International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology

(IJEAT) ISSN: 2249 – 8958, Volume-2, Issue-4, April 2013

Cooling Systems in Automobiles & Cars

Gogineni. Prudhvi, Gada.Vinay, G.Suresh Babu

Abstract: Most internal combustion engines are fluid cooled What the cooling system does for an engine.
using either air (a gaseous fluid) or a liquid coolant run through
a heat exchanger (radiator) cooled by air. 1. Although gasoline engines have improved a lot, they are
In air cooling system, heat is carried away by the air flowing still not very efficient at turning chemical energy into
over and around the cylinder. Here fins are cast on the cylinder mechanical power.
head and cylinder barrel which provide additional conductive
and radiating surface. In water-cooling system of cooling 2. Most of the energy in the gasoline (perhaps 70%) is
engines, the cylinder walls and heads are provided with jacket converted into heat, and it is the job of the cooling
through which the cooling liquid can circulate. system to take care of that heat. In fact, the cooling
An internal combustion engine produces power byburning fuel system on a car driving down the freeway dissipates
within the cylinders; therefore, it is oftenreferred to as a "heat enough heat to heat two average-sized houses!
engine." However, only about25% of the heat is converted to 3. The primary job of the cooling system is to keep the
useful power. Whathappens to the remaining 75 percent? Thirty engine from overheating by transferring this heat to the
to thirtyfive percent of the heat produced in the air, but the cooling system also has several other
combustionchambers by the burning fuel are dissipated by
important jobs.
thecooling system along with the lubrication and fuelsystems.
Forty to forty- five percent of the heatproduced passes out with 4. The engine in your car runs best at a fairly high
the exhaust gases. If this heatwere not removed temperature.
quickly, overheating and extensive damage would result. Valves 5. When the engine is cold, components wear out faster,
would burn and warp,lubricating oil would break down, pistons and the engine is less efficient and emits more
and bearingwould overheat and seize, and the engine would pollution.
soonstop.The necessity for cooling may be emphasized 6. So another important job of the cooling system is to
byconsidering the total heat developed by an ordinary six- allow the engine to heat up as quickly as possible, and
cylinder engine.
then to keep the engine at a constant temperature.
I. INTRODUCTION What is a Cooling System?
We know that in case of Internal Combustion engines, A typical 4 cylinder vehicle cruising along the highway at
combustion of air and fuel takes place inside the engine around 50 miles per hour, will produce 4000 controlled
cylinder and hot gases are generated. The temperature of explosions per minute inside the engine as the spark plugs
gases will be around 2300-2500°C. This is a very high ignite the fuel in each cylinder to propel the vehicle down
temperature and may result into burning of oil film between the road. Obviously, these explosions produce an enormous
the moving parts and may result into seizing or welding of amount of heat and, if not controlled, will destroy an engine
the same. in a matter of minutes. Controlling these high temperatures
So, this temperature must be reduced to about 150-200°C at is the job of the cooling system.
which the engine will work most efficiently. Too much The modern cooling system has not changed much from the
cooling is also not desirable since it reduces the thermal cooling systems in the model T back in the '20s. Oh sure, it
efficiency. So, the object of cooling system is to keep the has become infinitely more reliable and efficient at doing
engine running at its most efficient operating temperature. it's job, but the basic cooling system still consists of liquid
It is to be noted that the engine is quite inefficient when it is coolant being circulated through the engine, then out to the
cold and hence the cooling system is designed in such a way radiator to be cooled by the air stream coming through the
that it prevents cooling when the engine is warming up and front grill of the vehicle.
till it attains to maximum efficient operating temperature, Today's cooling system must maintain the engine at a
then it starts cooling. constant temperature whether the outside air temperature is
It is also to be noted that : 110 degrees Fahrenheit or 10 below zero. If the engine
(a) About 20-25% of total heat generated is used for temperature is too low, fuel economy will suffer and
producing brake power (useful work). emissions will rise. If the temperature is allowed to get too
(b) Cooling system is designed to remove 30-35% of total hot for too long, the engine will self destruct.
heat.
(c) Remaining heat is lost in friction and carried away by How Does a Cooling System Work?
exhaust gases. Actually, there are two types of cooling systems found on
motor vehicles: Liquid cooled and Air cooled. Air cooled
engines are found on a few older cars, like the original
Volkswagen Beetle, the Chevrolet Corvair and a few others.
Many modern motorcycles still use air cooling, but for the
most part, automobiles and trucks use liquid cooled systems
and that is what this article will concentrate on.
Manuscript received April, 2013.
Gogineni. Prudhvi, KL University, Guntur (A.P.), The cooling system is made up of the passages inside the
India Gada.Vinay, KL University, Guntur (A.P.), India engine block and heads, a water pump to circulate the
G.Suresh Babu, KL University, Guntur (A.P.), India coolant, a thermostat to control the temperature of the

