled carefully and
disposed of properly.
 Sweet tasting (accidental ingestion or as
a murder weapon)
Propylene glycol
 This type has the same basic characteristics
as ethylene glycol-based coolant but is not
sweet tasting.
 Less harmful to animals and children. (non-
toxic antifreeze)
 Used when ethylene-glycol is inappropriate
such as in food processing system or water
pipes system in homes.
 Propylene glycol-based coolants should not
be mixed with ethylene glycol.
Organic acid technology
(OAT)
 This coolant is also environmentally
friendly and contains zero phosphates or
silicones.
 This orange coolant is often referred to by
a brand name “DEX-COOL” and is used in
all late-model GM vehicles.
 Extended service life of 240 000 km.
Hybrid organic acid
technology (HOAT)
 This
is similar to OAT coolant but has been
enhanced with additives (silicates or
phosphates) that make the coolant less
abrasive to water pumps
Advantages of Water-Cooled
System
 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.
Disadvantages of Water-
Cooled System
 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 high cost as it
has more number of parts.
 Also it requires more maintenance and
care for its parts.
Exercise
 Why is cooling necessary for IC engine?
 Explain in brief the methods of cooling of
IC engine.
 Differentiate between air cooling system
and water cooling system.
 What is the purpose of the fins in an air-
cooled system?
 Explain the function of thermostat?
Thank You