What Is A Cooling System?

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A cooling system is basically a four-cylinder vehicle that completes its journey producing 4000 explosions per minute inside the engine, when the spark plugs explode in each cylinder to move the vehicle. These explosions produce a great amount of heat that needs to be controlled. If they are not controlled they will destroy the vehicle. The controlling of these temperatures is primarily the job of the cooling system. The modern cooling systems are more efficient and reliable than those cooling systems of the 20’s.


How Does a Cooling System Work?

The coolant flows from the water pump, through the ways which are located inside the engine block. On its way it gathers the heat produced by the cylinders. After that it goes up to the cylinder head (or heads in a V type engine) where it collects the residual heat from the combustion chambers. Then the coolant makes its way to the thermostat in case the thermostat is opened to allow the fluid to pass. From there the coolant goes through the thin flattened tubes that make up the core of the radiator.

Inside there, the coolant is cooled by the air flow through the radiator. From here it flows out of the radiator by the lower radiator hose. It then goes back to the water pump. After this stage the temperature of the coolant is reduced and it can gather more heat from the engine. The capacity of a cooling system depends upon the engine. The cooling system for a bigger and powerful engine in a heavy vehicle will need high capacity than a compact car with a comparatively much smaller engine. In a bigger vehicle the radiator is bigger with numerous tubes for the coolant to flow through.


Types of Cooling System

There are two main types of a car engine cooling system:

● Air cooling system.

● Water cooling system.

Air Cooling System

They are found mostly in older cars and motorcycles, an air-cooled system where the engine block is covered in aluminum fins that conduct the heat away from the cylinder. A powerful fan forces air over these fins, which cools the engine by transferring the heat to the air.

The quantity of heat reduced by the air-cooling depends upon factors such as the total area of the fin surfaces, the velocity/amount of the cooling air and also the temperature of the fins and the temperature of the cooling air.

Air-cooling is mostly used in fewer horsepower engines like motorcycles, scooters, small cars, and small air car engines where the forward motion of the machine gives good velocity to cool the engine. Air-cooling is also offered in compact industrial engines.

Water Cooling System

In the water cooling systems, there are jackets that are provided along the cylinders, cylinder heads, valves, and seats. When the water circulates the jackets absorbs the heat of combustion. Then, the hot water will be cooling the radiator with the help of a fan for the moving of a car. The cooled water will again circulate through the jackets.


Components of Cooling System in Engine

The main parts of a cooling system are explained below

1. Water Pump: The basic function of a water pump is to ensure the motion of the coolant when the engine is running. The water pump turns in the direction of the engine, wherever it is running. A part called fan belt is present whose function is to drive the water pump as well as the alternator.

2. Radiator: The core of the radiator core is composed of flattened aluminum tubes. There are also aluminum strips in zigzag shape sandwiched between the tubes. The function of these fins is to carry the heat in the tubes into the air stream. This heat is eventually transferred away from the vehicle. A plastic tank is located on either end of the radiator core. This tank covers the ends of the radiator.

The tubes are placed horizontal with the tanks on both the sides in the latest radiator designs. In the olden days the radiator core was made with copper and the tanks were made from brass. The cheap and easily manufactured aluminum- plastic system is very popular these days. It is more efficient too.

3. Thermostat: Thermostat is a device (valve) used to determine the temperature of the coolant. If the coolant is hot enough, the thermostat opens to allow the coolant to flow through the radiator. When the coolant is not of high temperature then the flow to the radiator is constrained. In such condition, there is a provision of a bypass system. The fluid goes to the bypass system and gets back to the engine.

This system is important as it maintains the constant and continuous flow of coolant throughout the engine. This continuous flow maintains the temperature and eradicates the formation of hot spots. When the flow to the radiator is choked, optimum operating temperature of the engine is achieved sooner. This will aid in a cold day by allowing the heater to start supplying high temperature air to the inside very fast.

4. Coolant Temperature Sensor (CTS): The coolant temperature sensor functions to check the temperature of the engine. The ECU uses this information to regulate fuel injection and ignition time. There are many types of engines; some engines have numerous coolant temperature sensors while some have just one. The information is also used to control the radiator fan and update the driver console’s temperature gauge.

Most coolant temperature sensors are negative Temperature coefficient type, which means as the temperature increases, the resistance will decrease. The CTS can have a two-pin type or a three-pin type, depending on the make of the vehicle.

5. Coolant (Antifreeze Water): The coolant in today’s vehicles is the mixture of ethylene glycol (Antifreeze) and water. The recommended ratio is fi y-fi y. In simple words, one part antifreeze and one part water. This is the minimum recommendation that is used in automobile engines. Less antifreeze and the boiling point must be too low. For temperatures less than 0 degrees- 75% antifreeze and 25% water is ideally required. Pure antifreeze should not be used as it will not be much efficient.

6. Radiator Cooling Fan: There is one or more than one electric fan inside the radiator is present which are located at the rear side of the radiator on the side nearest to the engine. There is a casing on these fan for safety purpose and to regulate the air flow. The primary function of radiator cooling fan is to maintain the air flow passing through the radiator when the speed of the vehicle is reduced or the vehicle is stopped. Whenever the vehicle stops with the engine being on, these fan reduce the temperature of the engine.


7. Heater Core: Another function of the hot coolant is to provide heat to the inside of the vehicle whenever needed. This mechanism is composed of a heater core which is connected to the cooling system with two rubber hoses. One hose fetch the hot coolant from the water pump to the heater core. The second hose sends back the coolant to the top of the engine.

8. Hoses: Numerous rubber hoses are used to connect the different parts of the cooling system. The main hoses are known as the upper and lower radiator hoses respectively. The hoses are nearly 2 inches in diameter

9. Head Gasket and Manifold Gasket: An IC engine is composed of an engine block and 1 or 2 cylinder heads. The surfaces where the block and head meet are made flat for a tightly closed fit. However, completely watertighting is not possible in order to prevent the combustion gases from flowing out. For sealing the blocks to the heads, a head gasket is put into use.

10. Freeze Plugs: When an engine block is fabricated, special sand is molded to the shape of the coolant passages in the engine block. This sand figure is located inside a mold. Into this mold liquid(molten) iron or aluminum is poured to form the engine block. The sand is slacken after the casting is cooled. Then the casting is removed through the holes in the engine block. The coolant then flows through these holes. These holes are then plugged so that the coolant doesn’t drain out.

I drive a Ford Edge 2012 but whenever I put on the AC I find out that one side blows hot and the other blows cold,why?

Dzzzz:
I drive a Ford Edge 2012 but whenever I put on the AC I find out that one side blows hot and the other blows cold,why?

Hello bro...resolved this yet?

Dzzzz:
I drive a Ford Edge 2012 but whenever I put on the AC I find out that one side blows hot and the other blows cold,why?

My guess is your car is low on gas.

erazer:

My guess is your car is low on gas.

..it ain’t the gas

odimbannamdi:

Hello bro...resolved this yet?

..No bro!