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coolant, a radiator to cool the coolant, a radiator cap to Antifreeze

control the pressure in the system, and some plumbing The coolant that courses through the engine and associated
consisting of interconnecting hoses to transfer the coolant plumbing must be able to withstand temperatures well below
from the engine to radiator and zero without freezing. It must also be able to handle engine
also to the car's heater system where hot coolant is used to temperatures in excess of 250 degrees without boiling. A tall
warm up the vehicle's interior on a cold day. order for any fluid, but that is not all. The fluid must also
A cooling system works by sending a liquid coolant through contain rust inhibiters and a lubricant.
passages in the engine block and heads. As the coolant flows The coolant in today's vehicles is a mixture of ethylene
through these passages, it picks up heat from the engine. The glycol (antifreeze) and water. The recommended ratio is
heated fluid then makes its way through a rubber hose to the fifty-fifty. In other words, one part antifreeze and one part
radiator in the front of the car. As it flows through the thin water. This is the minimum recommended for use in
tubes in the radiator, the hot liquid is cooled by the air automobile engines. Less antifreeze and the boiling point
stream entering the engine compartment from the grill in would be too low. In certain climates where the
front of the car. Once the fluid is cooled, it returns to the temperatures can go well below zero, it is permissible to
engine to absorb more heat. The water pump has the job of have as much as 75% antifreeze and 25% water, but no
keeping the fluid moving through this system of plumbing more than that. Pure antifreeze will not work properly and
and hidden passages. can cause a boil over.

II. TYPES OF COOLING SYSTEMS

There are mainly two types of cooling systems :
(a) Air cooled system, and
(b) Water cooled system.

Introduction to air cooling:

Turbo cooling have been adopted for IC-engines at least
since 1975 by I Kalmar and J Antal for Nox reduction in CI-
engines. Engineers from SWRI contributed in the same
subject between 1990-1991 with adress to M Shahed and
RH Thring in the ”Clean Diesel Project” Volvo Truck also
performed a MSc thesis work carried out by Jan Wiman in
1991.
A thermostat is placed between the engine and the radiator
to make sure that the coolant stays above a certain preset III. AIR COOLING SYSTEM
temperature. If the coolant temperature falls below this Air cooled system is generally used in small engines say up
temperature, the thermostat blocks the coolant flow to the to 15-20 kW and in aero plane engines. In this system fins
radiator, forcing the fluid instead through a bypass directly or extended surfaces are provided on the cylinder walls,
back to the engine. The coolant will continue to circulate cylinder head, etc. Heat generated due to combustion in the
like this until it reaches the design temperature, at which engine cylinder will be conducted to the fins and when the
point, the thermostat will open a valve and allow the coolant air flows over the fins, heat will be dissipated to air.
back through the radiator.
The amount of heat dissipated to air depends upon :
Circulation (a) Amount of air flowing through the fins.b) Fin surface
The coolant follows a path that takes it from the water area.
pump, through passages inside the engine block where it (c) Thermal conductivity of metal used for fins.
collects the heat produced by the cylinders. It then flows up
to the cylinder head (or heads in a V type engine) where it Advantages of Air Cooled System
collects more heat from the combustion chambers. It then Following are the advantages of air cooled system :
flows out past the thermostat (if the thermostat is opened to (a) Radiator/pump is absent hence the system is light.
allow the fluid to pass), through the upper radiator hose and (b) In case of water cooling system there are leakages, but
into the radiator. The coolant flows through the thin in this case there are no leakages.
flattened tubes that make up the core of the radiator and is (c) Coolant and antifreeze solutions are not required.
cooled by the air flow through the radiator. From there, it (d) This system can be used in cold climates, where if
flows out of the radiator, through the lower radiator hose water is used it may freeze.
and back to the water pump. By this time, the coolant is
cooled off and ready to collect more heat from the engine. Disadvantages of Air Cooled System
The capacity of the system is engineered for the type and (a) Comparatively it is less efficient.
size of the engine and the work load that it is expected to (b) It is used in aero planes and motorcycle engines where
undergo. Obviously, the cooling system for a larger, more the engines are exposed to air directly.
powerful V8 engine in a heavy vehicle will need
considerably more capacity then a compact car with a small Air cooling
4 cylinder engine. On a large vehicle, the radiator is larger Cars and trucks using direct air cooling (without an
with many more tubes for the coolant to flow through. The intermediate liquid) were built over a long period from the
radiator is also wider and taller to capture more air flow very beginning and ending with a small and generally
entering the vehicle from the grill in front. unrecognized technical change.

