AeroVee Turbo Cooling System Update: Hot Weather Data

Fall is now upon us, but our AeroVee Turbo test team managed to run an EXTREME Hot Weather Test of the AeroVee Turbo Cooling System in mid-September, and the results are impressive. As we’ve learned in logging past tests, ground runs are far-more abusive to any air cooled engine. Builders should avoid extended ground run testing for this reason. In this ground run test, we purposely exceeded our normal engine run maximum parameters to collect the most extreme data possible:

  • OAT: 88 degrees F
  • Sustained Engine Run Power Setting: 44 inches Hg MAP
  • Maximum CHT: 436 degrees F
  • Maximum EGT: 1242 degrees F
  • Maximum Turbine Housing Temperature: 844 degrees F
  • Max Bearing Block Temperature: allowed to reach 265 degrees F during run before cooling system switched on immediately after engine shut-down.
  • Max Ambient Cowling Temperature: 196 degrees F
  • Maximum Surface Temperature of the aircraft during cool-down test: 106 degrees F

 

Summary of the system’s performance:

  • Bearing Block Temperature at Shutdown +1 minute: 218 degrees F (47 degree drop in temp after cooling system enabled).
  • Max Bearing Block Temperature during cool-down: 235 degrees F at Shutdown + 5 minutes.
  • Cooling System Thermostat Auto Shut-Off: Shutdown + 37:30 minutes (Bearing Block at 142 degrees F).
  • Max Bearing Block Temperature after Cooling System Shut-Off: 165 degrees F at Shutdown + 45 minutes (4:30 minutes after Cooling System Shut-Off).
  • Data: Turbo-Cooling-Test-Data-Hot-Weather-Ground-Run-091418.pdf

Hot Weather Ground Run Test conducted on September 14th exposed the system to the most challenging conditions yet.

 

Comparison with Air Cooled Turbocharger Test Data:

  • Max Turbine Housing Temperature: Air Cooled – 616 degrees F; Liquid Cooled – 844 degrees F (current test far-more severe)
  • Max Ambient Cowling Temperature: Air Cooled – 158 degrees F; Liquid Cooled – 196 degrees F
  • Max Bearing Block Temperature:  Air Cooled – 270 degrees F; Liquid Cooled – 235 degrees F
  • Data: Turbo-Cooling-Test-Data-Hot-Weather-Comparison-091418.pdf.pdf

Comparison of the latest Liquid Cooled system test vs. the Air Cooled system. The Liquid Cooled system offers superior performance even in harsher conditions.

The AeroVee Turbo was run HARD with sustained MAP of approx. 44 inches Hg. This image is taken 2 minutes prior to engine shut-down.

Engine and Turbo temperatures one minute before shutting the engine down from an abusive engine ground run test. Don’t try this at home!

Turbo Temperatures at Shutdown, just prior to switching-on the Liquid Cooling system. This represents the hottest turbo temperatures we have induced to-date in testing.

Turbo Temperatures at Shutdown + 14:30 minutes with Liquid Cooling System running.

Turbo Temperatures at Shutdown + 24:45 minutes with Liquid Cooling System running.

While flights may be conducted by customers in hotter ambient conditions in other parts of the world, our experience with flight testing shows that in-flight conditions with normal airflow through the cowling yield significantly cooler temperatures system-wide than hard ground running. Further, the traffic pattern, approach and landing phase of flight allows some natural system cooling time with lower engine RPM. This newest ground run test data successfully proves the system’s performance in extreme conditions.

Enabling the cooling system upon exiting the active runway after landing has continued to work well for Sonex Aircraft. Customers may vary that procedure as-needed in hotter climates, possibly running the system in-flight, however, the rate of oil flow through the turbocharger in-flight has done a great job of controlling bearing block temperatures in our experience.

System Installation Documentation — Download:

ACV-T06-12 AeroVee Turbo
Coolant Catch Can: $40
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Previous AeroVee Turbo Cooling System Test Reports: