Numerical Investigation for Enhancement of Heat Transfer in the Cooling Water Jacket of CI Engine

Abstract

Diesel engines are essential in heavy industries and agriculture, especially in vehicles like tractors that operate under challenging conditions, often causing engine faults. Effective thermal management systems are vital for faultless operation preventing overheating, extending engine life, reducing emissions, and improving efficiency. The core of these systems is the water jacket around the cylinder head, which regulates temperatures, facilitates lubrication, prevents friction-related faults, increase durability and thermal performance of the engine. Computational Fluid Dynamics techniques are crucial for analyzing engine thermal behavior and designing cooling systems with complex flows. This study simulates the engine block's temperature distribution under extreme conditions to prevent overheating and improve thermal performance. Geometrical modifications, such as optimizing outlet water ports are employed to achieve enhanced thermal performance by reducing the temperature of coolant. 3D model of the engine block is developed using STAR CCM+ to calculate water temperatures, flow rates and outlet pressures. Numerical validation is conducted with a test bench, and three geometric improvements are analyzed for temperature distribution and heat transfer coefficient. Results showed that, 6.2% improvement on thermal performance is achieved based on the average coolant temperatures and 10% enhancement is achieved in terms of heat transfer coefficient values.