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 International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology
(IJEAT) ISSN: 2249 – 8958, Volume-2, Issue-4, April 2013
Before World War II, water-cooled cars and trucks Components of Water Cooling System:
routinely overheated while climbing mountain roads,
creating geysers of boiling cooling water. This was
considered normal, and at the time, most noted mountain
roads had auto repair shops to minister to overheating
engines.
ACS (Auto Club Suisse) maintains historical monuments to
that era on the Susten Pass where two radiator refill stations
remain (See a picture here). These have instructions on a
cast metal plaque and a spherical bottom watering can
hanging next to a water spigot. The spherical bottom was
intended to keep it from being set down and, therefore, be
useless around the house, in spite of which it was stolen, as Water cooling system mainly consists of :
the picture shows. (a) Radiator,
During that period, European firms such as Magirus-Deutz (b) Thermostat valve,
built air-cooled diesel trucks, Porsche built air-cooled farm (c) Water pump,
tractors, and Volkswagen became famous with air-cooled (d) Fan,
passenger cars. In the USA, Franklin built air-cooled (e) Water Jackets, and
engines. The Czechoslovakia based company Tatra is known (f) Antifreeze mixtures.
for their big size air-cooled V8 car engines, Tatra engineer
Julius Mackerle published a book on it. Air-cooled engines Radiator
are better adapted to extremely cold and hot environmental It mainly consists of an upper tank and lower tank and
weather temperatures, you can see air-cooled engines between them is a core. The upper tank is connected to the
starting and running in freezing conditions that stuck water- water outlets from the engines jackets by a hose pipe and the
cooled engines and continue working when water-cooled lover tank is connect to the jacket inlet through water pump
ones start producing steam jets. by means of hose pipes.
There are 2-types of cores :
IV. WATER COOLING SYSTEM (a) Tubular
In this method, cooling water jackets are provided around (b) Cellular as shown.
the cylinder, cylinder head, valve seats etc. Thewater when When the water is flowing down through the radiator core, it
circulated through the jackets, it absorbs heat of is cooled partially by the fan which blows air and partially
combustion. This hot water will then be cooling in the by the air flow developed by the forward motion of the
radiator partially by a fan and partially by the flow vehicle. As shown through water passages and air passages,
developed by the forward motion of the vehicle. The cooled wafer and air will be flowing for cooling purpose. It is to be
water is again recirculated through the water jackets. noted that radiators are generally made out of copper and
brass and their joints are made by soldering.
There are two types of water cooling system :
Thermo Siphon System Thermostat Valve
In this system the circulation of water is due to difference in It is a valve which prevents flow of water from the engine to
temperature (i.e. difference in densities) of water. So in this radiator, so that engine readily reaches to its maximum
system pump is not required but water is circulated because efficient operating temperature. After
of density difference only. attaining maximum efficient operating temperature, it
automatically begins functioning. Generally, it prevents the
water below 70°C. Bellow type thermostat valve which is
generally used. It contains a bronze bellow containing liquid
alcohol. Bellow is connected to the butterfly valve disc
through the link. When the temperature of water increases,
the liquid alcohol evaporates and the bellow expands and in
turn opens the butterfly valve, and allows hot water to the
radiator, where it is cooled.

