What is the radiator on a diesel generator? What is it for? how does it work?

What is the radiator on a diesel generator? What is it for?

The radiator on a diesel generator is the part that transfers the heat from the engine coolant to the surrounding air. When working correctly, this process keeps the engine from overheating.

How does a radiator on an engine work?

The radiator has fins and pipes. The engine coolant is pumped though the pipes by the engines coolant pump. This coolant is hot, having come from the engine and as it passes through the radiator pipes, the heat transfers to the fins.

The radiator will have a fan which rotates, either driven by electric motors or from the engines crank shaft by a series of pulleys and belts. This fan blows cool ambient air through the radiator fins. The heat at the fins is transferred to the cool air, heating it up, taking the the heat away from the engine. The coolant, not cooled by this airflow returns to the engine and the process repeats.