Cooling intake charge with multiple intercoolers

[wannawangan]

Here is the concept summed up in text/graphic:

Air Filter -> 1st I/C -> MAFS/Turbo inlet -> Compressor outlet -> 2nd I/C -> Throttle body/engine

Would this set up cool the incoming charge better than a large, single I/C?

Please assume that you are taking an assumed efficient I/C, split it in 70/30, 60/40 or 50/50 sections and mounting the respective pieces in places where air flow is common place (i.e. vented wheel well, front fascia, hood scoop, etc.)

[DRIFTEADOR]

K.I.S.S.

(keep it simple stupid)

[Structure240sx]

the air coming in through the filter isnt that hot to begin with. the most i think i have noticed is maybe a little over 100 degrees ( havent paid attention to much to it) on maybe an 80 degree day. to even mount an intercooler in a spot to get air flow would create much more space for the air to take up and its not going to cool that much with a 20 degree difference.

[virus77]

your first intercooler is like putting an intercooler on a NA car, more of a restriction in the intake pipe.

[crzycav86]

Yeah, the first intercooler is uncompressed air. Relatively speaking, it's not hot at all. When the air gets compressed after the turbo, it heats up, and the intercooler cools it down.

[WDRacing]

Water injection...Way more efficient.

[Import_Ant]

I for one think you would put your resources to better use improving the efficency of the intercooler and also increasing air flow TO the intake.

item 1 is easy to deal w/ there are nitrous and Co2 kits for intercooler spraying and you can always redirect your rear washer line to spray your intercooler (like I am in the process of doing)

you'll get a better gain if you can get your intake to a place where it draws fresh air from outside the engine bay and in a larger volume than current.

you could:

hack up your hood and add a scoop and some baffles around your intake to make a sort homemade 'ram air' setup.

run some dryer tube from the front bumper cover to the filter and baffle around the filter to deflect the heat and hot air in the engine bay.

my personal favorite, run an intake tube through your bumper or hood and locate the filter outside of the car completely (hahaha)

anyhow we know a shorter path for the air is going to be the least restrictive so it seems like the first idea would be the most efficent. I'm sure there are more ideas but that's all I could come up with. I have been toying with the idea of removing my driver's side head lamp and raising the cover to act as a 'scoop' on track days. I think that will work the best for the minimal gain I am going to experience from it.

[sanioll]

Here is the concept summed up in text/graphic:

Air Filter -> 1st I/C -> MAFS/Turbo inlet -> Compressor outlet -> 2nd I/C -> Throttle body/engine

Would this set up cool the incoming charge better than a large, single I/C?

Please assume that you are taking an assumed efficient I/C, split it in 70/30, 60/40 or 50/50 sections and mounting the respective pieces in places where air flow is common place (i.e. vented wheel well, front fascia, hood scoop, etc.)

Your first intercooler comes right before the MAFS. Yes good idea to cool the charge, before MAFS to fool your ECU.

BUT.

You can avoid 1st intercooler by drawing cold air in the first place. Just create a ram style air system that gets air from outside(below or front)

Problem with 1st intercooler is added restriction, pressure drop, space, and inefficiency.(becuase air sucked in is already cool enough, if drawn from outside.)

Assuming 14.7 atmospheric pressure, and assuming it as a zero at 1 bar of boost, meaning no boost. There is no such thing as pressure drop, but can call it a negative pressure or vacuum. Meaning, a restriction.

So it is a bad idea, but thanks for trying.
Modified by sanioll at 7:45 PM 6/22/2005

[wannawangan]

After thinking it through and doing some sketches of this, it appears that the temperature of the intercooled intake charge through the 1st I/C would not yield a significant temperature drop. Perhaps I can look into this a bit further in the future. Thanks for all of your input and insight.

**David

[sanioll]

After thinking it through and doing some sketches of this, it appears that the temperature of the intercooled intake charge through the 1st I/C would not yield a significant temperature drop.

oh wow, must have been really difficult sketches involving physics. heh.

Just kidding

[wannawangan]

More like thermodynamics.