Pump Circulation System Water Pump

In this system circulation of water is obtained by a pump. It is used to pump the circulating water. Impeller type pump
This pump is driven by means of engine output shaft will be mounted at the front end. Pump consists of an
through V-belts impeller mounted on a shaft and enclosed in the pump
casing. The pump casing has inlet and outlet openings. The
pump is driven by means of engine output shaft only
through belts. When it is
driven water will be pumped.

Fan
It is driven by the engine output shaft through same belt that
drives the pump. It is provided behind the radiator and it
blows air over the radiator for cooling purpose.

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Water Jackets 3. Too much heat can damage an engine, increase

Cooling water jackets are provided around the cylinder, oxidation to the oil, and reduce the effectiveness of the
cylinder head, valve seats and any hot parts which are to be additives in the oil.
cooled. Heat generated in the engine cylinder, conducted 4. Excessive heat may attack seals, liners, gaskets, and
through the cylinder walls to the jackets. The water flowing sealants.
through the jackets absorbs this heat and gets hot. This hot 5. A thin (1/16") layer of calcium carbonate build-up on an
water will then be cooled in the radiator. engine is equal to 4" of solid cast iron in heat transfer.

Antifreeze Mixture Antifreeze

In western countries if the water used in the radiator freezes 1. Antifreeze should be changed every year unless you
because of cold climates, then ice formed has more volume add chemical inhibitors to reinforce the rust inhibiting
and produces cracks in the cylinder blocks, pipes, and ability.
radiator. So, to prevent freezing antifreeze mixtures or 2. Diluting antifreeze one-third to one-half with water is
solutions are added in the cooling water. usually recommended. More than two-thirds antifreeze
The ideal antifreeze solutions should have the following is too much. It offers less freezing protection rather than
properties : more.
(a) It should dissolve in water easily. 3. Distilled or rain water is better than plain water because
(b) It should not evaporate. of the corrosion deposits.
(c) It should not deposit any foreign matter in cooling 4. Ethylene-Glycol antifreeze in the cooling system raises
system. the boiling temperature substantially. This makes for
(d) It should not have any harmful effect on any part of greater heat dissipation.
cooling system. 5. Antifreeze is not a waste of money if you consider risk
(e) It should be cheap and easily available. factor alone. It is insurance that makes sense.
(f) It should not corrode the system.
No single antifreeze satisfies all the requirements. Internal combustion engine cooling over view:
Normally following are used as antifreeze solutions : Heat engines generate mechanical power by extracting
(a) Methyl, ethyl and isopropyl alcohols. energy from heat flows, much as a water wheel extracts
(b) A solution of alcohol and water. mechanical power from a flow of mass falling through a
(c) Ethylene Glycol. distance. Engines are inefficient, so more heat energy enters
(d) A solution of water and Ethylene Glycol. the engine than comes out as mechanical power; the
(e) Glycerin along with water, etc. difference is waste heat which must be removed. Internal
combustion engines remove waste heat through cool intake
Advantages of Water Cooling System air, hot exhaust gases, and explicit engine cooling.
(a) Uniform cooling of cylinder, cylinder head and valves. Engines with higher efficiency have more energy leave as
(b) Specific fuel consumption of engine improves by using mechanical motion and less as waste heat. Some waste heat
water cooling system. is essential: it guides heat through the engine, much as a
(c) If we employ water cooling system, then engine need water wheel works only if there is some exit velocity
not be provided at the front end of moving vehicle. (energy) in the waste water to carry it away and make room
(d) Engine is less noisy as compared with air cooled for more water. Thus, all heat engines need cooling to
engines, as it has water for damping noise. operate.
Cooling is also needed because high temperatures damage
Disadvantages of Water Cooling System engine materials and lubricants. Internal-combustion
(a) It depends upon the supply of water. engines burn fuel hotter than the melting temperature of
(b) The water pump which circulates water absorbs engine materials, and hot enough to set fire to lubricants.
considerable power. Engine cooling removes energy fast enough to keep
(c) If the water cooling system fails then it will result in temperatures low so the engine can survive.
severe damage of engine. Some high-efficiency engines run without explicit cooling
(d) The water cooling system is costlier as it has more and with only accidental heat loss, a design called adiabatic.
number of parts. Also it requires more maintenance and For example, 10,000 mile-per-gallon "cars" for the Shell
care for its parts. economy challenge are insulated, both to transfer as much
energy as possible from hot gases to mechanical motion, and
Engine cooling system to reduce reheat losses when restarting. Such engines can
The cooling system is a key to efficient engine operation. achieve high efficiency but compromise power output, duty
An internal combustion engine only uses one-third of the cycle, engine weight, durability, and emissions.
power produced. One-third heats oil or goes out the exhaust
and one-third must be controlled by the water cooling Basic principle
system. Most internal combustion engines are fluid cooled using
1. An engine wears out four times faster if it continually either air (a gaseous fluid) or a liquid coolant run through a
operates at a low temperature. heat exchanger (radiator) cooled by air. Marine engines and
2. A tractor doing the same work will use 3.8 gallons of some stationary engines have ready access to a large volume
fuel per hour at 400 and only 2.8 gallons of fuel per of water at a suitable temperature. The water may be used
hour at 1800. Warm up your engine before putting directly to cool the engine, but often has sediment, which
under load. can clog coolant passages, or chemicals, such as salt, that
can chemically damage the engine. Thus, engine coolant

