Almost all cars currently use what is called a four-stroke combustion cycle to convert gasoline into motion. Modern automotive internal combustion engines generate a huge amount of heat. It has been stated that a typical average-sized vehicle can generate enough heat to keep a 5-room house comfortably warm during zero degree weather.
The Necessity of having a good Engine Cooling System
- An Engine Cooling System is a system that controls the engine temperature, is known as a cooling system. The cooling system is provided in the IC engine for the following reasons:
- The temperature of the burning 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 aluminium 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.
The two main requirements of an efficient cooling system are:
- 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.
There are two Types of Engine Cooling System; there are two types of cooling system:
- Air Cooling System
- Liquid – Cooling system