Helena Frye
Closed-loop cooling systems are also known as 'Fresh Water Cooling' systems. They are used in boats to cool engines using water, rather than air. This is because boats do not have a large enough surface area to expose their engines to the air. In a closed-loop system, the internal engine components only come into contact with fresh, non-corrosive water, which minimises rust, scaling, and general deterioration within the engine. The closed-loop water is recirculated over a heat exchanger, which maintains a physical 'piping boundary' between the fresh and raw water sides. This process results in a never-ending supply of cold water to cool the engine.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of system | Closed loop cooling system |
| Other names | Fresh Water Cooling (FWC) system |
| How it works | Internal engine components only come into contact with fresh, non-corrosive water to minimise rust, scaling, and general deterioration within the engine |
| The closed/ FWC side water is recirculated over a heat exchanger | |
| The heat exchanger maintains a physical “piping boundry” between the fresh and raw water sides | |
| The heat exchanger uses raw water to transport heat from the closed circuit to the “once through” water path | |
| The anti-freeze liquid is circulated through the engine by running to the heat exchanger | |
| Saltwater leaves the cooler and goes to the saltwater pump | |
| Saltwater leaves the pump and goes to the Exchanger | |
| Saltwater leaves the exchanger and branches off to the exhaust manifolds | |
| Saltwater then goes through the manifolds and out the exhaust risers and out of the boat |
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What You'll Learn
The difference between open-loop and closed-loop cooling systems
Air cooling systems are ineffective for boats because there is not enough surface area to expose the engine to the air. Water cooling systems are the most effective for boats, and there are two types: open-loop and closed-loop.
A closed-loop system is also known as a 'Fresh Water Cooling' system. The internal engine components only come into contact with fresh, non-corrosive water, which minimises rust, scaling and general deterioration within the engine. The closed/FWC side water is recirculated over a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger maintains a physical 'piping boundary' between the fresh and raw water sides. It also transports heat from the closed circuit to the 'once-through' water path using 'raw water'.
In a closed-loop system, the anti-freeze liquid is circulated through the engine by running to the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is located under the boat so it's in the raw water continuously. This reduces the temperature of the hot anti-freeze liquid that exits the engine, and it is then pumped back into the engine to cool it.
In an open-loop system, saltwater leaves the cooler and goes to the saltwater pump. Saltwater leaves the pump and goes to the exchanger. Saltwater then goes through the manifolds and out of the exhaust risers and out of the boat. This saltwater path only takes a few seconds to complete, with the result being that there is a never-ending supply of cold water to cool the components.
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How a closed-loop cooling system works
A closed-loop cooling system, also known as a 'fresh water cooling' system, is the most effective way to cool a boat engine. It works by using a heat exchanger to maintain a physical 'piping boundary' between the fresh and raw water sides of the system. The heat exchanger transports heat from the closed circuit to the 'once-through' water path using 'raw water'.
In a closed-loop cooling system, the anti-freeze liquid is circulated through the engine by running to the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is located under the boat so it's in the raw water continuously. This reduces the temperature of the hot anti-freeze liquid that exits the engine and it is then pumped back into the engine to cool it.
In a car, the antifreeze is cooled when pumped through the radiator. In a boat, the antifreeze is cooled when pumped through the heat exchanger. A radiator uses air to cool the antifreeze, while the heat exchanger uses seawater to cool the antifreeze.
Saltwater leaves the pump and goes to the exchanger, where it branches off to the exhaust manifolds. Saltwater then goes through the manifolds and out of the exhaust risers and out of the boat. This saltwater path only takes a few seconds to complete its run, resulting in a never-ending supply of cold water to cool the components.
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The role of the heat exchanger
A closed-loop cooling system, also known as a fresh water cooling system, uses a heat exchanger to cool the antifreeze liquid that circulates through the engine. The heat exchanger is located under the boat so it is in the raw water continuously. This reduces the temperature of the hot antifreeze liquid that exits the engine and it is then pumped back to the engine to cool it. The heat exchanger maintains a physical "piping boundary" between the fresh and raw water sides, plus, transports heat from the closed circuit to the "once-through" water path using "raw water".
In a car, the heat exchanger is equivalent to the radiator and the once-through raw water is equivalent to the air that passes over the radiator. The heat exchanger uses seawater to cool the antifreeze, while a radiator uses air. This process ensures that internal engine components only come into contact with fresh, non-corrosive water, thus minimising rust, scaling, and general deterioration within the engine.
Saltwater leaves the pump and goes to the exchanger, where it branches off to the exhaust manifolds. Saltwater then goes through the manifolds and out the exhaust risers and out of the boat. This saltwater path only takes a few seconds to complete its run, resulting in a never-ending supply of cold water to cool the components.
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The use of antifreeze
A closed-loop cooling system, also known as a fresh water cooling system, uses a heat exchanger to cool the antifreeze liquid that is circulated through the engine. The heat exchanger maintains a physical 'piping boundary' between the fresh and raw water sides of the system. The heat exchanger is located under the boat so it's in the raw water continuously. This reduces the temperature of the hot antifreeze liquid that exits the engine and it is then pumped back to the engine to cool it.
The antifreeze liquid is pumped through the heat exchanger, which uses seawater to cool the antifreeze. This is in contrast to a car radiator, which uses air to cool the antifreeze. The seawater is pumped through the exchanger, which is a large cylinder, and then branches off to the exhaust manifolds. The seawater then goes through the manifolds and out the exhaust risers and out of the boat. This seawater path only takes a few seconds to complete, resulting in a never-ending supply of cold water to cool the components.
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The saltwater path
Closed-loop cooling systems, also known as fresh water cooling systems, are used to cool boat engines. They work by circulating anti-freeze liquid through the engine and into a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is located under the boat so that it is in the raw water continuously. This reduces the temperature of the anti-freeze liquid, which is then pumped back into the engine to cool it.
The closed-loop system is designed to minimise rust, scaling, and general deterioration within the engine. This is achieved by maintaining a physical "piping boundary" between the fresh and raw water sides of the system. The heat exchanger transports heat from the closed circuit to the "once-through" water path using raw water.
By using a closed-loop cooling system, boat engines can be effectively cooled while also being protected from corrosion and other forms of deterioration. This helps to maintain the performance and longevity of the engine.
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Frequently asked questions
A closed-loop cooling system is typically referred to as a Fresh Water Cooling system. This system uses a heat exchanger to maintain a physical "piping boundary" between the fresh and raw water sides.
A closed-loop cooling system uses sea water to cool the antifreeze in the engine. The anti-freeze liquid is circulated through the engine by running to the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is located under the boat so it’s in the raw-water continuously. This reduces the temperature on the hot anti-freeze liquid that exits the engine and it is then pumped back to the engine to cool it.
The advantage of a closed-loop cooling system is that internal engine components only come into contact with fresh, non-corrosive water, thus minimising rust, scaling, and general deterioration within the engine.
