Motorsport Plumbing Systems: Routing & Heat Management
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Routing & Heat Management
05.33
| 00:00 | With the many alternative oil system arrangements for wet sump, dry sump and forced induction applications comes an equally wide array of routing options and heat management considerations. |
| 00:11 | Thinking back to our discussions on heat management with the coolant system, which might be worth a revisit if you're hazy on the details, the oil system also provides a cooling effect to the engine and can make use of an oil cooler for intentional heat exchange from the fluid. |
| 00:29 | The engine, coolant and oil temperatures are all closely related, where a lower temperature of one will mean the others are also relatively cool. |
| 00:38 | With our cooling system discussion we also covered how too low a temperature can also be detrimental as the engine and transmission have an optimal working temperature range. |
| 00:49 | Note the keyword "optimum", as this is different from maximum or minimum and the engine will still function outside this window. |
| 00:57 | The oil is designed to work best in a certain temperature range and put simply, if it's too cold, it'll be too thick and viscous, decreasing the engine performance and the oil's ability to lubricate. |
| 01:09 | We also need the oil to reach a certain temperature in order for it to boil off the contaminants that will naturally occur during operation. |
| 01:17 | At the other end of the spectrum, if the oil gets too hot, the viscosity will drop, meaning the oil will be thinner and the oil pressure will decrease. |
| 01:26 | Too much heat also causes the oil to break down, further limiting the oil's ability to lubricate. |
| 01:32 | While it's possible to use an oil thermostat to help bring the engine oil up to temperature, this isn't common in motorsport applications as it's a potential failure point. |
| 01:42 | If it goes wrong, it could result in high oil temperatures and low oil pressure. |
| 01:47 | In saying that, oil thermostats can be useful in multi purpose vehicles that are used on the track and street. |
| 01:55 | In this case, it's common for the oil coolant system to be sized appropriately for hard driving on the track. |
| 02:01 | So, when cruising around on the street, the oil temperature can remain too low. |
| 02:06 | An oil thermostat will help the oil temperature get above a certain limit by bypassing the oil flow through the oil cooler. |
| 02:14 | Generally speaking, the engine temperature is managed by the cooling system and the engine oil temperature will be a function of this. |
| 02:22 | Whatever reason we want to control the temperature of the oil in the plumbing is for the integrity of the materials. |
| 02:28 | High temperatures will cause the flexible hose to degrade faster, especially rubber based hose. |
| 02:35 | With all of this said, in almost all cases for motorsport applications, we're trying to maximise the heat transfer from the system via convection while minimising heat transfer to the system via conduction, radiation and convection. |
| 02:50 | The oil cooler should be considered as the radiator of the oil system where it provides intentional heat exchange. |
| 02:57 | The more fresh air we can flow into, through and out of an oil cooler as well as over the plumbing, the more heat we can transfer away from the oil system via convection. |
| 03:08 | Further to this, oil flying over the sump can also help cool oil using convectional heat transfer. |
| 03:15 | We just want to make sure that the heated air is then vented from the engine bay to minimise the ambient temperature around the engine and other components. |
| 03:24 | Further to this, we want to avoid mounting oil lines to hot components in an effort to decrease the conductive heat transfer. |
| 03:32 | It can also help to isolate them by using rubber mounting blocks for example. |
| 03:37 | We should avoid routing lines near hot components to decrease heat transfer via radiation. |
| 03:43 | But if this isn't an option due to packaging constraints, then heat shields somewhere between heat sources and plumbing are generally the next step. |
| 03:51 | While stainless braids can help reflect radiant heat and thicker hose means increased thermal mass and therefore less temperature increase via conduction, in the grand scheme of things, these approaches result in minimal gains at best. |
| 04:05 | However, for hard lines or flexible hose, we can use insulation sleeves, usually in the form of laminated fibreglass with silicon or reflective outer sleeve. |
| 04:16 | Although these come with a small weight penalty and expense, they can make a significant difference. |
| 04:22 | In addition to our routing considerations around heat management, routing is also very important to avoid damage to the oil lines, particularly from the abrasive road surfaces and the particles it kicks up. |
| 04:35 | With safety at the top of our priority list, damage to the oil lines resulting in leaks could lead to serious fires and irreversible damage to our drivetrain. |
| 04:45 | We also want to minimise unnecessary restrictions in the plumbing that could result in pressure drops, trying to keep the length of the system and bends to a minimum where possible. |
| 04:56 | In summary, the routing and heat management considerations for the oil plumbing system are very similar to those of the engine's coolant system. |
| 05:05 | One of the core functions of this system is to manage heat. |
| 05:08 | We also want to keep the oil within an optimal temperature range for performance and lubrication, but too much heat still comes at a risk of damaging components. |
| 05:19 | We predominantly want to avoid heat sources and minimise radiant and convective heat transfer to the plumbing with the use of heat shields, insulation and routing considerations. |