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(IJEAT) ISSN: 2249 – 8958, Volume-2, Issue-4, April 2013
may be run through a heat exchanger that is cooled by the aluminum core and the plastic tanks to seal the system and
body of water. keep the fluid from leaking out. On older copper and brass
Most liquid-cooled engines use a mixture of water and radiators, the tanks were brazed (a form of welding) in order
chemicals such as antifreeze and rust inhibitors. The to seal the radiator.
industry term for the antifreeze mixture is engine coolant.
Some antifreezes use no water at all, instead using a liquid
with different properties, such as propylene glycol or a
combination of propylene glycol and ethylene glycol. Most
"air-cooled" engines use some liquid oil cooling, to maintain
acceptable temperatures for both critical engine parts and the
oil itself. Most "liquid-cooled" engines use some air cooling,
with the intake stroke of air cooling the combustion
chamber. An exception isWankel engines, where some parts Radiator Fans
of the combustion chamber are never cooled by intake, Mounted on the back of the radiator on the side closest to
requiring extra effort for successful operation. the engine is one or two electric fans inside a housing that is
However, properties of the coolant (water, oil, or air) also designed to protect fingers and to direct the air flow. These
affect cooling. As example, comparing water and oil as fans are there to keep the air flow going through the radiator
coolants, one gram of oil can absorb about 55% of the heat while the vehicle is going slow or is stopped with the engine
for the same rise in temperature (called the specific heat running. If these fans stopped working, every time you came
capacity). Oil has about 90% the density of water, so a given to a stop, the engine temperature would begin rising. On
volume of oil can absorb only about 50% of the energy of older systems, the fan was connected to the front of the
the same volume of water. The thermal conductivity of water pump and would spin whenever the engine was
water is about 4 times that of oil, which can aid heat running because it was driven by a fan belt instead of an
transfer. The viscosity of oil can be ten times greater than electric motor.
water, increasing the energy required to pump oil for
cooling, and reducing the net power output of the engine. Pressure cap and reserve tank:
Comparing air and water, air has vastly lower heat capacity As coolant gets hot, it expands. Since the cooling system is
per gram and per volume (4000) and less than a tenth the sealed, this expansion causes an increase in pressure in the
conductivity, but also much lower viscosity (about 200 cooling system, which is normal and part of the design.
times lower: 17.4 × 10−6Pa·s for air vs 8.94 × 10−4 Pa·s for When coolant is under pressure, the temperature where the
water). Continuing the calculation from two paragraphs liquid begins to boil is considerably higher. This pressure,
above, air cooling needs ten times of the surface area, coupled with the higher boiling point of ethylene glycol,
therefore the fins, and air needs 2000 times the flow velocity allows the coolant to safely reach temperatures in excess of
and thus a recirculating air fan needs ten times the power of 250 degrees.
a recirculating water pump. Moving heat from the cylinder The radiator pressure cap is a simple device that will
to a large surface area for air cooling can present problems maintain pressure in the cooling system up to a certain
such as difficulties manufacturing the shapes needed for point. If the pressure builds up higher than the set pressure
good heat transfer and the space needed for free flow of a point, there is a spring loaded valve, calibrated to the correct
large volume of air. Pounds per Square Inch (psi), to release the pressure.
The Components of a Cooling System
 The Radiator Water Pump
 Radiator Cooling Fans A water pump is a simple device that will keep the coolant
 Pressure Cap & Reserve Tank moving as long as the engine is running. It is usually
 Water Pump mounted on the front of the engine and turns whenever the
 Thermostat engine is running. The water pump is driven by the engine
 Bypass System through one of the following:
 Freeze Plugs
 Head Gaskets & Intake Manifold Gaskets
 Heater Core
 Hoses
The Radiator
The radiator core is usually made of flattened aluminum
tubes with aluminum strips that zigzag between the
tubes. These fins transfer the heat in the tubes into the air
stream to be carried away from the vehicle. On each end of
the radiator core is a tank, usually made of plastic that belt that will also be responsible for driving an
 A fan
covers the ends of the radiator,
additional component like an alternator or power steering
On most modern radiators, the tubes run horizontally with pump A serpentine belt, which also drives the alternator,
the plastic tank on either side. On other cars, the tubes run power steering pump and AC compressor among other
vertically with the tank on the top and bottom. On older things.
vehicles, the core was made of copper and the tanks were  The timing belt that is also responsible for driving one or
brass. The new aluminum-plastic system is much more more camshafts.
efficient, not to mention cheaper to produce. On radiators Thermostat
with plastic end caps, there are gaskets between the
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The thermostat is simply a valve that measures the head gasket. The head gasket has several things it needs to
temperature of the coolant and, if it is hot enough, opens to seal against. The main thing is the combustion pressure on
allow the coolant to flow through the radiator. If the coolant each cylinder
is not hot enough, the flow to the radiator is blocked and
fluid is directed to a bypass system that allows the coolant to Heater Core
return directly back to the engine. The bypass system allows The hot coolant is also used to provide heat to the interior of
the coolant to keep moving through the engine to balance the vehicle when needed. This is a simple and straight
the temperature and avoid hot spots. Because flow to the forward system that includes a heater core, which looks like
radiator is blocked, the engine will reach operating a small version of a radiator, connected to the cooling
temperature sooner and, on a cold day, will allow the heater system with a pair of rubber hoses. One hose brings hot
to begin supplying hot air to the interior more quickly. coolant from the water pump to the heater core and the other
hose returns the coolant to the top of the engine.

