Engine Cooling Systems: A Quick Read on the Principles Behind Them

The engine cooling system plays a vital role in the stable operation of the engine. Its working principle is mainly to dissipate part of the heat absorbed by the engine’s heated parts in time, so that the engine can work at a normal temperature and avoid performance degradation and damage caused by overheating.

Taking the Cummins engine as an example, its cooling system mainly adopts air cooling, seawater cooling (cooling with the help of heat exchangers) and fan water tank cooling. The so-called air cooling is to take away the heat of the engine through the flow of air. Its characteristics are relatively simple structure, no need to use coolant and other media, and it is often used in some small or special purpose engines. Seawater cooling is generally more common in application scenarios such as ships. Seawater is used as a cooling medium, and the heat of the engine is transferred to seawater through a heat exchanger to achieve the purpose of cooling.

The engine cooling system plays a vital role in the stable operation of the engine. Its working principle is mainly to dissipate part of the heat absorbed by the engine’s heated parts in time, so that the engine can work at a normal temperature and avoid performance degradation and damage caused by overheating.

Taking the Cummins engine as an example, its cooling system mainly adopts air cooling, seawater cooling (cooling with the help of heat exchangers) and fan water tank cooling. The so-called air cooling is to take away the heat of the engine through the flow of air. Its characteristics are relatively simple structure, no need to use coolant and other media, and it is often used in some small or special purpose engines. Seawater cooling is generally more common in application scenarios such as ships. Seawater is used as a cooling medium, and the heat of the engine is transferred to seawater through a heat exchanger to achieve the purpose of cooling.

Fan water tank cooling is a more common cooling method in Cummins engines. It is mainly composed of water pumps, radiators, cooling fans, thermostats and other components. When working, the water pump pressurizes the coolant so that it circulates in the water jacket and other parts inside the engine, absorbs the heat of the engine, flows through the radiator, and dissipates the heat into the atmosphere through the blowing action of the cooling fan. When the coolant temperature is low, the thermostat is closed, and the coolant circulates in the engine for a small period of time, so that the engine quickly reaches the normal operating temperature; when the coolant temperature rises to a certain level, the thermostat opens, and the coolant enters the radiator for a large period of time to achieve a better cooling effect.

In the fan water tank cooling system, the fan hub and fan are one of the key factors. When customers choose to use fan water tank cooling, they first need to confirm the material, number of blades, blowing or suction, and brand and size of the fan.

Common materials for fans include aluminum alloy, engineering plastics, etc. Aluminum alloy is strong and durable, but relatively heavy; engineering plastics are relatively light, but their performance in harsh environments such as high temperature may not be as good as aluminum alloy. The number of blades of the fan. Generally speaking, the more blades the fan has, the

greater the air supply volume will be. However, it may also cause relatively high noise during operation, and the power consumption of the engine will also increase. In addition, fans also include blowing fans and suction fans. Blowing fans are usually installed in front of the radiator to blow air to the radiator. This method can generate higher wind pressure and help the air pass through the radiator fins better. Suction fans are installed behind the radiator to extract air from the radiator, which can reduce the air pressure in front of the radiator, make the air flow more easily, and improve the heat dissipation effect. The brand and size of the fan are also important considerations for choosing a suitable fan. Products of different brands may differ in quality, performance and after-sales service. The size selection needs to match the specific model of the engine, the size of the radiator, and the installation space to ensure that the fan can be installed normally and work effectively.

The second step is to confirm the type and position of the fan hub. Hub types include fixed fan hubs, clutch fan hubs, and electronic silicone oil adjustable speed fan hubs. The hub position needs to be reasonably determined based on factors such as the overall layout of the engine, the location of the radiator, and the direction of air flow, to ensure that the fan can effectively blow air to or draw air out of the radiator, while avoiding interference with other components or affecting the smoothness of air flow.

By comprehensively considering the above-mentioned fan and fan hub and other related factors, and making reasonable selections and matching according to specific usage scenarios and customer needs, the fan water tank cooling system of the Cummins engine can give full play to its role, provide strong guarantees for the normal and efficient operation of the engine, and thus improve the performance and reliability of the entire engine, meeting the usage needs of different users under various working conditions.