Justification of usability of the heat accumulator of phase transition in vehicles’ engines pre-start warming-up procedure

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The trend of activity increase in exploration of transpolar areas has been observed for recent years. Negative temperatures, the key feature of the North, have a negative impact on state of piston engines of on-ground transport. In engine’s cylinders, the process of transition of liquid fuel in gaseous state goes before the mixture ignition. Negative temperatures affect the phase transition process and impede the working body homogenization. Therefore, engine pre-start warming-up procedure goes before successful engine start. Existing typical methods of pre-start warming-up demand fuel consumption and, generally, significant staff resources. Achievements of modern science offer new technologies for solving the issues of warming-up procedures based on accumulating, storage and deployment of heat energy produces by an engine during its operation.
 AIM: Justification of usability of the heat accumulator of phase transition in pre-start warming-up procedure for vehicles’ engines operating in conditions of negative temperatures of cold climate.
 METHODS: Numerical values of heat accumulator charging period depending on temperature of heat-accumulating material at various initial temperatures of coolant as well as values of the discharging period depending on temperature of heat-accumulating material at various coolant rates were defined experimentally. High-density polyethylene was used as a heat-accumulating material.
 RESULTS: As a result of the described experiment, curves of heat accumulator charging period depending on heat-accumulating material temperature at various initial temperatures of coolant and curves of heat accumulator discharging period depending on coolant temperature at various coolant rates were built.
 CONCLUSIONS: It is found that the heat accumulator of phase transition with high-density polyethylene as a heat-accumulating material can be used for improving the reliability of vehicles’ piston engine start in conditions of negative temperatures of cold climate.