Since the 1970s, thermostats have been calibrated to keep

the temperature of the coolant above 192 to 195 degrees. Hoses
Prior to that, 180 degree thermostats were the norm. It was There are several rubber hoses that make up the plumbing to
found that if the engine is allowed to run at these hotter connect the components of the cooling system. The main
temperatures, emissions are reduced, moisture condensation hoses are called the upper and lower radiator hoses. These
inside the engine is quickly burned off extending engine life, two hoses are approximately 2 inches in diameter and direct
and combustion is more complete which improves fuel coolant between the engine and the radiator.
economy.
The heart of a thermostat is a sealed copper cup that Radiators
contains wax and a metal pellet. As the thermostat heats up, Radiators are used for cooling internal combustion engines,
the hot wax expands, pushing a piston against spring mainly in automobiles but also in piston-engined aircraft,
pressure to open the valve and allow coolant to circulate. railway locomotives, motorcycles, stationary generating
The thermostat is usually located in the front, top part of the plant or any similar use of such an engine.
engine in a water outlet housing that also serves as the
connection point for the upper radiator hose. The thermostat
housing attaches to the engine, usually with two bolts and a
gasket to seal it against leaks.

Bypass System
This is a passage that allows the coolant to bypass the Internal combustion engines are often cooled by passing a
radiator and return directly back to the engine. Some liquid called engine coolant through the engine block,
engines use a rubber hose, or a fixed steel tube. In other where it is heated, then through the radiator itself where it
engines, there is a cast in passage built into the water pump loses heat to the atmosphere, and then back to the engine in
or front housing. In any case, when the thermostat is closed, a closed loop. Engine coolant is usually water-based, but
coolant is directed to this bypass and channeled back to the may also be oil. It is common to employ a water pump to
water pump, which sends the coolant back into the engine force the engine coolant to circulate, and also for an axial
without being cooled by the radiator. fan to force air through the radiator.
Freeze Plugs
When an engine block is manufactured, a special sand is
molded to the shape of the coolant passages in the engine
block. This sand sculpture is positioned inside a mold and
molten iron or aluminum is poured to form the engine block.
When the casting is cooled, the sand is loosened and
removed through holes in the engine block casting leaving
the passages that the coolant flows through. Obviously, if
we don't plug up these holes, the coolant will pour right out.

