Ways to shorten warming up times of an diesel engine

[TimV]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

I'm still not so sure about the safety of heating the high-pressure rail. Where else could you fit that heater?

Anyway, what are the factory-fitted cold start aids into your car? Just the glowplugs? What do you think about a grid heater?

I only have glow plugs who run a few seconds before start. And around one minute after start. After that. No glow plugs anny more.

I was thinking of heating the pressure fuel line only after start up. So the expansion is equalled out with fuel use. Maybe a fuel filter heater to.

But first of all. I wil messure temp of the metal high pressure line from the rail to the fuel injector after driving a long route. Then i know how hot i may make it

[oil pan 4]

Originally Posted by JasonG

This maybe the best idea yet.
Perhaps run a heart exchanger on the exhaust?

That is the idea. Route some or all of the exhaust through a diesel EGR cooler and it acts as an exhaust heat exchanger.
If you are looking for a heat exchanger for some kind of exhaust heat recovery project, this is exactly what you want. Its made of stainless steel, they are already designed to exchange the heat between the exhaust and coolant, depending on the cooler they can rather large and flow a lot of exhaust and coolant or be small and compact if you don't have a lot of room.
Then use an old 80's exhaust valve or exhaust cutout to cut exhaust flow when everything is warmed up.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by TimV

I only have glow plugs who run a few seconds before start. And around one minute after start. After that. No glow plugs anny more.

Eventually a grid heater would be helpful. I don't remember where I have seen claims that a grid heater could be more efficient than glowplugs.

I was thinking of heating the pressure fuel line only after start up. So the expansion is equalled out with fuel use. Maybe a fuel filter heater to.

A filter heater seems to be the safest option.

[Piwoslaw]

Originally Posted by TimV

When the engine is cold. Does it help to heat up the common fuel pressure rail with an 12V 500W silicone heater? So the diesel is hotter when injected? Or instead of the common rail, the metal fuel line from the rail to the injector?

Newer commonrails rely heavily on many parameters, including the temperature of the fuel about to be injected. Heating this in the wrong way may upset the combustion cycle (I've no evidence, just guessing). The fuel is already warmer after being compressed to a higher pressure.

Also, after each injection cycle excess fuel is routed back to the tank through a fuel radiator, so you'll be losing more heat there.

• Electromechanical grille blocks - one for the intercooler and one for the radiator.
• Upper grille blocked during winter.
• Intercooler walled off from the radiator, to keep the airstreams from mixing.
• 550W block heater.
• 125W heating pad under oil pan.
• Insulted oil pan (2 layers of 3mm foam)
• Reflective bubblewrap insulation under hood.
• OEM engine undertray - closed ventilation openings.
• 3x100W air heater in cabin ventilation to keep from using precious engine heat.
• EGR cooler (EGR/coolant heat exchanger - helps keep engine warm, but does not help warmup as EGR valve only opens once engine above certain temperature)

My turbodiesel has the above mods which help it warm up, but ecodriving still keeps the temperture down. Try driving it like it's stolen and your warmup time will be supershort

Some cars have coolant heaters with 1-4 12V glow plugs, shortens warm up not only by directly heating the coolant, but also by increasing load on the engine.


DIY version:

[TimV]

@Piwoslaw,

Are all those heaters running directly of your alternator?

[Daox]

Yep, they do.

[Piwoslaw]

Originally Posted by TimV

@Piwoslaw,

Are all those heaters running directly of your alternator?

The block and oil pan heaters are 230V AC, but the ones that use glow plugs are 12V DC. I do not have any of the latter, but I've seen them in Volkwagens, Peugeots, BMWs, Mercedes. I wonder if they can just be fitted to any car, or whether the alternator should be beefed up?

[TimV]

The benefit of having a 2l compressor diesel in an suv means having an 95amps alternator.

So i can install around 65 amps at 12v is around 800w of heaters

[GreenHornet]

Try cutting the radiator in half

Just kidding but on a more real note half size radiators are options for some makes and models. Combine this with an electric water pump and programmable controller and you will quickly reduce engine heat up times

Another option is to purchase a thermostat that allows increased temps. I have seen several VW TDI cars with this modification.

GH

[GreenHornet]

Another easy mod is to insulate everything from the fuel cell to fuel lines to engine. You can purchase inexpensive exhaust wrap that can also be used for insulating these parts.

Most people don't wrap the engine cuz modern engines have so many darn wires lol but older Diesel engines are perfect for this modification.

GH...