Cooling process of automobiles is an important technology as
it is directly or indirectly affecting the engine's performance, fuel economy,
vehicle aerodynamics, passenger comfort and maintenance, and life span of other
components in vehicles, etc. On account of high heat of dissipation, large
radiators are now commonly found which finally results into supplementary rise
in viscosity and boost the fuel consumption. Therefore, coolant serves as a
crucial part of engine's system which helps to cope up with all these
challenges faced by the heavy automobile industries.
Coolant serves to be an important part of automobiles engine
system by providing protection to the engines from freezing and to the other
parts as well as components of the vehicles against corrosion. It helps to
sustain the overall heat balance by effectively discarding heat energy. Thus,
coolant aids in ensuring an effective performance of the engine in the near
future.
Generally, a good coolant must comprise of base fluids in
50:50 ratios of glycol and water. The major glycols used in the coolant are
propylene glycol and ethylene glycol. Although it is accepted that ethylene
glycol based fluids when used, offers the greatest economical performance
advantage. Propylene glycol based coolants or low temperature heat transfer
fluids can be used in locations where a low toxicity product is necessary and
due to the toxicity of ethylene glycol it cannot be used. In addition to these,
there are other components that formulate a perfect coolant such as corrosion
inhibitor, dyes, antifoam, and other additives.