Heat Transfer Dynamics in Internal Combustion Engines

Heat transfer in internal combustion engines governs both performance and durability by controlling temperatures within the combustion chamber, cylinder walls, piston crown and cylinder head. Combustion gases release energy that is partitioned between work output and heat rejection. Conduction through solid components, convection between gases and surfaces, and radiation within the chamber all contribute to thermal profiles. Efficient removal of excess heat via coolant jackets and oil galleries preserves mechanical integrity, reduces unwanted heat losses and mitigates pollutant formation. The local heat transfer coefficient is influenced by flow turbulence, surface roughness, combustion pressure and chamber geometry. Advances in high-fidelity simulation and experimental diagnostics are refining our understanding of transient wall heat flux, enabling designers to optimise cooling passages, select advanced alloys and manage thermal stresses for improved fuel economy and lower emissions on a global scale.

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Heat Transfer Dynamics in Internal Combustion Engines publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in heat transfer dynamics in internal combustion engines across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Convection heat transfer: Transfer of heat between a solid surface and a moving fluid due to temperature difference and fluid motion.

Heat transfer coefficient: A parameter representing the efficiency of convective heat exchange at a boundary between fluid and solid.

Zero-dimensional (0D) model: A lumped-parameter simulation that treats the combustion chamber as a single uniform system without spatial resolution.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD): Numerical technique for simulating fluid flow and heat transfer by solving governing equations on a spatial grid.

Exergy: The maximum useful work obtainable from a system as it comes into equilibrium with its environment.

Thermal boundary layer: Thin fluid region adjacent to a solid surface in which temperature gradients are significant due to heat transfer.

References

1. 6-Stroke water injection engine literature review with an introduction of heat transfer and thermodynamic analysis. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology (2024).
2. Open-Source Energy, Entropy, and Exergy 0D Heat Release Model for Internal Combustion Engines. Energies (2023).
3. Internal combustion engine heat release calculation using single-zone and CFD 3D numerical models. International Journal of Energy and Environmental Engineering (2018).