Head Gaskets and Intake Manifold Gaskets In automobiles and motorcycles with a liquid cooled internal
All internal combustion engines have an engine block and combustion engine, a radiator is connected to channels
one or two cylinder heads. The mating surfaces where the running through the engine and cylinder head, through
block and head meet are machined flat for a close, precision which a liquid (coolant) ispumped. This liquid may be water
fit, but no amount of careful machining will allow them to (in climates where water is unlikely to freeze), but is more
be completely water tight or be able to hold back commonly a mixture of water and antifreeze in proportions
combustion gases from escaping past the mating surfaces. In appropriate to the climate.
order to seal the block to the heads, we use a

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(IJEAT) ISSN: 2249 – 8958, Volume-2, Issue-4, April 2013
Antifreeze itself is usually ethylene glycol or propylene
glycol (with a small amount of corrosion inhibitor).
The radiator transfers the heat from the fluid inside to the air
outside, thereby cooling the fluid, which in turn cools the
engine. Radiators are also often used to cool automatic
transmission fluids, air conditioner refrigerant, intake air,
and sometimes to cool motor oil or power steering fluid.
Radiators are typically mounted in a position where they
receive airflow from the forward movement of the vehicle,
such as behind a front grill. Where engines are mid- or rear-
mounted, it is common to mount the radiator behind a front
grill to achieve sufficient airflow, even though this requires
long coolant pipes. Alternatively, the radiator may draw air
from the flow over the top of the vehicle or from a side-
mounted grill. For long vehicles, such as buses, side airflow
is most common for engine and transmission cooling and
top airflow most common for air conditioner cooling.

Radiator construction
Automobile radiators are constructed of a pair of header
tanks, linked by a core with many narrow passageways, thus
a high surface area relative to its volume. This core is
usually made of stacked layers of metal sheet, pressed to
form channels and soldered or brazed together. For many V. ANALYSIS OF THE CYLINDER LINER USING
years radiators were made from brass or copper cores ANSYS
soldered to brass headers. Modern radiators save money and
The analysis of the cylinder liner is done with two different
weight by using plastic headers and may use aluminium
materials. And the type of the analysis is Thermal Analysis.
cores. This construction is less easily repaired than
traditional materials.
FINITE ELEMENT MODEL OF THE CYLINDER
The Cylinder Liner
Convection Convection
The cylinder liner forms the cylindrical space in which the
piston reciprocates. The reasons for manufacturing the liner 1 2 3 4 5
separately from the cylinder block (jacket) in which it is
(Liner) (CYLINDER)
located.The Liner will get tend to get very hot during engine
operation as the heat energy from the burning fuel is
transferred to the cylinder wall. So that the temperature can
The numbers 1,2,3,4,5 are the nodes of the element.
be kept within acceptable limits the liner is cooled.
Cylinder liners from older lower powered engines had a
The element between the nodes 2&3 is the cylinder liner
uniform wall thickness and the cooling was achieved by
and the element between the nodes 3&4 is the cylinder
circulating cooling water through a space formed between
surface. The element between the nodes 1&2 is an
liner and jacket. The cooling water space was sealed from
imaginary surface drawn for the convection between the
the scavenge space using 'O' rings and a telltale passage
surface and the surroundings which acts as an ambient
between the 'O' rings led to the outside of the cylinder block
nature. Similarly with the nodes 4&5.
to show a leakage.To increase the power of the engine for a
given number of cylinders, either the efficiency of the
VI. THE PROCEDURAL STEPS FOR THE ANALYSIS
engine must be increased or more fuel must be burnt per
OF THE LINER USING ANSYS
cycle. To burn more fuel, the volume of the combustion
space must be increased, and the mass of air for combustion 1. Starting the Ansys
must be increased. Because of the resulting higher pressures 2. File-Clear and Start New
in the cylinder from the combustion of this greater mass of 3. File-Change the file name
fuel, and the larger diameters, the liner must be made 4. File-Change the Directory
thicker at the top to accommodate the higher hoop stresses, 5. Preferences-Thermal-Ok
and prevent cracking of the material. If the thickness of the 6. Pre-Processor-Element type-thermal-link-
material is increased, then it stands to reason that the 2D Conduction
working surface of the liner is going to increase in Convection 34
temperature because the cooling water is now further away. 7. Pre-Processor-Real Constants-
Increased surface temperature means that the material Area1=1mm² Area2=1mm²
strength is reduced, and the oil film burnt away, resulting in 8. Pre-Processor-Material Properties-Material Models-
excessive wear and increased thermal stressing. Material Model-1 Thermal-Convection-h=
The solution is to bring the cooling water closer to the liner 9. Pre-Processor-Material Properties-Material Models-
wall, and one method of doing this without compromising Material Model2-Thermal convection-h=
the strength of the liner is to use tangential bore cooling. 10. Pre-Processor-MaterialProperties-Material
Models-Material Model3-Thermal-Conductivity-
Isotropic-k=

