Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braov Vol. 8 (57) No.

2 - 2015
Series I: Engineering Sciences

THE INFLUENCE OF CHARGE AIR

COOLERS CHARACTERISTICS ON THE
PERFORMANCE OF HEAVY DUTY DIESEL
ENGINES

Veneia SANDU1

Abstract: The paper presents research work done on a turbocharged direct

injection diesel engine in order to increase power per unit of displacement by
means of a better air charge intercooling. The truck engine type
D2156MTN8R was tested on the dynamometric bench with two types of air
coolers, being measured specific performances on full load - speed
characteristics (power, torque, specific fuel consumption, air charge
temperature and pressure) and smoke opacity in terms of light absorbtion
coefficients.

Key words: heavy duty diesel engine, intercooling, charge air cooler.

1. Introduction performance of intercooling can be

increased finding the best solution of
In order to increase specific engine charge air cooling using a convenient heat
output expressed in power per unit exchanger. The most efficient cooling
displacement (kW/L), engine manufacturers solution, air-to-water heat exchanger, is
applied different methods of increasing too complicated especially for vehicular
intake air pressure, getting higher air flow applications, so the most spread solution of
rate than in naturally aspirated engines of air charge cooling is air-to-air heat
the same capacity [2], [4]. Secondly, the exchanger.
cooling of charge air allowed to supply the The present paper describes experimental
engine with a higher mass of air per cycle; testing of a direct injection heavy duty
air density was increased along with power diesel engine type for the selection of the
output and fuel economy. As a result, at most efficient air-to-air cooler in terms of
the same engine displacement the gain of configuration and material.
performance was considerable, for
example [6], a heavy duty diesel engine 2. Coolers Description
rated at 133 HP in naturally aspirated
version reached 154 HP in turbocharged There were tested two types of air-to-air
version and, finally, 170 HP when the heat exchangers, a steel made (reference
engine was turbocharged and air charge number 89.08101.6005) cooler and an
was intercooled. For the latter case, the aluminium made cooler (89.08101.6007).

1
Mechanical Engineering Dept., Transilvania University of Braov.
38 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braov Series I Vol. 8 (57) No. 2 - 2015

Heat exchangers characteristics Table 1

Cooler material Steel Aluminium
Reference no. 89.08101.6005 89.08101.6007
Fin shape and thickness folded, 0.2 mm undulated, 0.5 mm
Tube shape circular rectangular
Frontal area [m2] 0.334 0.204
Total area [m2] 3.11 13.50
Thermal conductivity [W/mK] 76 238
Mass [kg] 34 18
Dimensions [mm] 590 x 560 x 75 676 x 300 x 60

Fig. 1. Air charge coolers: left-steel cooler, right-aluminium cooler

The characteristics of the coolers were The steel cooler was manufactured at
described in Table 1 [11]. The structure of Romradiatoare Braov Company and the
the air charge coolers was different as it is aluminium one at RAAL Bistria
presented in Figure 1. The steel made Company.
cooler has three rows of circular tubes with The assessment of coolers behaviour
folded fins, through which the charge air using conventional heat exchanger
circulating through the interior of the formulas is difficult and, in a certain
tubes. The aluminium made cooler has extent, deceptive. The aluminium cooler
similar ducts for charge air and cooling air, has a total area four times larger, thermal
in form of rectangular finned tubes which conductivity is roughly three times higher,
are perpendicularly oriented on the but the price is four times more expensive
direction of external ambient air flows. than the steel one. Previous heat transfer
The mechanical resistance of both coolers calculations based on coolers
was previously tested in a special purpose configurations and material properties [11]
rig, by applying an external pressure of 1.5 could evaluate the values of overall heat
bar [5], [11]. The optimum cooler should transfer coefficients, but there is a lack of
also withstand to the maximum air data upon the convection coefficients and
temperature at the outlet of the pressure losses, so engine experiments
turbocharger, around 110 C, so it must be were required for a sound selection.
checked if the soldering alloy of the cooler There are three performance parameters
joints would withstand to this temperature. specific to air-to-air heat exchangers:
Sandu, V.: The Influence of Charge Air Coolers Characteristics on the Performance 39

