Knowledge base
In short
A gas engine power plant uses remote radiators to throw away the engine heat that is not used elsewhere. Gas engines usually need more than one cooling circuit, the load changes through the day, and many plants also sell or use part of the heat, so the radiator is planned together with the heat recovery. The engine data and the real site conditions decide the design.
Gas engines run in biogas plants, landfill sites, combined heat and power stations, industrial plants and utility power stations. All of them turn fuel into electricity and a large amount of heat, and whatever heat is not put to use must be sent to the air. That is the job of the radiator. This guide explains in plain words what the cooling plant of a gas engine has to do and why it is planned as a whole, not as a single box.
Why A Gas Engine Plant Needs A Radiator
An engine converts only part of its fuel into power. The rest leaves as heat in the exhaust, in the engine jacket and in the charge air. Some of that heat can be used for heating or process needs, but there are always hours when the user does not need it, or needs less than the engine makes. The radiator is the safety valve of the plant: it takes the heat nobody wants so the engine can keep running.
Without a radiator that can always take the full amount, the engine would have to reduce its output whenever the heat customer stops taking heat. For a plant that earns money from every hour of generation, that is a poor result.
Several Circuits, Not One
Most larger gas engines have more than one cooling circuit, and each wants its own coolant temperature. The engine jacket and the charge air are the usual ones, and some engines add an oil circuit or a separate stage for the charge air. The radiator for such a plant is often a multi-circuit unit, with a coil for every circuit in one frame, so the plant does not need a separate radiator for each.
The way the circuits are connected depends on the engine maker and on the heat recovery. The radiator has to match that arrangement, which is why the engine data sheet and the cooling diagram come first when a radiator is planned.
Working Together With Heat Recovery
Many gas engine plants sell heat as hot water or steam, or use it for drying and heating. In that case the heat goes first to the heat user, and the radiator takes what is left. The two systems must agree with each other: when the heat customer shuts down, the radiator has to take over at once without the engine tripping.
For this reason the radiator is planned for the full engine heat, not only for the share that is left over in normal operation. Fan control then follows the load, so the plant does not waste electricity or make more noise than the moment requires.
Load, Site And What To Tell The Maker
Gas plants often start and stop with demand, run at part load for long periods and sit close to neighbours, farms or housing. A radiator that follows the load smoothly, keeps sound under control and suits the air at the site, which may be dusty, salty or full of fine particles, is worth more than one chosen on price alone. Biogas and landfill sites also bring their own air and corrosion issues, and the coating and materials are chosen with that in mind.
TECS Engineering designs and builds radiators for gas engine power plants, with one or several circuits. Send the engine data, the cooling diagram and the site conditions, and the engineering team will propose a radiator that fits the plant as a whole.
In Short
- The radiator takes the engine heat that nobody else uses
- Gas engines usually need several cooling circuits at different temperatures
- A multi-circuit radiator keeps all circuits in one frame
- The radiator is planned together with heat recovery and must take over at once
- Fan control follows the load to save power and sound
- Engine data, cooling diagram and site conditions come first in every enquiry
What To Send With An Enquiry
- Engine make and model, or the engine data sheet
- The cooling diagram showing every circuit and any heat recovery
- The heat duty, flow and temperatures of each circuit
- Site ambient air, altitude and the kind of air (dusty, salty, industrial)
- Any sound limit that applies at the site
- Fan power supply and how the plant is controlled
Questions We Are Often Asked
Why does a gas engine power plant need a radiator?
Because part of the fuel energy always leaves as heat. What the heat user does not take must go to the air, and the radiator does that so the engine can keep running.
Does a gas engine need more than one cooling circuit?
Usually yes. The engine jacket and the charge air are the common ones, and each wants its own coolant temperature. A multi-circuit radiator serves them in one unit.
How does heat recovery affect the radiator?
The heat goes first to the heat user and the radiator takes the rest. If the heat user stops, the radiator has to take the full engine heat without delay, so it is planned for that case.
Can one radiator serve several gas engines?
Sometimes, if the circuits and the plant layout allow it. Whether to use one large unit or one per engine is decided from the plant design and how the engines will run.
What should I send to get a radiator proposal for a gas plant?
The engine data sheet, the cooling diagram, the heat duties and temperatures, the site conditions and any sound limit.
Contact Us
Send us the heat duty, the fluid temperatures and flow rates, the ambient conditions and the installation limits. We answer with a design proposal - or write to us on WhatsApp.
