Engine Cooling System – Engine Heat Flux

Engine Cooling System – Engine Heat Flux

The engine heat rejection to the coolant is transferred
largely by forced convection. In those areas of high heat
flow, for example cylinder combustion head, heat is also
The different modes of engine cooling heat transfer
transferred by nucleate boiling.
consist of forced and natural convection, radiation and
conduction. The coolant flow has major effect on nucleate boiling of
the coolant. If not enough coolant is available, the critical
The primary mode we are concerned with is the forced
heat flux temperature is reached where the hot engine wall
convection of heat from the coolant to the air stream
have a layer of superheated steam and heat transfer drops.
flowing through the radiator under steady state conditions.
This condition is aggravated by air in the cooling system.
The engine designer is concerned with the level of heat
Boiling is a liquid to a vapor phase change process just like
flow through the combustion chamber walls and it is the
evaporation, but there are significant differences between
magnitude of the local “heat flux,” Q/A, or BTU per unit
the two.
time and area, that is important and not the heat flow to
the cooling system which is the cooling engineers’ concern.

"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

Boiling Heat Transfer Classification of boiling

Pool Boiling Flow Boiling
 Evaporation occurs at  Boiling occurs at the  Boiling is called pool  Boiling is called flow
the liquid–vapor solid–liquid interface boiling in the presence
interface when the when a liquid is brought boiling in the absence of
bulk fluid flow. of bulk fluid flow.
vapor pressure is less into contact with a
than the saturation surface maintained at a  Any motion of the fluid  In flow boiling, the fluid
pressure of temperature is due to natural is forced to move in a
sufficiently above the heated pipe
the liquid convection currents and
saturation temperature the motion of the or over a
at a given
of the liquid bubbles surface by
temperature.
under the external
means such
influence
as a pump.
of buoyancy.

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be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform." be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform."
Slide # 3 Slide # 4

Engine Cooling System – Engine Heat Flux Engine Cooling System – Engine Heat Flux
As a form of convection heat transfer, the boiling heat flux  thermal distortion of engine components, particularly
from a solid surface to the fluid is expressed from Newton’s the head
Law of cooling as:  Increased fuel and oil consumption
qboiling = h(Ts – Tsat) = h ΔTexcess  Thermal decomposition, oxidation and degradation of
lubricants
where ΔTexcess = Ts – Tsat is called the excess temperature,  When the engine is running, heat is transferred from the
which represents the temperature excess of the surface above engine to the coolant by means of forced convection and
the saturation temperature of the fluid. sometimes by means of nucleate boiling at very high heat fluxes.
The average gas temperature during combustion process is up Forced convection: The transfer of heat from a solid to a
to 1700ºF. If the metal temperature on the water side fluid due to fluid motion generated by external sources such as
exceeds the critical flux temperature, serious problems will a fan or a pump.
result, such as:
Natural convection: The transfer of heat from a solid to a
 physical property changes in the engine materials of fluid due to fluid motion caused by buoyancy forces that result
construction
from the density variations at presence of temperature
 loss of lubricating film on wearing surfaces gradients.
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be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform." be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform."
Slide # 5 Slide # 6

1
 Boiling Curve for Water at 1 Atm Boiling Curve

A-B Convection: Bubbles do not form on the heating surface

until the liquid is heated a few degrees above the
saturation temperature (about 2 to 6°C for water)

B-C Nucleate boiling: the name

given to the boiling process
when the vapor bubbles remain
very small (microscopicscale).
These bubbles are dissipated
in the liquid shortly after they
separate from the surface.
The space vacant by the rising
bubbles is filled by the liquid in
the vicinity of the heat
surface, and the process is
repeated. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boiling_curve_with_units_of_thermal.PNG

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be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform." be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform."
Slide # 7 Slide # 8

