Viscosity-Improving Agent Coolant for Engine Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coolant compositions for internal combustion engines face challenges in maintaining fuel efficiency, as they either experience increased viscosity at high temperatures, leading to poor cooling performance, or reduced viscosity at low temperatures, resulting in increased cooling loss.
Innovation Solution
A coolant composition is developed using a combination of specific anionic and nonionic surfactants, which maintains low viscosity at high temperatures and high viscosity at low temperatures, thereby improving fuel efficiency by optimizing shear viscosity across temperature ranges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the concentration of glycol is increased to increase viscosity at low temperature, then cooling loss is reduced and warm-up performance is improved, but cooling performance at high temperature becomes insufficient causing overheating
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical composition parameters of the coolant by introducing specific viscosity-improving agents (polyalkylene glycols with specific molecular weights and ratios) to achieve temperature-dependent viscosity modulation. This allows the coolant to maintain optimal viscosity at low temperatures for reduced cooling loss while preventing excessive viscosity at high temperatures that would impair cooling performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite viscosity-improving agent system consisting of multiple polyalkylene glycols with different molecular weights (specifically a mixture of polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol in defined ratios). This composite approach enables the coolant to exhibit complex rheological behavior where viscosity increases at low temperatures to reduce cooling loss but remains controlled at high temperatures to maintain cooling efficiency.
2Speed
If the viscosity of coolant is reduced to improve fluidity at low temperature, then fluidity is improved, but the thickness of boundary layer decreases and convection is generated causing increased cooling loss
Solution Approach 1:
The invention modifies the viscosity parameter of the coolant by adding specific viscosity-improving agents that increase viscosity at low temperatures without significantly affecting high-temperature viscosity. This creates a temperature-dependent viscosity profile where the coolant maintains adequate fluidity for circulation while forming a thicker boundary layer at low temperatures to reduce convection and cooling loss.
3Loss of energy
If the viscosity of coolant is increased to reduce cooling loss at low temperature, then cooling loss is reduced, but cooling performance at high temperature deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the viscosity parameter through controlled addition of polyalkylene glycols with specific molecular weight distribution. The viscosity-improving agents are selected and dosed to achieve a target viscosity range at low temperatures (reducing cooling loss) while maintaining acceptable viscosity at high temperatures (preserving cooling performance and preventing overheating).
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies different viscosity characteristics to different temperature conditions. The viscosity-improving agents create localized viscosity enhancement at low temperatures where cooling loss is problematic, while allowing the coolant to maintain lower viscosity at high temperatures where cooling performance is critical. This spatial-temporal differentiation of viscosity properties resolves the contradiction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The coolant composition effectively reduces cooling loss at low temperatures while maintaining cooling performance at high temperatures, enhancing the overall fuel efficiency of internal combustion engines.
Implementation Method 1
a coolant composition including a viscosity improving agent and a base, wherein the viscosity improving agent includes at least one nonionic surfactant and at least one anionic surfactant
Data Source
AI summary
A coolant composition includes a viscosity improving agent and a base. The viscosity improving agent includes at least one nonionic surfactant and at least one anionic surfactant represented by the following Formula (1) of R1O—(R2O)m—SO3M. The base is formed of water and/or at least one alcohol selected from the group consisting of a monohydric alcohol, a dihydric alcohol, a trihydric alcohol, and a glycol monoalkyl ether. R1 represents a linear or branched alkyl group having 16 to 24 carbon atoms or a linear or branched alkenyl group having 16 to 24 carbon atoms, R2 represents an ethylene group or a propylene group, m represents an average addition molar number of R2O which is a number of 0.5 to 10, and M represents a cation or a hydrogen atom. A shear viscosity of the coolant composition is 8.5 mPa·s or higher at 25° C. and is 2.0 mPa·s or lower at 100° C.