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Coolants: What You Don't Know Can Hurt Your Engine
- 1. Coolants: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt Your Engine Presenter: Lauren Lewis Product Development Engineer Coolant and Chemical Technology October 28, 2014
- 2. We Know Engines… We Know Coolant… 2 Cummins Filtration is the only coolant manufacturer that is a subsidiary of an engine manufacturer This relationship makes Cummins Filtration leaders in knowledge of real world cooling system problems and the technology needed to address them
- 3. Function of Coolant Engines produce more heat that can be converted into useful work The cooling system manages engine temperatures by removing, circulating, dissipating, and controlling heat 3
- 4. Function of Coolant The cooling system controls temperatures of all metallic and non-metallic material temperatures, and controls the temperatures of other engine fluids More than 40% of engine problems originate in the cooling system 4
- 5. Choosing a Product Coolants are classified based on performance and type – Performance • Industry or OEM specifications – Type • Generic terms used to group coolants based on base type and additive chemistry 5
- 6. Performance Specifications ASTM D3306 – Light Duty requirements ASTM D6210 – Heavy Duty Requirements – Requires protection against liner pitting and hot surface scaling OEM/CES14603 – OEM Heavy Duty Coolant Standard 6 OEM Spec CES14603 ASTM D6210 ASTM D3306
- 7. Choosing a Product Coolants are classified based on performance and type – Performance • Industry or OEM specifications – Type • Generic terms used to group coolants based on additive chemistry 7
- 8. What Makes Up a Coolant 8
- 9. Coolant Types Three different bases – The most commonly used base is EG (Ethylene Glycol) – PG (Propylene Glycol) – Glycerin 9 EG PG Glycerin
- 10. Coolant Types 10 Lowers the Freeze Point • Minus 37°C [-34°F] for EG at 50% Raises the Boiling Point • 108°C [226°F] for EG at 50% • The coolant base gives extra protection against localized vaporization (reduces film boiling) High exposure area for ‘hot spot vaporization’
- 11. Coolant Types 11 • Highest TCO, up to 10x higher than premium ELC • Shortest Service Interval • Most Maintenance Conventional • Extended Service Interval • Moderate Maintenance Hybrid • Longest Service Interval • Most Robust to Contamination • Preferred by Most OEMs OAT (Organic Additive Technology)
- 12. Coolant Types 12 Conventional Hybrid or HOAT Organic Additive Technology Technology Good Better Best Coolant Life (Miles) 300,000-400,000 600,000-1,000,000 600,000-1,000,000 Maintenance Time High Medium Low Maintenance Highlights Proper top-off plus addition of SCAs or extenders Proper top-off plus addition of SCAs or extenders Proper top-off (extenders may be required depending on the product)
- 13. What Can Go Wrong Liner Pitting Coolants that are not properly formulated may not protect liners in heavy-duty applications – Lack of protection can lead to liner pitting – This failure mode will result in costly system rebuild 13
- 14. Protecting your Engine Liner Pitting For heavy-duty or high horsepower applications, ensure your coolant meets ASTM 6210 This standard tests the ability of a coolant to prevent liner pitting 14
- 15. What Can Go Wrong Additive Drop Out Additives can become unstable due to poor formulation, contamination, or over addition of SCAs 15
- 16. Protecting Your Engine Additive Drop Out Check your water source More is not better OAT type coolants are most resistant to contamination 16
- 17. What Can Go Wrong Face Seal Deposits Water pump leakage can occur due to deposit formation on seals or in water pump weep holes These deposits can come from contamination or additive drop out 17 Deposit Layer Seal Surface
- 18. Protecting Your Engine Face Seal Deposits Choose the proper coolant Properly maintain the system Use a water filter to capture contaminant in the system 18
- 19. What Can Go Wrong Flux Contamination As cooling systems evolve, more and more aluminum components are used in the cooling system Aluminum heat exchangers often contain residual flux that can contaminate cooling systems 19
