Latent heat storage modules for preheating internal combustion engines: application to a bus petrol engine

The heat storage (HS) system for pre-heating a bus petrol engine before its ignition was mathematically modelled and experimentally investigated. The development of such devices is an extremely urgent problem especially for regions with a cold climate. HS system working on the effect of absorption and rejection of heat during the solid-liquid phase change of HS material is realised, tested and results of R&D are discussed. Numerical modelling was performed to calculate the HS mass-dimensional parameters. In the experimental part of the paper results of experiments on the pre-heating device to start a carburettor engine and analysis of data received are given. There is a good correlation between the experimental data and the results of numerical modelling of HS system functioning. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.