Master Thesis - Coolant-Material Interaction in Heavy-Duty Truck Cooling Systems Introduction
Göteborg, SE, 417 15
The cooling system in a truck manages heat transfer from multiple components, ensuring they operate at optimal temperatures. Its performance is critical for all powertrain types—combustion engines, fuel cells, and battery-electric systems. The system uses a liquid coolant, primarily a water-glycol mixture, to absorb heat and release it through the radiator to the surrounding air.
Inside the cooling system, the coolant interacts with various materials, including metals (aluminium, steel, cast iron) and numerous polymers and elastomers. To protect these materials and maintain coolant stability, chemical additives such as corrosion inhibitors, cavitation inhibitors, and pH buffers are included. Advances in additive technology have extended coolant life, reducing service intervals and improving customer value. However, longer service intervals increase the demands on material compatibility and coolant durability.
This project aims to deepen the understanding of coolant-material interactions and identify conditions where degradation begins. Controlled experiments will be conducted in a simplified test system using selected materials and tailored contaminants. The outcome will provide fundamental insights into compatibility limits and help improve cooling system longevity.
What you will do
- Perform material compatibility testing
- Optimize process parameters (temperature, flow rate)
- Conduct literature review
- Carry out chemical analyses
- Operate a small-scale cooling system test rig
Expected Outcomes
- Fundamental understanding of material-coolant interactions (including clogging mechanisms)
- Identification of critical process parameters
- Determination of threshold levels for flux residues in aluminium heat exchanger brazing
Requirements
- Background in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or Physics
- Knowledge of transport phenomena and organic chemistry is advantageous
Curius to know more?
Please reach out to patrik.alnegren@volvo.com, welcome with your application at latest 12th of December. We value your data privacy and therefore do not accept applications via mail.
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