- 20. What Can Go Wrong Flux Contamination When exposed to large areas of aluminum, some additives may become unstable, leading to corrosion of aluminum components 20
- 21. OAT type coolants are most robust to contamination Avoid NOAT, Hybrid, and Conventional products 21 Protecting your Engine Flux Contamination
- 22. What Can Go Wrong Elastomer Compatibility Some additives have a negative impact on elastomers used in some applications 22 Shrinkage Loss of flexibility
- 23. What Can Go Wrong Elastomer Compatibility 23 Incompatible coolants cause delamination of head gaskets and coolant leakage
- 24. Select an OEM approved product for your application Look for ‘2-Ethylhexanoic acid’ in the components 24 Protecting Your Engine Elastomer Compatibility
- 25. Product Summary ES Compleat OAT Avg. Competitor OAT Coolant Life 1,000,000 600,000 Maintenance Proper Top up Top up and Extenders Compatible with Elastomers Excellent Poor Protects Liners Excellent Acceptable Resistant to Contamination Good Good 25
- 26. Cummins Tested… Cummins Approved 26 Conventional Hybrid OAT
- 27. More Information… Literature at CumminsFiltration.com Free Training at Fleetschool.com Visit us on YouTube® 27
- 28. Questions? 28 Want to talk more about coolants? Feel free to contact me with additional questions…. Lauren Lewis Product Development Engineer Coolant and Chemical Technology lauren.lewis@cummins.com Phone 615 986 9088
Editor's Notes
- Cummins Filtration has been formulating engine coolants for over 40 years. Our coolant technology specifically focuses on the needs of heavy duty engines. We are unique in the coolant industry, in that we are the only coolant manufacturer that is a part of an engine company. As a part of Cummins Inc, Cummins filtration engineers are involved first hand in cooling system issues and lead the industry in knowledge of cooling systems and the evolution of todays engines. This knowledge allows Cummins Filtration to develop and commercialize coolant technology that addresses the needs of today’s engines. We know engines….we know heavy duty….we know coolant.
- The general function of coolant is simple, to transfer heat from the engine. This is done by removing heat from engine components, circulating the heat through the cooling system and dissipating the heat through the radiator. The thermostat allows the cooling system to control the temperature of the system. However as simple as this sounds coolant technology and maintenance is extremely important to the function of the engine. To give you an idea of how hard your cooling system works, a typical heavy duty cooling system will circulate a 16,000 gallon swimming pool worth of coolant every hour.
- A coolant must protect the whole system in order to properly remove heat from the engine. The coolant interfaces with many metallic and non-metallic surfaces and is also used to manage the temperature of other engine fluids. To properly transfer heat the coolant must protect the system components from corrosion, cavitation, and scale. More than 40% of engine problems originate in the cooling system. This makes selecting and maintaining your coolant key to protecting and ensuring the longevity of your equipment.
- When selecting a coolant it can be difficult to determine which product that is right for your application. Many customers rely mainly on color, but manufacturers do not use standard color conventions and coolants of the same color are not always similar. A knowledge of how coolants are classified can be helpful in determining the difference between products and understanding which product is right for you. Typically coolants are classified in two different ways. They can be classified in terms of the coolants performance and can also be classified according to coolant type. Coolant performance is generally in reference to the performance of the coolant when tested according to industry standards or OEM specification. This testing may also be related to the compatibility of a coolant with cooling system materials.
