Chapter 4 Piston Engines - Cooling ‘The Reasons for Cooling Liquid and Air-cooled Systems Air Cooling The Cylinder Head Temperature Gauge Operational Procedures Questions Answers ST 58 59 60 60 62 64 55ra Piston Engines - Cooling 56Piston Engines - Cooling The Reasons for Cooling The piston engine is a heat engine, its purpose is to convert the energy released by the fuel into mechanical energy and so do useful work. In Chapter 2 it was stated that the thermal efficiency is at best only 25-28%. This means that over 70% of the heat energy released by the fuel is wasted. The exhaust gas is responsible for around 40%. Some of this energy can be recovered on some aircraft by driving a turbine driven supercharger (turbocharger) The remaining 32% raises the temperature of the engine components, and if not controlled could lead to the following problems. a) Structural failure of the engine components. b) Over temperature of the oil, which could result in breakdown of its lubricating properties. ©) The fuel can ignite as it enters the cylinder, before the spark plug fires. This is called Pre- ignition. d) The combustion process can become unstable even if the mixture has been ignited by ‘the spark plug. This is called Knocking or Detonation. Both pre-ignition and knocking result in a loss of engine power. So far the problems of over heating have been discussed, but problems can also occur if the engine operates at too low a temperature. a) High values of thermal efficiency require the engine to operate at high ‘temperatures. b) Low temperatures increase the internal friction of lubricants (high viscosity) this would increase Friction Horsepower and so reduce Brake Horsepower. ©) The ability of the liquid fuel to change its state to a gas is reduced, which affects the fuel mixture and combustion To operate efficiently, the engine must operate at the Highest Temperatures Consistent with Safe Operation. Allowances for changes in the ambient and internal temperatures require a Cooling System to control and maintain these temperatures. 57 4 Piston Engines - Cooling nwyA Bunoo - souldug vorsid a Piston Engines - Cooling Liquid and Air-cooled Systems The cylinder arrangements of different engines has already been covered in Chapter 2. It was stated that the cylinder arrangement was dependant on the power required and type of cooling system used. The two types are Liquid Cooling and Air Cooling. The liquid cooling system (Figure 4.1) dissipates the heat from the engine by pumping a mixture of Water and Glycol (anti-freeze) through passages built into the cylinders and cylinder heads. The liquid is then passed through an Air-cooled Radiator mounted in slip stream of the propeller. This ensures that there is an airflow through the radiator even with the aircraft stationary on the ground. An engine driven Pump circulates the liquid through the engine, and temperature is controlled by a Thermostat, The liquid is stored in a reservoir called a Header Tank. Pipes carry the liquid from the header tank to the engine, and then from the engine to the radiator and back to the header tank. Air flowing through the radiator dissipates the heat from the coolant to the air. Header Tank | Cylinder Block Figure 4.1 Liquid cooling system. The air-cooled engine uses the cooling air from the Propeller Slipstream and the Aircraft’s Forward Speed to transfer the heat generated in the engine directly to the air. The engine is Cowled to reduce drag and control the flow of air around the engine to ensure equal cooling and so prevent overcooling at the front of the engine. The rate of flow can be altered on some aircraft by a variable Cowl Flap or Gills at the rear of the engine cowling. 58Piston Engines - Cooling Air Cooling The air-cooled engine has few moving parts, and its simplicity make it virtually maintenance free. It is lighter in weight than a similar powered liquid-cooled engine, and for these reasons ‘the preferred choice for aero piston engines. It should be appreciated however that liquid cooling is more efficient, it gives better control of engine temperature and produces less drag on the aircraft, For these reasons liquid cooling is used on high speed aircraft using very powerful engines ENGINE (KF Nc INTER-CYLINDER BAFFLES ‘COWL FLAP Figure 4.2 Cooling airfow in a six cinder horizontally opposed engine. The main factors governing the efficiency of an air-cooled system are: Air Temperature The ambient air temperature can vary widely with changes in climatic conditions and altitude. Dissipation of the heat will be more rapid as the air temperature decreases. Speed of the Airflow The speed of the airflow passing over the cylinders is governed by the slipstream and will vary with the speed of the aircraft. Consequently, care must be taken when ground running to prevent overheating. On some installations, a fan is fitted behind the propeller to obtain a more uniform speed of airflow. Cooling Fins The walls of the cylinder are finned to increase the cooling area. However, the pitch of the fins must be such that a large fin area can be obtained but the fins must not be so close that the resistance to the airflow builds up pressure which would tend to decrease the flow and increase drag. An average pitch for fins is about five to the inch. The fins are thin in section and may be extended to increase fin area at local hot spots to try to produce an even temperature ‘throughout the component, e.g. around the exhaust ports on cylinders. 