Improving heat transfer in an air-cooled engine by redesigning the fins

Abstract

Heat transfer modelling and simulation were carried out in a single-cylinder, four-stroke, air-cooled engine to evaluate the heat transfer rate of the engine block. The modelling studies of cylinders with different numbers of fins and different geometry were performed using the SolidWorks computer platform. The tested components were made of 6063-T6 aluminium alloy castings. The simulation concerned different numbers of fins as well as changing the geometry of fins with circular and rectangular perforations. The results of the studies showed the possibility of improving the power to mass ratio for cylinder efficiency and heat transfer rate. It was shown that a large number of fins leads to an increased heat transfer rate, but it affects the overall engine efficiency due to the increase in the total engine mass. Circular perforation is a better design solution than rectangular perforated fins with the same cross-section. Circular perforation provides a lower engine cylinder mass and gives more than 4 % better heat transfer rate. The perforation size was tested using circular perforations with a diameter of 7.14 mm, 8.5 mm and 10 mm. With a 7.14 mm diameter perforation the heat transfer rate increases slightly compared to the other tested ones, while a 10 mm diameter perforation provides the best mass reduction.