Boiling Curve Boiling Curve

The stirring and agitation caused by entrainment of the liquid D: Critical Heat Flux: As the
to the surface is primarily responsible for the increased heat Δtexcess is increased preceding to
transfer coefficient and heat flux in the nucleate boiling. point D, the heat flux increases
C-D Nucleate boiling : In this at a lower rate reaching it’s
region, the bubbles form at maximum value at point D. This
such great rates that they point is called the critical heat
form numerous continuous flux where any increase in
columns of vapor in the liquid. surface temperature will result in
These bubbles move all the way a decrease in the amount of heat
up to the free surface, where transferred due to vapor
they break up and release their blanketing of the metal surface. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boiling_curve_with_units_of_thermal.PNG

vapor content. The large heat D-E: Transition boiling zone: As the Δtexcess is increased past
fluxes obtainable in this region point D, the heat flux decreases as shown in the boiling curve.
are caused by the combined This is because a large fraction of the surface is covered by a
effect of liquid entrainment and vapor film, which acts as an insulation due to the low thermal
evaporation. conductivity of the vapor relative to that of the liquid.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boiling_curve_with_units_of_thermal.PNG

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be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform." be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform."
Slide # 9 Slide # 10

Boiling Curve Engine Cooling System – Engine Heat Flux

Nucleate boiling is the most desirable boiling regime in
E-F: Film boiling regime:
practice because high heat transfer rates can be
In this region the surface is
completely covered by a
achieved in this regime with relatively small values of
continuous stable vapor film. Δtexcess, typically under 30ºC for water.
Point E, where the heat flux Heat fluxes of 60000 – 70000 BTU/hr occur near the
reaches a minimum, is called exhaust parts during severe operating conditions. At 70
the Leidenfrost point. The heat mph on a level road about 80% of heat transfer is by
transfer rate increases with nucleate boiling.
increasing excess temperature
as a result of heat transfer  Nucleate boiling is initiated when the temperature at
from the heated surface to the the metal-liquid interface exceeds the boiling point
liquid through the vapor film by about 10 – 20ºF.
radiation, which is significant at
It must be noted that during nucleate boiling, a great
high temperatures.
increase in heat flux (Q/A) is obtained by a small
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boiling_curve_with_units_of_thermal.PNG

increase in surface temperature.

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be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform." be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform."
Slide # 11 Slide # 12

2
 Engine Cooling System – Engine Heat Flux Engine Cooling System – Flow Requirement
The cooling system must provide flow to the radiator,
Transition boiling; cannot be tolerated in an heater, engine and any HEX in general in vehicles (ie.
engine. The heat transfer between the combustion oil coolers), which should be adequate for performance
wall and the coolant catastrophically decreases, but not to exceed the flow rate that will cause an
which causes a hot spot and engine over heat. unacceptable amount of erosion.
Note that for a common 50/50 ethylene-glycol This flow requirement must be met under all
coolant, the vapour bubbles are steam bubbles with operating conditions, throughout the life of a vehicle.
a very low concentration of ethylene glycol.
 Remember! no radiator or fan system can protect
A typical fin and tube
against a poor coolant flow passage within the
HEX performance curve
engine or a faulty pump.
is shown in the figure.

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be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform." be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform."
Slide # 13 Slide # 14

Engine Cooling System – Flow Requirement Engine Cooling System – Flow Requirement

The general guideline for the required flow situation when a

The curve is steep thermostat is open and closed.
at low coolant flow
rates, and flat at At thermostat open:
high coolant flow The operating point
rates. should be at the point of
best efficiency.

At low coolant rates, At thermostat closed:

large gains in The operating point
performance can be should correspond to the
achieved with small flow rate of no less than
increase in flow rates. 80% of flow rate with
the thermostat open.
"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 # 15 Slide # 16

Engine Cooling System – Flow Requirement

When the required flow rate is not achieved, try the

following:
o find ways to reduce the hydraulic resistance of
the components (such as reducing hose bends)
o increase the output of the pump
o decrease the flow requirements of the components

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be shared outside of the Blackboard Learn-University of Windsor platform."
Slide # 17