59 4 Piston Engines - Cooling nwyA ‘Bunoo> - sourBug woasig M Piston Engines - Cooling Baffles Baffles (see Figure 4.2) are directional air guides to direct the airflow completely around the cylinder. They must always be close fitting and provide a seal with the cowlings, so that all the cooling airflow is over the cylinders. Care is taken to ensure that an even cross-sectional area is maintained, so that the airflow does not slow down and cause drag Engine Construction Where possible, engine components are made of materials with a high heat conductivity, aluminium alloys are in common use. Cylinder heads are sometimes made of steel, and to obtain a better heat flow, there is a heavy deposit of copper on the combustion chamber face Cowlings, Cowl Flapsand Gills Cowlings must be close fitting without dents or projections to disturb the airflow. Any disturbance to the designed flow will not only increase drag but also decrease cooling. With the cowl flaps or gills open, the airflow over the engine nacelle causes a pressure drop at the cooling air outlet, thus making it easier for the heated air to flow and maintain a high speed over the engine. As the air flows over the cylinders it absorbs heat and expands and, given a suitable gill opening, increases its speed. Any increase in speed through the engine will create a reactive force, tending to reduce the total engine drag. The heat from the engine is not always transferred straight to the atmosphere. It can be used for heating the cabin of the aircraft, and directed when selected to supply hot air to remove ice from the carburettor. The Cylinder Head Temperature Gauge On some aircraft the pilot can monitor the temperature of the engine by the use of a Cylinder Head Temperature Gauge. The gauge uses a sensor which is fitted to the engines cylinder heads. If only one sensor is fitted it will be fitted to the Hottest Cylinder. This is usually one of the rearmost cylinders. The sensor is a Thermocouple. The principle of operation of a thermocouple is covered in depth in the electrical and instrument objectives. It is suffice to say that the sensor produces a Voltage which is directly proportional to its temperature. The cockpit indication is displayed by a sensitive moving coil meter called a Galvanometer. The scale reads temperature and not voltage. Operational Procedures The cooling arrangements for a particular engine are designed to ensure satisfactory cooling during flight, when the forward speed of the aircraft should give an adequate flow of cool air. This can however sometimes not be the case. During a climb, high power is used which generates high temperature in the engine. Forward speed is reduced and airflow to the engine is reduced. The pilot should be aware of the possibility of overheating. Climbing at best rate of climb speed (V,) is preferable to prolonged use of best angle of climb speed (V,.). Descending can also cause problems. Engine power is reduced and there is less heat generated in the engine, If the aircraft is placed into a dive this will increases the flow of air over the ‘engine and it will be overcooled. The sudden change in temperature could cause what is know as Thermal Shock. This can cause components to fracture, and is a common problem on the cylinders of engines. Better control of temperature is possible if cowl flaps or gills are fitted, but these are only 60Piston Engines - Cooling fitted to more complex aircraft. On simple light aircraft the pilot controls the cooling airflow by airspeed ‘At high power settings such as take-off when the engine is generating a lot of heat, and at low airspeeds when the cooling flow is minimal, the cowl flaps should be selected open to increase flow rate of air and so increase cooling, This means that at take-off the cowl flaps would increase drag. In descent the cow flaps are closed to reduce cooling, In the cruise at altitude the cowl flaps could be partially closed to maintain the engine temperature, as the cooling air ‘temperature falls improving its efficiency. High power settings should normally be limited on the ground as only the propeller slipstream available to give a cooling flow. This is not always sufficient and overheating can occur. Cylinder head and oil temperatures should be closely monitored during ground running, It should not be forgotten that the internal parts of the engine like the pistons, valves etc, are cooled by the lubricating system. Cylinder head temperature is also affected by mixture strength. This is covered in Chapter 7. The highest cylinder head temperatures are when lean mixture is selected for economy or endurance cruise, Prior to shutdown the engine should be run at approximately 1000 - 1200 rpm to prevent plugs fouling. The engine will have cooled and stabilized during the taxi. Shutting down whilst the engine is very hot can result in uneven cooling and possible damage. Modern aero-diesels tend to be liquid-cooled or utilize a combined liquid/air cooling system. It is well known that liquid cooling is more effective as it provides a more uniform and controlled cooling of the engine, allowing tighter tolerances in the construction of the moving parts. Arguably the liquid system has the disadvantages of possible leakage and extra weight but these are outweighed by the advantages. 61 4 Piston Engines - Cooling nw