Air Coolers

By increasing the pressure of the air the density is also increased. This allows more fuel per cycle stroke
to be burnt increasing the power of the engine per unit size.
Associated with the increase in pressure of air passing through the compressor of the
turbocharger is an increase in temperature.
From the general gas equation;
p.v = m.R.T
p
v
m
R
T = absolute temperature

=
=

=
=

mass
gas

pressure
volume
constant

m/v = p /R.T
It can be seen that should the should the absolute temperature increase at the same rate as
the pressure then the effects of compression is negated. Air coolers are therefore used, these are situated
down stream from the compressor, before the air enters the scavenging ports.
The coolant is generally sea water circulated through finned tubes, the cross section of which
may be of various shapes including round and oval. The thin fins are normally soldered on to the tubes
but if the tubes are round they may be expanded into the fins. Flat sided an oval tubes are soldered into
the tube plates whilst round tubes are expanded. An allowance must be made for expansion, in some
cases the tubes are formed into a 'U'-shape, in other one end of the tube is fixed, the other end sits in a
floating tube plate able to move in the casing and sealed by o-rings.
An ultimate limit is placed on the degree of cooling, this being to prevent thermal shocking
especially of the piston crown, prevent excessively increasing cylinder lube oil viscosity and keeping above
the dew point.
At the dew point water droplets will form which can scour the cylinder lub oil of the liner walls.
Where engines operate close to or below the dew point then water separators are fitted downstream of
the cooler. Grid type separators consisting of a pair of angled blades and relying on the higher inertia of
the water droplets can remove upto 85% of the water.

Air cooler grid type water separator