cooler effectiveness, cooler temperature Engine technical data Table 2

drop and pressure loss. The effectiveness
Diesel,
of the air-to-air heat exchanger () is Engine type 4 stroke,
defined as the ratio of the real charge air direct injection
temperature drop across the cooler core to 6-cylinder,
Cylinder configuration
the temperature differential available for in line
cooling [3]: Bore x Stroke [mm] 121 x 150
Displacement [L] 10.344
T2 T3 Compression ratio 16:1
, (1) Rated power [kW] 185
T2 T1
Rated speed [rpm] 2100
Max. torque [Nm] 900
- heat exchanger effectiveness; Max. torque speed [rpm] 1400
T1 - temperature of the ambient cooling
air; The tested engine was manufactured at
T2 - temperature of charge air entering Roman Truck Company (Braov, Romania),
the cooler (approximately equal to being a turbocharged direct injection engine,
compressor discharge temperature); having the series number 0739.
T3 - temperature of charge air exiting the The engine performance (power, torque,
cooler (approximately equal to intake specific fuel consumption) has been
manifold temperature). measured on the 300 kW MEZ-VSETIN
The temperature drop is defined by dynamometric test bench at Road Vehicle
Equation: Institute Braov (INAR) [10]. The engine,
type D2156MTN8, was instrumented with
T T2 T3 . (2) temperature sensors measuring cooling
liquid, oil and exhaust gas temperatures, as
The pressure loss is produced by air flow well as pressure sensors to measure oil and
through the cooler and can be calculated air charge pressure. All the instruments
using the following equation: met the accuracies imposed by engine
testing standard [9]. During engine testing,
p pu pd , (3) the ambient temperature was 17 C and
atmospheric pressure was 717 mm Hg.
with: The engine performance was corrected
according to pressure and temperature with
p - pressure drop across the cooler;
correction coefficient , with fa
pu - air pressure upstream the cooler;
atmospheric factor and fm engine factor,
pd - air pressure downstream the cooler.
with the formula [8]:
3. Engine Test Procedure
f afm , (4)
The main characteristics and performance
of the turbocharged engine version, without 0.7
99 T
1.5
intercooling is presented in Table 2 [1]. f a , (5)
The testing principle was to experiment ps 298
successively both coolers on the same
engine, in the same operation modes, in ps - atmospheric dry pressure expressed in
identical conditions and to compare the kilopascals, T - atmospheric temperature in
results. Kelvin degrees.
40 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braov Series I Vol. 8 (57) No. 2 - 2015

f m 0.036 qc 1.14 , (6) 4. Interpretation of Results

q The experimental results of the engine

qc , (7) testing were performed at full load being
r presented comparatively in Figures 2-7,
being marked with dashed line the
with: q - fuel flow in milligram per cycle
behaviour of steel heat exchanger and with
and per liter of total swept volume
solid line that one of the aluminium heat
(mg/(Lcycle) and r - air pressure ratio of
exchanger.
compressor outlet and compressor inlet.
A. Thermodynamic parameters of charge
The calculated values of ranged in
air were assessed in terms of measured
0.9913-0.9987, the interval being included
temperature drop on coolers, T, measured
in the standard requirement of 0.9-1.1.
effectiveness, , as described in Equation
The measured values of effective power,
(1) and measured pressure loss, p,
torque and fuel consumption were
according to Equation (3). The temperature
corrected using the following formula,
drop is illustrated in Figure 2 along the
written for effective power:
whole range of speeds.
Pcorr ,ef Pm,ef , (8)

