An experimental study on heat exchange effectiveness in the diesel engine EGR coolers

Both reducing nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions from diesel engine and improving fuel consumption are important in meeting government regulations and society needs. Use of the Cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system is one of the most effective techniques currently available for reducing NOx and PM emissions. However, the EGR system has a trade-off between NOx and PM emissions at high loads. In the present study, engine dynamometer experiments have been performed to investigate the heat exchange effectiveness of EGR coolers with shell & tube-type and stack-type. The results show that the heat transfer effectiveness of the stack-type EGR cooler is 25–50 % higher than that of the shell & tube type due to an increased surface area and a better mixing of the exhaust gas flow.