Marine Gearbox Oil Coolers

Mechanical equipment, such as internal combustion engines, gearboxes and transmission systems rely on oil to lubricate moving internal components, enabling them to run freely, whilst reducing wear to metallic surfaces.

In addition to lubrication, engine oil also acts as a coolant, to remove surplus heat from mechanical equipment. For example, a hot engine transfers heat to the oil, which then circulates through a heat exchanger (also known as an oil cooler), using either air or water to cool the oil.

All oils have a recommended operating temperature range and if this is exceeded, the viscosity of the oil can be weakened, reducing its lubrication qualities. Should excessive heat continue to build up, the oil’s ability to lubricate components will be significantly reduced and in extreme cases, the viscosity may break down, creating conditions where the metal components overheat, leading to premature wear. In extreme cases this could even result in a catastrophic component failure.

This situation can occur where equipment is to be operated at high speeds for extended periods, or where climatic conditions dictate higher ambient air temperatures. In such conditions, adding an oil cooler to the lubrication system, will remove the excess heat, reducing the oil’s temperature so that it remains within the correct range to protect the equipment, prolonging its operating life.

Whether an air or water cooled oil cooler is used depends on application and operating conditions.

Bowman oil coolers are water cooled ‘shell and tube designed units that are robust and reliable over a wide range of operating conditions. For more information about Bowman Oil Coolers.

An oil cooler is designed to remove excessive heat from the oil used to lubricate vehicles, machinery, and mechanical equipment. These types of coolers can be either a water-to-oil or air to oil type of heat exchanger.

Lubricating oils are developed for differing kinds of temperature ranges and operating conditions. To ensure an oil protects the machinery or equipment for which it was designed, it should always operate within its designated temperature range.

Too cold and it thickens, making it more difficult for the oil to lubricate the moving parts. Too hot and the viscosity of the oil could start to breakdown, resulting in premature component wear and ultimately equipment failure.

The problem is that moving metal parts generate lots of heat, which gets transferred to the lubricating oil. By adding an oil cooler into the lubrication circuit, the oil temperature is controlled and always kept within the correct operating range.

Oil coolers can be either air cooled or water cooled, depending on the nature of the application. Bowman manufacture a wide range of water cooled ‘shell and tube’ design oil coolers for off/on highway vehicles, construction plant and associated equipment, cooling heavy duty applications such as torque converters, automatic transmission and engine oils.

Find out more about Bowman oil coolers.

An oil cooler  is designed to remove excessive heat from the oil used to lubricate vehicles, machinery and mechanical equipment. For example, a hot engine transfers heat to the oil which then circulates through a heat-exchanger (also known as an oil cooler), using either air or water to cool the oil.

It achieves this by using a cooling medium – usually either air or water – to transfer heat from the oil and to the cooling medium. It does this without either the oil or cooling medium coming into direct contact with each other.

For example, an air cooled oil cooler often looks like a small car radiator and achieves its purpose by running the oil through finned tubes. The incoming air passes over and around the tubes, removing heat as it passes through.

For many applications, air cooling isn’t appropriate and here water cooling is the solution. Shell and tube oil coolers are very popular, the coolant flowing through the central ‘tube core’, whilst the oil flows around and through the tubes, providing extremely efficient heat transfer.

Bowman manufacture a wide range of water cooled shell and tube oil coolers for torque converters, automatic transmission and engine oils. Find out more about Bowman Oil Coolers.