694
 Cooling Systems in Automobiles & Cars

11. Pre-Processor-Material Properties-Material Models- RINT TEMP NODAL SOLUTION PER NODE
Material Model4-Thermal conductivity-Isotropic-K=
12. Modeling-Create-Nodes-In Active CS POST1 NODAL DEGREE OF FREEDOM LISTING
NODE X Y Z
1 LOAD STEP= 1 SUBSTEP= 1
2
TIME= 1.0000 LOAD CASE= 0
3
4
13. Modeling-Elements-Auto numbered-Thru Nodes NODE TEMP
14. Solution-Analysis Type-Thermal 1 973.00
15. Solution –Define Loads-apply-Thermal-Temperature 2 804.66
on nodes 3 734.52
16. Solution-Define Loads-apply-Thermal-convection on 4 477.34
nodes 5 309.00
17. Solution-Solve-Current LS-Ok
18. General Post Processor-List Results-Nodal Solution- MAXIMUM ABSOLUTE VALUES
Nodal Temperature NODE 1
19. General Post Processor-Plot Results-Contour Plot VALUE 973.00

Various When Different Material are Used for a liner for

Analysis:

The Required Values taken for the Analysis:

S.NO COMPONENT MATERIAL
1 LINER GREY CAST IRON
2 CYLINDER ALUMINIUM

K (in BTU) = 118 at 68F

= 124 at 200F for Aluminium = 144
at 400F PRINT TEMP NODAL SOLUTION PER NODE
K(in Btu) = 36 at 70F (for Cast
Iron) POST1 NODAL DEGREE OF FREEDOM LISTING
(1BTU=1.731 w/mk)
H=20w/(m²k) for air
Temperatures LOAD STEP= 1 SUBSTEP= 1
Inside liner=700ºc
Outside Cylinder=36ºc TIME= 1.0000 LOAD CASE= 0
When Cast Iron-Aluminium are used:

POST1 NODAL DEGREE OF FREEDOM

LISTING LOAD STEP= 0 SUBSTEP= 1
TIME= 1.0000 LOAD CASE= 0

NODE TEMP
1 1170.0
2 949.18
3 857.18
4 519.82
5 299.00

MAXIMUM ABSOLUTE VALUES

NODE 1
VALUE 1170.0 MAXIMUM ABSOLUTE VALUES
1
NODAL SOLUTION
SUB =1
TIME=1
TEMP (AVG)
NOV 2 2011
23:39:34 NODE 1
RSYS=0
SMN =299
SMX =1170
VALUE 1170.0
Y
These Results show the Variations in the action of stresses
at different points of the Cylinder Liner
Z1MX X 2 3 4 5MN

299 492.556 686.111 879.667 1073

REFERENCES
1. http://content.answcdn.com/main/content/img/McGrawHil
l/Aviation
2. www.google.co.in
3. Pulford, Graha W. (2007). An encyclopedic reference.
395.778 589.333 782.889 976.444 1170 ISBN 0750684372
4. Internal Combustion Engines by H.N. Gupta
When Both are Made with Aluminium:
695