- ASTM is the American Society for Testing and Materials. This group develops testing methods and standards for a number industries. ASTM D3306 and ASTM D6210 are the most commonly referred to industry standards for coolants. ASTM D3306 contains several tests that measure key physical properties of the coolant. Freeze point and boiling point are measured as a part of this standard to ensure the coolant can protect equipment in cold temperatures with out freezing and will not boil when in contact with hot surfaces. D3306 also contains performance requirements that are important for light duty engines. These tests evaluate the corrosion protection of a coolant under various conditions and tests for protection against water pump cavitation. ASTM D6210 includes all of the testing required for D3306 as well as additional testing that evaluates the performance of the coolant for heavy duty applications. The primary additions are requirements regarding the ability of the coolant to protect against cavitation of wet liners as well as the ability to protect hot surfaces against scale. When looking for a Heavy Duty coolant, it is important to look for an indication that the coolant meets the 6210 standard. In addition to the ASTM standards, many OEMs, including Cummins, require additional testing that provides performance or compatibility information that the OEM feels is important to the protection of their equipment. Cummins coolant specification, CES14603, for instance includes an elastomer compatibility component. The OEM spec is typically the most stringent specification and includes all the requirements found in the ASTM standards.
- Coolants can also be classified based on product type. Typically type classifications are generic terms that are related to the base type and additives used in the coolant. Although these terms can be useful in the general classification of coolant, coolants within each type will vary in composition and performance.
- When discussing coolant types it is important to first understand the components of a coolant. Coolants are made up of three components, water, a base, and additives. Type classifications are made with respect to the base type and the additive type. Almost all commercially available coolants use water as a component because it transfers heat so well.
- There are three different base types that are commercially used in engine coolants. These are EG, PG, and Glycerin. EG or ethylene glycol based coolants are by far the most common and account for around 90% of coolants sold in North America. EG based coolants are the most common because of their ability to be used in almost all climates. The draw back of EG is that it is toxic to humans and animals. PG or propylene glycol coolants are typically used by customers who are looking for non-toxic coolant. PG is not as widely used as EG because it is more expensive and cannot be used in artic climates. Glycerin is similar to PG in that it is non-toxic and cannot be used in artic climates. Glycerin based coolants make up the smallest portion of the market.
- You may wonder why the base is important, especially since water is so efficient at transferring heat. By mixing water with a base the freeze point is lowered and the boiling point is raised. This allows the coolant to transfer heat in more extreme heat conditions than water alone can handle. The boiling point of the coolant is especially important in applications using EGR (exhaust gas recirculation). The EGR cooler puts off high levels of heat that may cause boiling of the coolant if enough base is not present. When coolant boils if forms a layer of steam next to the hot surface and can no longer transfer heat from the component. This can result in fatigue and even failure of the component. Most OEMs require that the base be present in a concentration between 40-60%. This can be checked in the field with a refractometer.
- Coolants are also classified based on additive content. Each of these coolant types will have a base, by that I mean that there are conventional EG, Hybrid EG, and OAT EG products. There are three generic terms that are commonly used related to additive chemistry. These are conventional, hybrid and OAT. Conventional coolants use the oldest additive technology and typically have the lowest initial cost, but also have short service intervals and the shortest overall life. Over the life of the vehicle, conventional coolants will have the highest total cost of ownership. Hybrid coolants mix older additive technology with organic additive technology to provide extended service intervals and moderate initial investment. Hybrid coolants typically have a longer life and service interval than conventional coolants, but may have more maintenance requirements than OAT type coolants. OAT or Organic Additive Technology coolants use the newest type of additive chemistry. This type of chemistry will typically have the fewest maintenance requirements. OAT coolant are also more tolerant of system contamination than other coolant types and this is the coolant type that is preferred by most OEMs.
- Selecting the correct coolant and properly maintaining the system is important to preventing costly failures. I will go though some of the most common failures that occur in the field and discuss the best way to protect your equipment from these failure mechanisms. The first failure mechanism is liner pitting. Liner pitting is specific to the heavy duty industry. If not properly formulated or maintained, coolants may not be capable of protecting the liner surface against cavitation. A lack of protection can result in small pits forming on the surface of the liner, typically this pitting will be in the thrust/anti thrust directions. In some cases, this results in pits that perforate all the way through the liner and allow coolant and oil to mix. This failure mechanism requires the engine to rebuilt.
