Optimization Methodology of High Performance Motorcycle Engine Cooling System

It is well known, that high performance motorcycle engine cooling systems universally adopt water refrigerants. In this way, the radiator removes about 30% of the heat produced by combustion. In an internal combustion engine, the (amount of heat) to remove depends, essentially, on speed and load of the engine, while the removed heat amount depends only on vehicle speed It’s easy to see, that the cooling circuit design is very difficult, because of the very different conditions of vehicle operations (traffic, extra-urban, agonistic use). During the design and the development of a motorcycle, the radiator size is a compromise between its section and the motorcycle cross section. In fact, the motorcycle front overall dimension is, very often, determined only by radiator size. Nowadays, with the aim to reduce this problem the research moves towards more and more complex cooling systems with the electronic controlled management of its components integrated with the engine ECU (electronic controlled fan and thermostatic valve, electric water pump). In the bench tests carried out in the DIME laboratory, some experiments were carried out to verify the performance of an innovative aluminum radiator . The goal of all activity was to create a test methodology that allows for the characterization of radiator performances. This activity was devised because of the absence of a systematic study of, the cooling system components during the engine design. In particular, as an example of the adoption of this methodology, some experimental tests will be shown to compare two different radiators. The authors’ final objective is, then, to give to designers a valid tool able to characterize radiators by simple experimental test bench measures, so avoiding expensive and complex circuit tests.