A dynamic nucleate-boiling model for CO2 reduction in internal combustion engines

Improvements in cooling system efficiency are required in modern internal combustion engines (ICE). Optimal thermal management presents several advantages in terms of lower pump mechanical power, reduced friction losses and shorter warm-up time, which result in reduced fuel consumptions and CO2 emissions. These goals can be achieved by adopting lower coolant flow rates, which give rise to nucleate boiling regime. The key requirement for a precision cooling strategy is the capability of developing a reliable, model-based control of the cooling regime. However, there is no model of the cooling system of an SI engine, which identifies precisely the onset of the nucleate boiling. This work fills this void.