The House Doctor

Topic for discussion- Intercoolers

Mike Nel
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Topic for discussion- Intercoolers

#1

Post by Mike Nel »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5cULBiy2bU

I follow him for some reason. But watch the short video and have your say. Does he have a point or not about the intercoolers?
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#2

Post by mplester »

No. Airflow underbonnet is designed to flow under the vehicle. If not you would have an air dam with or without an intercooler.. Also if the air flow came from below the cooler it would be hotter than ambient air going the other way as is currently the case. There is also a priblem with air flow efficiency when people fit a bonnet protective device, but that is a topic on its own.

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#3

Post by HenriSteyn »

I owned a Mitsu Colt that I had a 3.2 DID conversion done by Arnold Venter of then CRD.

He mounted the intercooler on top of the engine and fitted this moerse scoop on the bonnet. To get it all to fit the whole body had to be raised.

I argued this very point. To my mind the scoop did nothing as there is almost a vacuum at that point on the bonnet. He said to mount it below the radiator there would be too much heat off the tar......

With air flowing out from the engine bay underneath the car I recon the intercooler got no air flow at all through it.

Maybe wrong I dont know.

Anyway it was a fun bakkie to have owned.

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#4

Post by KurtG »

Then why are all the 3.2 intercoolers on Pajero’s mounted underneath the front bumper ?
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#5

Post by Mike Nel »

KurtG wrote:
Thu Feb 06, 2020 2:02 pm
Then why are all the 3.2 intercoolers on Pajero’s mounted underneath the front bumper ?
I believe the intercoolers on the Ford Ranger and Mazda BT 50 are also behind the front bumper
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#6

Post by Ricof4e »

I think he talks kak as usual. If you look at airflow charts, the air is less denser on top of the bonnet, but it is accelerated. An intercooler on top of an engine is sealed tightly against the bonnet - thus the air pressure inside the engine is irrelevant.
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#7

Post by BushWacker »

The oncoming air to a moving vehicle
moves into the front grill , over , under and to either side ...
air flow under the vehicle exerts a venturi effect pulling air in the engine bay down
and away under the car ... air flow into the grill
and via the fan also naturally exerts some positive flow pressure into the bay.

So no ASPW is wrong.

PS its better to have the intercooler upright
at the front as for the radiator...
as Land Rover do even though its easier to
emplace an intercooler on top access it but
at low speeds theres little intercooling when
it could be very useful ...
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Mad Manny
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#8

Post by Mad Manny »

Just do this...

Image
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#9

Post by Mad Manny »

ASPW is, obviously referring to Top Mount Intercoolers.
Manufacturers try, if possible, to fit Front Mount Intercoolers.

The KB280DT Isuzu had no intercooler.
When they bored & stroked it to a 3.0, they added a top mount intercooler & a bonnet scoop.
Then with the Dmax shape, same engine, but in the new body, the intercooler moved to the front.
In the KB5 D-Teq, they mounted the Intercooler on top again & added the bonnet scoop.
In the current shape (KB6/D-Max) its back in front.

Seems even the worlds biggest & best Diesel Engine Manufacturer is unsure.

But they always have the scoop blowing in into the intercooler...

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#10

Post by grips »

There is only one way to know and that is to measure.
Will hook my temp probes and hot wire anemometer before and after the intercooler.
Test to be run on top and front mount intercoolers.
To measure is to know. :lol:

Just give a gap till the week end.
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#11

Post by BushWacker »


I think in terms of the radiator in front and behind temps don't
reflect the full story as its a heat exchanger so rate of flow of water, temp in, external temp
residence time etc all pertinent .,.
same for intercooler ...
EGT and ‘Inlet air temp’ would permit better
consideration net assessment ...

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#12

Post by Mad Manny »

Your post makes no sense Chas.
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#13

Post by grips »

BushWacker wrote:I think in terms of the radiator in front and behind temps don't
reflect the full story as its a heat exchanger so rate of flow of water, temp in, external temp
residence time etc all pertinent .,.
same for intercooler ...
EGT and ‘Inlet air temp’ would permit better
consideration net assessment ...


But this thread is about airflow through intercoolers.

EGT is more related to Air fuel ratios. Direct and indirect injection.
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#14

Post by mplester »

grips wrote:There is only one way to know and that is to measure.
Will hook my temp probes and hot wire anemometer before and after the intercooler.
Test to be run on top and front mount intercoolers.
To measure is to know. Image

Just give a gap till the week end.
Have done this test, measuring temperature, pressure and air flow. The temperature drop through the intercooler unit is greater with the cooler mounted in front of the rad. This is due to flow rate obtained as well as a lower temperature rate behind the cooler. When mounted on top the engine temperature gives a lot of heat. These tempertures were measured in front of grill, 20mm above cooler and 20mm below. Air intake before and after cooler was also tested. The fitting of a bonnet protector was found to cause more harm than good due to air disturbance. Test were done at 60km/h, 120km/h and full speed. This were done in ambient temperature between 35 and 40deg.
As a manufaturer one also looks at towing ability and capacity and specifications have to be adhered to when conducting such tests.

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#15

Post by BushWacker »

My thinking is :
air is compressed in the turbocharger but is also thereby heated by the compression so it needs be intercooled to deliver cooler, denser, more oxygen-rich feed via the inlet manifold to the engine so that get more efficient combustion... ie will get same or better power generation and at lower egt.
Intercooler is a heat exchanger so need to:

consider outside temp of air before and after
the intercooler AND then also the turbo air into and out from the intercooler to the engine

so temps and vols and then density of engine feed reflect the effectiveness of the intercooling. That in turn affects the engine burn efficiency and exhaust gas pushed out to in turn drive the turbo etc so a very dynamic system.

Thats how I see it ... maybe Not the right perspective ?
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