The influence of fuel type on the cooling system heat exchanger parameters in heavy-duty engines

The paper discuses the problem of selection of cooling systems for heavy-duty engines fitted in city buses. Aside from diesel engines, engine manufacturers also have in their portfolio engines fueled with natural gas, whose design is based on that of a conventional diesel engine. Based on the parameters of the engines from this type-series (the same displacement and rated power) an analysis has been performed of the influence of the applied fuel on the heat flows directed to the radiators and charge air coolers, hence, their size and space necessary for their proper installation. A replacement of a diesel engine with a natural gas fueled engine of the same operating parameters results in an increased amount of heat released to the coolant and a reduced heat from the engine charging system. This forces a selection of different heat exchangers that require more space for installation. A universal cooling module for different engines is not an optimal solution.