with Pcorr,ef - corrected effective power and

Pm,ef - measured effective power.
The engine was equipped as follows:
- 6 blade cooling fan 680 x 140 mm;
- unloaded alternator;
- bench air filter generating 320 mm
column H2O pressure loss on intake system;
- bench exhaust system generating 400 mm
column H2O pressure loss.
Besides the measurement of engine Fig. 2. Temperature drops versus speed
performance characteristics, it was
measured the smoke opacity with The aluminium heat exchanger produces
Hartridge MK3 opacimeter which has the a higher temperature drop than steel heat
effective length of measurement tube of exchanger, in average higher with 10-
430 mm and readings in HSU (Hartridge 14 C. The effectiveness values represented
Smoke Units) or light absorbtion in Figure 3 strengthened the advantage of
coefficients (m-1). aluminium cooler, the literature indicating
The engine tests included two types of fair values in 0.5-0.7 [3], thus undermining
measurements: the behaviour of steel cooler.
A. Thermodynamic parameters of charge The processes in the cooler should be a
and ambient air (ambient air temperature, trade-off between cooling effectiveness,
charge air temperature entering the cooler, involving values as higher as possible
charge air exiting the cooler, pressure loss and flow restrictions, involving p values
on the cooler); as lower as possible. The measured
B. Engine speed characteristics at total pressure losses on coolers were similar, 5-
load (power, torque, specific fuel 10 kPa for steel cooler and 5-13 kPa for
consumption, smoke emission). aluminium one.
Sandu, V.: The Influence of Charge Air Coolers Characteristics on the Performance 41

Fuel economy was constantly improved

for aluminium version as specific fuel
consumption decreased in average with
2.6% compared to steel results.

Fig. 3. Effectiveness versus speed

B. Engine speed characteristics at total load

(power, torque, specific fuel consumption,
smoke emission).
Fig. 6. Specific fuel consumptions

Fig. 4. Engine power versus speed

Fig. 7. Smoke emissions versus speed
The advantage of better intercooling for
aluminium solution was confirmed in The most relevant image for engine
terms of power (Figure 4), torque (Figure behaviour is in Figure 7 which represents
5) and specific fuel consumption (Figure engine smoke emissions The red line
6). The gains of power and torque for indicates which are the limits imposed by
aluminium cooler were in average of 4.2% ECE Regulation [7]. In both experiments
reported to steel results. the smoke emissions complied with the
limits, being lower enough especially in
the range of most frequently used
speeds,within the interval between
maximum torque speed and rated speed
(1400-2100 rpm). Nevertheless, the
aluminium cooler provided a lower smoke
emission, in average of 0.072 m-1
(approximately equivalent to 3 HSU), than
the one of the steel cooler.

5. Conclusions

The paper summarizes research work

Fig. 5. Engine torque versus speed performed to select the most efficient air
42 Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braov Series I Vol. 8 (57) No. 2 - 2015

charge cooler for the tested engine Diesel Engine Reference Book. Oxford.
D2156MTN8R. Butterworth-Heinemann, 1999.
The solution of aluminium cooler proved 4. Mollenhauer, K.: Handbuch
to be more efficient than the steel cooler Dieselmotoren, Springer Verlag, Berlin,
both in terms of thermodynamic 1997.
parameters and performance indicators. 5. Sandu, V., Ungureanu, V.B.:
Having half of steel cooler volume, the Experimenting Charge Air Coolers
aluminium cooler is advantaged by a Performance on the 798-05R
smaller mass and a smaller frontal area Turbocharged Engine. In: Proceedings
which provides better cooling of the engine of the Second Edition of Motor
coolant. Vehicles and Transportation Conference,
Timioara, 2012.
Acknowledgements 6. *** ROMAN Engines - Presentation
Catalogue.
The author thanks to research engineers 7. *** ECE-R 24.03: Uniform Provisions
Seceleanu, C., Gal, A. and Turcu, D. for Concerning the Approval of the
useful support and discussions. The Compression Ignition Engines with
support of the Department of Engine Regard to the Visible Pollutant
Testing of Road Vehicle Institute Braov is Emissions of the Engine.
gratefully acknowledged. 8. *** ISO 1585:1992: Road Vehicles -
Engine test code. Net power.
References 9. *** STAS 6635-87: Internal Combustion
Engines for Motor Vehicles. Rules and
1. Abitncei, D.: Automotive and Methods for Bench Testing.
Tractor Engines Manufactured in 10. *** D2156MTN8R Engine Testing for
Romania. Craiova. Editura Alma, 2011. Homologation According to ECE 24
2. Apostolescu, N., Chiriac, R.: Regulation. Test Bulletin 132, Road
Combustion Process in Internal Vehicle Institute INAR Braov.
Combustion Engines. Bucureti. Editura 11. *** Type-Series of Heat Exchangers for
Tehnic, 1998. Road Vehicles. Study no. 33213, Road
3. Challen, B., Brnescu, R., (Ed.): Vehicle Institute INAR Braov.