Intercooler on N/A motor

[RonJon]

Hey just out of curiosity, do you think any extra power could be had from using an intercooler with a naturaly asperated motor?

Has anyone ever tried this?

I've seen intercoolers alone add 30+ hp to already-supercharged motors, but about N/A???

My 15F always pulls an extra bar of rpm on cool days.

Anybody got a spare I/C??? I'll be glad to experiment on my ski ...Seriously

[purpledrillmonkey]

In theory, yes. In practice, i seriously doubt it. I think the additional restriction of the intercooler would out weigh any potential gains.

Convective heat transfer rates are proportional to the temperature difference between the two mediums, in this case, the intake air and the intercooler - without the large heat difference between charged air and the intercooler medium, heat transfer would be slow if not almost nonexistant. Additionally, supercharged air is forced into the engine at higher pressures and velocities which also aids heat transfer by inducing considerably more forced convection than in a NA set up.

Just my 2 cents

[smokeysevin]

you would probably slow down because of the weight of the intercooler full of water. but try it, It cant hurt anything

Sean

[RonJon]

I agree about air restriction and all that, I'm thinking a very free-flowing i/c. If anyone has one they want to sell let me know.

What about somehow watercooling the intake manifold?

Mine gets fairly hot... maybe ~110-120* Thats gotta be affecting the intake air density. now imagine a waterjacketed manifold.

Thoughts???

[smokeysevin]

run the heat calculations based on time the air spends inside the intake and how much of a temperature difference there is. it wouldnt be hard to do, i dont know where you are located but the water in the lake im near is 93 degrees, so it wouldnt make that much of a difference for me.

Sean

[JET250]

I think at wot you will affect the volume of air you have flowing into the engine and that will offset the temp gain no ic is very free flowing with out something pushing it in. where is that jw when you need some good science.

[DrewNJ]

the main thing to remember is forced induction vs. vaccuum. Pressure=heat, more pressure, more heat. Not so much with vaccuum.

[ChargedTaco]

the main thing to remember is forced induction vs. vaccuum. Pressure=heat, more pressure, more heat. Not so much with vaccuum.

+1...Heat transfer will be minimum with the intake temperatures on a NA motor. Boosted intake air temps are hotter due to compression from the supercharger. The small temperature gradient and the fast moving air through the intercooler will do nothing for an NA engine. Save your money on something else.

[JET250]

+1...Heat transfer will be minimum with the intake temperatures on a NA motor. Boosted intake air temps are hotter due to compression from the supercharger. The small temperature gradient and the fast moving air through the intercooler will do nothing for an NA engine. Save your money on something else.

love your avatar.

[Vern]

+1...Heat transfer will be minimum with the intake temperatures on a NA motor. Boosted intake air temps are hotter due to compression from the supercharger. The small temperature gradient and the fast moving air through the intercooler will do nothing for an NA engine. Save your money on something else.

+2 Intake temps at the throttle body are ambient - current outside air temp IF the hull/air intake 'breathes' well. The BEST thing to try is to make an air intake that is really big and grabs ONLY outside air ... about the only time an intercooler would help a NA motor is if the air temp is high and the water temp is a lot lower, at least 20++ degrees difference. If air and water temps are within 10 degrees there would be no gain.

A long time ago Gale Banks Engineering DID put a big air to water intercooler on a NA motor they built and did gain HP ... but it was a big motor and an unusual setup. So IMO, the better choice is a BIG outside air intake.