Engine Coolant Pump - Cavitation

Engine Cooling System – Coolant Pump

 To avoid cavitation, the local pressure everywhere
inside the pump must stay above the vapor
 When pumping liquids, it is possible for the local pressure.

pressure inside the pump to fall below the vapor

pressure of the liquid, Pv (Pv is also called the  It is useful to employ a
saturation pressure). performance parameter called
the required net positive
 When P< Pv, vapor-filled bubbles called cavitation
suction head (NPSHrequired),
bubbles appear.
defined as the minimum NPSH
necessary to avoid cavitation
in the pump.

"The lecture presentations and slides are provided for educational purposes in this course. No part of them should "The lecture presentations and slides are provided for educational purposes in this course. No part of them should
be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform." Slide # 1 be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform." Slide # 2

Engine Coolant Pump - Cavitation Engine Coolant Pump

 In order to ensure that a pump does not cavitate, the actual or  The coolant flow is affected by the resistance or head that the
available NPSH must be greater than NPSHrequired. pump must overcome.

 It is important to note that the value of NPSH varies not only  The pump flow resistance is a summation of the coolant pressure
with flow rate, but also with liquid temperature, since P v is a drop through all the components of the cooling system which
function of temperature. include the engine, radiator, heater, thermostat, plumbing and etc.

 By identifying the volume flow The figure presents only

rate at which the curves of the radiator resistance
actual NPSH and NPSHrequired to coolant flow.
intersect, the maximum volume
flow rate that can be delivered The radiator contribution
by the pump without cavitation to the total system
is estimated. resistance is 5.3 inches of
mercury.
"The lecture presentations and slides are provided for educational purposes in this course. No part of them should "The lecture presentations and slides are provided for educational purposes in this course. No part of them should
be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform." Slide # 3 be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform." Slide # 4

Engine Coolant Pump Engine Coolant Pump

 Figure shows a complete performance map of the coolant pump.  A typical pressure profile in engine cooling system is shown:

The total system

resistance at 4000
ERPM is 12 inches of
mercury at a coolant
flow of about 345
lbs/min coolant flow.

 Sometimes, the performance data of Figure is substituted by a

simple coolant flow – engine RPM curve (see inset).

"The lecture presentations and slides are provided for educational purposes in this course. No part of them should "The lecture presentations and slides are provided for educational purposes in this course. No part of them should
be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform." Slide # 5 be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform." Slide # 6

1
 Engine Coolant Pump Engine Coolant Pump
Cavitations at the pump inlet –
 Alternatively, excess capacity pumps are used to
 The possibility of pump cavitation at high engine RPM constraints
ensure adequate coolant flow at idle.
the coolant flow design at low engine RPM.

 Consequently, flow at idle may not be sufficient to protect for  A pump by-pass is used to reduce the system pressure
possible radiator and heater performance degradation when the drop at high flow.
vehicle decelerates from a high to a low engine RPM.
 The by-pass closes at low flows and diverts all the
 The cooling pump engineer will size the pump and the pump pulley
coolant flow through the engine.
ratio for engine driven pumps to prevent pump cavitation at high
engine RPM which compromises the coolant flow through the  A variable speed pump driven electrically can be
radiator and heater at low engine RPM.
controlled to meet flow on demand.
 If the coolant flow at idle is too low the use of an auxiliary
electric coolant pump may be necessary to supply sufficient
coolant flow to the radiator and heater.
"The lecture presentations and slides are provided for educational purposes in this course. No part of them should "The lecture presentations and slides are provided for educational purposes in this course. No part of them should
be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform." Slide # 7 be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform." Slide # 8

Engine Coolant Pump Engine Flow Subsystems – Internal Flow Requirements

 Cavitation in the coolant pump
can also be caused by air or  Adequate flow through the engine is required in order
combustion gases entrained in
to prevent vaporization of the coolant within the
the coolant. The air or gases
heated passages (e.g. water jackets) of the engine.
can become trapped in the
coolant pump which severely
 In addition to a minimum local coolant flow rate, there
decrease flow and cause
is also a maximum local coolant flow rate, which is
erosion corrosion.
determined by the stability of the corrosion
 General guidelines to prevent protection layer.
cavitation are to limit the
inlet restriction pressure and  Coolant flow to all temperature sensors shall be
coolant temperature to above sufficient to purge any accumulated air or vapor,
the boiling point of the under all engine-operating conditions
coolant.
"The lecture presentations and slides are provided for educational purposes in this course. No part of them should "The lecture presentations and slides are provided for educational purposes in this course. No part of them should
be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform." Slide # 9 be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform." Slide # 10

Engine Flow Subsystems – Minimum Flow Rate Engine Cooling System – Sizing

 No radiator or fan system can protect against a poor  The required data to size the engine cooling system is as follows:
coolant flow passage within the engine or a faulty pump. 1. Engine horse power and torque curve.
2. Engine full load heat rejection to the coolant.
 If the engine required minimum flow is close to or
greater than the supplied flow rate, then the cooling 3. Coolant pump and coolant system resistance curves.
system designer must increase the flow rate to the 4. Automatic transmission heat rejection to coolant.
engine, or decrease the bulk coolant temperature. 5. Air side radiator heat transfer and resistance.
6. Coolant side radiator heat transfer and resistance.
 However, if the engine design is under development, or
is under going a change which will require new tooling, 7. Fan performance.
then any changes to the engine that will decrease the 8. Vehicle fan and system resistance.
required coolant flow should be considered. 9. Ram air flow through the radiator.

 CFD is often used to determine these areas of low

coolant flow velocity.
"The lecture presentations and slides are provided for educational purposes in this course. No part of them should "The lecture presentations and slides are provided for educational purposes in this course. No part of them should
be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform." be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform." Slide # 12
Slide # 11