Air-cooled engines rely on the circulation of air directly over heat dissipation fins or hot areas of the engine to cool them in order to keep the engine within operating temperatures. Air-cooled designs are far simpler than their liquid-cooled counterparts, which require a separate radiator, coolant reservoir, piping and pumps.

An air-cooled engine is a type of IC engine that uses air to remove engine heat and maintain its normal operating temperature, rather than liquid coolant.

An air-cooled engine relies on the natural flow of air to dissipate heat and cool its components during the combustion process. In today’s vehicles, you’re likely to find them in motorcycles, small aircraft, while certain types of industrial equipment make use of an air-cooled engine.

With air-cooled engines, a large fan sits atop the engine block and blows air directly onto the engine itself. Instead of the radiator, fins enabling faster heat dispersal are built directly into the engine head and around the pistons. These pull heat away from the hot components and allow the air coming in from the fan to push it away.

An air-cooled engine uses air circulation to dissipate heat from the combustion process. It features cooling fins on its cylinders and the piston cylinder head’s top to increase the surface area that radiates heat. The cooling fins pull heat from the cylinders and release thermal energy from the engine.