Coolants: What You Don't Know Can Hurt Your Engine

Presenter:

Lauren Lewis

Product Development Engineer

Coolant and Chemical Technology

October 28, 2014

Coolants: What

You Don’t Know

Can Hurt Your

Engine

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

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

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

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

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

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

What Makes Up a Coolant

8

Coolant Types

Three different bases

– The most commonly used

base is EG (Ethylene Glycol)

– PG (Propylene Glycol)

– Glycerin

9

EG

PG

Glycerin

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’

Coolant Types

11

• Highest TCO, up to 10x higher than premium ELC

• Shortest Service Interval

• Most Maintenance

Conventional

• Extended Service Interval

• Moderate MaintenanceHybrid

• Longest Service Interval

• Most Robust to Contamination

• Preferred by Most OEMs

OAT

(Organic AdditiveTechnology)

Coolant Types

12

Conventional Hybrid or HOATOrganic 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 HighlightsProper 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)

What Can Go WrongLiner 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

Protecting your EngineLiner 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

What Can Go WrongAdditive Drop Out

Additives can become

unstable due to poor

formulation,

contamination, or over

addition of SCAs

15

Protecting Your EngineAdditive Drop Out

Check your water source

More is not better

OAT type coolants are

most resistant to

contamination

16

What Can Go WrongFace 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

Protecting Your EngineFace Seal Deposits

Choose the proper coolant

Properly maintain the

system

Use a water filter to

capture contaminant in the

system

18

What Can Go WrongFlux 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

What Can Go WrongFlux Contamination

When exposed to large areas of aluminum,

some additives may become unstable, leading to

corrosion of aluminum components

20

OAT type coolants are most

robust to contamination

Avoid NOAT, Hybrid, and

Conventional products

21

Protecting your EngineFlux Contamination

What Can Go WrongElastomer Compatibility

Some additives have a negative impact on

elastomers used in some applications

22

Shrinkage Loss of flexibility

What Can Go WrongElastomer Compatibility

23

Incompatible coolants cause delamination

of head gaskets and coolant leakage

Select an OEM approved

product for your

application

Look for ‘2-Ethylhexanoic

acid’ in the components

24

Protecting Your EngineElastomer Compatibility

Product Summary

25

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

Cummins Tested…Cummins Approved

26

OATConventional Hybrid

More Information…

Literature at CumminsFiltration.com

Free Training at Fleetschool.com

Visit us on YouTube®

27

Questions?

28

Want to talk more about coolants?

Feel free to contact me with

additional questions….

Lauren LewisProduct Development Engineer

Coolant and Chemical Technology

lauren.lewis@cummins.com

Phone 615 986 9088