- To protect your equipment you should ensure that the coolant used for any heavy duty applications meets ASTM D6210. As I mentioned earlier, this spec contains a test that evaluates the ability of the coolant to effectively protect liners. This test is an engine test that measures the amount of pitting, with a lower number being better. Most coolants will list the standards that the product meets on the coolant packaging or in a product brochure, so be sure to look for indication that the products meets ASTM D6210 before using on a heavy duty application. It is also important to know what the maintenance requirements are for your product. Typically conventional and hybrid coolants need to be tested and serviced to maintain liner protection throughout the life of the coolant. Also, make sure that units are topped up with proper coolant. Dilution with water or improper coolant can cause liner pitting protection to be compromised.
- If additives become unstable they can cause issues in the cooling system and leave your system unprotected against corrosion. There are a number of reasons this may occur. These include poor formulation, contamination, or over addition of SCA’s (supplemental coolant additives). Some additives will collect in the cool areas of the engine when instability occurs and impede heat transfer. On the right is a cross section of a radiator with plugged tubes due to over treatment with SCA’s. Another common failure due to additive instability is water pump leakage. If additives drop out of solution they may plug weep holes or collect on face seals causing leakage.
- To protect from additive drop out it is important to make sure the water used for mixing coolant is of good quality. Some tap water will meet the requirements, but most will not. Hard water is particularly
- As engines and cooling systems evolve, more and more Al is used in the cooling system for heavy duty engines. The use of aluminum radiators and oil coolers has become common in the heavy duty industry. In addition to this, the preferred method of manufacturing Al radiators uses a process that can introduce corrosion initiating contamination into the system.
- Residual brazing compound coats the surfaces of the radiator as seen in the picture on the left. This residual compound is soluble in coolant and will dissolve into the coolant, introducing contaminates. When exposed to large surface areas of aluminum and simultaneously exposed to contamination, it can be difficult for some coolants to properly protect the system. Some of the additives in conventional and hybrid technologies become less stable under these conditions and are unable to properly protect all the aluminum surfaces. When corrosion begins to occur the aluminum is weakened and is prone to suffer from stress fractures as seen in the picture on the right.
- Since the contamination is contained in new radiators it can be difficult to control the amount of contamination. New systems sometimes benefit from being flushed after a few hours of use. OAT coolants are typically more robust to this type of contamination and provide better protection under these conditions. NOAT or (nitrited OAT) Hybrid, and conventional products tend to be less robust to flux contamination and are more likely to be compromised in this environment.
- Some additives used in commercially available coolants product have a negative effect on gasket and hose materials that are used in cooling systems. These additives will cause silicone gaskets and hoses to degrade and become brittle. The material will also shrink in size. This change in material affects the ability of the material to seal properly and will result in leakage. Depending on the location of the leakage, this issue can have varying levels of severity. One of the most severe failures is seen in head gasket seals.
- This is a picture of a head gasket that has been affected by incompatible coolant additives. The silicone seal material around the head gasket ports has delaminated due to shrinkage and material deterioration. This causes the seal to become ineffective and results in head gasket leakage. This is a common failure mode in high horsepower engines.
- To protect against seal and hose failures, be sure to select a product that is approved by your equipment and engine OEM. In response to failures in the field, most OEMs require compatibility testing to ensure that the coolant is compatible with the materials used in their engines. The chemical name for the additive that is know to be incompatible with silicone seals is “2-ethylhexanic acid”. To be certain that your equipment is protected, look for this additive name in the ingredients on the coolant bottle or on the coolant MSDS.
- All of Cummins Filtrations coolant products are tested per heavy duty industry standards as well as Cummins coolant standards. Our products are used in the validation testing of Cummins engines. We offer a full product line that spans from conventional technology to the newest organic additive technology. Each of our products is Cummins tested and Cummins approved.