How an Internal Combustion Engine Cooling System works

Man still uses Internal Combustion Engines. Combustion engines are used for automobiles, but man has resorted to Electric vehicles first. It is very environmentally friendly and profitable.

But it is important to know about it, as we have not yet given up on the internal combustion engine. So today I'm talking about a car cooling system. In addition to generating power, the engine is heated by the heat produced by the combustion of fuel in an engine. Most of the thermal energy produced by the engine is damaged for a variety of reasons.

40% with exhaust gas,

30% of the engine sucks.

5% by friction,

The effective heat is 25%.

30% of the heat absorbed from the engine must be removed from the engine. Otherwise, it will have a negative impact on the engine. Excessive heating reduces engine efficiency. Expand when the engine is heated.

This causes the gaps between the parts of the engine to change and become obsolete. This can be known as engine stalling. To prevent such problems, the heat produced by the engine must be effectively removed.

This system is called the "cooling system" for removing heat. There is much to talk about the cooling system.

Below you can see the heat loss of an engine. There are two methods used to cool the currently used engine.

1.Air Cooling

2.Liquid cooling

1.Air Cooling

Air cooling is called "air cooling". This is an easy and inexpensive procedure. There are two ways to cool an engine.

1.Natural circulation

2.Forced flow circulation

1.Natural circulation.

This is done by cooling the parts of the heated engine (outer surface) with air. This method is most commonly used in motorcycles and three-wheelers. Increasing the surface area of ​​the engine head and beam accelerates cooling.

If you look well at motorcycles you can see Cooling fins. In this method, sufficient air should flow through the cooling fins. Otherwise, the cooling won't happen. Therefore, this method is not suitable for permanently mounted engines.

2.Forced flow circulation.

Forced flow circulation is used when cooling fins are sent to the air using a blower when the air currents cannot be used. This method is used in generators and scooters.

The blower is a technique used to pump air. The blower is powered by engine or electricity to operate. It is also not advisable for an engine to cool too much. So it may not be complete combustion of fuel. To prevent this, some cars have a thermostat.

2.Liquid cooling.

Liquid cooling is the cooling of an engine by allowing the liquid to flow through the engine. Water is the most commonly used coolant in the world. Add some additives to this to enhance the cooling ability. Water is used because of its ability to absorb the heat and the abundance of water. Ethylene glycol can be a liquid used in water.

2 Liquid Cooling Methods.

1.Thermo-siphon liquid circulation system.

2. Force feed liquid circulation system.

1.Thermo-siphon liquid circulation system.

•      Radiator.
•      Water jacket and water lines.
•      Fan.
•      Hose.

Identify the parts in the photo below. Let us talk about this system separately.

Radiator.

The radiator consists of two tanks on the top and bottom. An opening to the upper tank is used to fill the cooling fluid. There is also a mulch to prevent overheating. If you need to remove water from the system, cork is also used. Vertically a large number of thin metal tubes connect between the two tanks.

The plates between the tubes have good thermal conductivity. Air can flow easily between the plates. This passage to the air is known as the Radiator core. You will find it easy to understand by looking at the image below.

2.Water jacket and water lines.

Water holes are made in the engine core and in the head. The hose is attached to the top tank of the radiator to the engine head and to the lower tank of the radiator to the engine bay.

3.Fan.

The Fan is used to deliver cool gas through the radiator. This fan operates with a harness or electricity. The airflow is always directed away from the engine. In a car, the forward flow of air through the radiator reduces fan energy.

When the engine is filled with the cooling fluid up to the top of the radiator's tank, the liquid in the water passes through the engine's holes. When the liquid is heated, the density decreases and moves upward through the hose to the upstream tank of the radiator. Then, the water passes through the thin tubes of the radiator into the bottom tank of the radiator. The radiator absorbs the heat of the hot water as it passes through the thin tube of the radiator.

Meanwhile, the water in the downstream tank passes through the hose to the engine water holes. As they have before, the heat of the engine is reduced and the density drops again, leading to the tank. The heat absorbed by the radiator goes into the air. This causes the hot liquid to cool down. This happens in a cyclical way. Radiators use copper or aluminum as the metal to make the cooling process more efficient. This is important because they have good thermal conductivity.

For this Thermo-Syphon cooling system to work properly, the top tank of the radiator must be filled with water.

This process is slowed down by natural convection. So large radiators must be used. This method is not used in modern cars.

Force feed liquid circulation system

It is called a pump because it incorporates a mechanism to increase the cooling rate by accelerating the flow of the coolant fluid. This is the method used in modern cars.

Radiator

There is no major difference between the radiator used in this method and the radiator in Thermo-syphon liquid circulation. The radiator size of this method is smaller than the previous one and the difference is only in the specific muzzle. The mirror used in this method is the Pressure cap.

Radiator cap

When the pressure cap is attached to the radiator's mouth, the pressure seat closes the radiator's mouth. The pressure cap is tightened by the bow. Therefore, the pressure seat does not open until the pressure in the radiator exceeds the atmospheric pressure. As the pressure increases, the boiling point of the liquid increases, thus reducing the evaporation of the liquid. (Boiling point - the temperature required for a liquid to evaporate) The higher the temperature, the greater the cooling temperature. This makes the radiator smaller in size.

As the temperature of the liquid in the cooling system increases, the internal pressure increases as the liquid expands. Then the pressure seat opens and the heated water enters the overflow tank along the exhaust pipe. When the engine stops, both the engine and the coolant cools. The coolant is then recirculated, resulting in less pressure on the cooling system. This opens the vacuum valve and returns the liquid in the extra tank back to the radiator tank so there is no need to refill the liquid. But the water level of the overflow tank must be maintained properly.

Cooling liquid pump

The water in the bottom tank of the radiator is pumped into the engine's water holes. The engine generates enough power to operate it. Sometimes there are also electric ones.

Thermostatic valve

It is used to control the cooling fluid going into the radiator until a cooling engine reaches operating temperature. Otherwise, it will take too long for the engine to get the optimum temperature it needs. It can also cause more fuel damage. This makes the Thermostatic valve a great service. The operating temperature of an engine is between 85⁰C-90⁰C.

There are several types of a thermostatic valves, but let's talk about wax thermostatic valves.

The valve is closed until the engine is up and operating. The cooling fluid is allowed to circulate inside the engine. When the engine's operating temperature exceeds, the wax in the thermostatic valve expands and the valve opens. The cooling process then returns to normal.

Errors in the Cooling System

Water is commonly used as a cooling agent. But in cold climates, water thickens and expands. Then parts of the engine are damaged. Therefore, water can be mixed with Ethylene glycol 60% water to reduce the melting point of water to 0⁰C.

• Causes of cooling fluid Boil
• Decrease of cooling fluid
• Cooling liquid leak
• Blockage of cooling liquid cavities
• Loosen or break the fan belt
• Fluid pump not working
• The thermostatic valve malfunction

When an engine is overheated, the lid of the radiator should not be removed or watered. It is very dangerous.

These errors can be avoided by constantly checking on an engine.

Signal lets the driver know the engine temperature. It is important to stay alert.

more info-https://www.cars.com/auto-repair/glossary/engine-cooling-system/