Diesel Engine With Hopper Cooling System

Yes using oil in an engines cooling system instead of a water glycol based fluid is not much of an issue.

In fact its very common on many industrial applications such as large engine driven rotary screw type air compressors. They use the same oil for cooling and lubricating the air compressor as they do the engine. By doing so they eliminate the need for a second radiator and pumping system for the compressor system.

As far as viscosity goes anything under a 30 weight will work just fine. When its at engine running temp its has about the same flow characteristics as a glycol and water based system.

Short answer is yes.

Trouble is that you run the risk of over heating. Hopper systems, being atmospheric, peg the temperature at 100C (1 atm with clean water), until all the water boils off that is.

Then there's the issue of pressure in a sealed system......

Why does OP want to convert? No water to top up?

If you are talking about an old-style engine with no radiator--just an open hopper...No, you cannot substitute oil for the water. These hoppers are designed to cool by evaporating water from the surface of the hopper, utilizing the latent heat of vaporization of water. Oil doesn't vaporize at 100C and therefore the cooling effect with be much less, leading to overheating of the engine.

Jon.

Reading OPs plan he wants to convert to closed system with radiator and fan.

As if life isn't complicated enough....

It almost sounds like you want to use diesel fuel for cooling, in an open hopper? There are a number of related safety issues you should consider, especially the source of the cooling oil. Remember the flammability of oil changes with its temperature. Good luck (I hope you don't need it). You know, the image of a 1000 gal tank of diesel fuel does look a lot like a big radiator! and you could fit a spark preventer to the air vent (please).

with the SAE 0 fluid ,the cooling penetration will be lesser and the oil based coolant is less cool Carrier then the water so you have to increase the fluid flow l/minutes(for instance).you can use the oil radiator like screw compressors but all the engines are designed with its recommended cooling system.

Well, that is an interesting. I would really have to know why you would want to? The thermodynamics and heat transfer ability of even 0 weight oil is not as good as water. Then you have the lack of evaporation issue as another poster mentioned.

Sure you could use oil. You could also use molasses or raw sewage but I am not sure why you would want to?

Just because you could doesn't mean you should.