Advanced Engine Cooling – Components, Testing and Observations

Advanced thermal management systems for internal combustion engines can enhance overall engine performance through the use of computer controlled cooling system actuators. The cooling system in existing ground vehicles generally has operational limitations due to the fixed behavior of the wax-based thermostat valve and the crankshaft dependent speed of the coolant pump and radiator fan. Upgrading the traditional thermostat, water pump, and radiator fan with servo-motor driven actuators permit real time computer control to improve temperature regulation and reduce power consumption. In this paper, a factory cooling system configuration and three advanced thermal management system designs have been experimentally investigated on a 4.6L eight cylinder spark ignition engine. A uniform dynamometer and system operating profile was created to evaluate the cooling system performance of each configuration. The experimental test results demonstrated that the smart thermostat valve plus variable speed coolant pump and radiator fan offered at least a 54% power consumption reduction when compared to the emulated factory cooling system configuration. The research findings support the premise that opportunities exist to integrate servo-motor controlled cooling system components to address coolant temperature regulation, power consumption, and flexibility in ground vehicles.