Air to Water Intercooler using gas?
Thanks merv. I may be a little nuts but I like the idea of using systems or parts for multiple purposes. From a safety standpoint its not the brightest idea but since when is racing or setting speed records safe practices? Warmer fuel with colder inlet temps seems like a good idea to me. Im still on the fence but from what I've learned here and the fact so many people that oppose this idea for the wrong purposes im more likely to do it to see where it goes. On a track day or my salt flats day I may put one of them there fancy tank coolers in the tank to cool the intake temps more. Ill replay on my final decision and put a build up later here so everybody else can decide for themselves if this an extremely bad idea. The merv will have the extinguisher ready for me lol.
Launching!
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 268
Likes: 1
First off a rear turbo is not where to go if you want a good setup in the first place!! But with that they make front mount I/C coolers for that system.
NOTE
Another way to increase the efficiency of your general setup is to improve the pre and post turbo and inter cooler piping. This reduces pumping losses and restriction. A rear mount system has to much piping and bends. And the turbo has to work extremely hard to overcome this. There fore the turbo lacks it potential to build boost correctly. And increases heat. Rear mounts in my view are counter productive.
NOTE
Another way to increase the efficiency of your general setup is to improve the pre and post turbo and inter cooler piping. This reduces pumping losses and restriction. A rear mount system has to much piping and bends. And the turbo has to work extremely hard to overcome this. There fore the turbo lacks it potential to build boost correctly. And increases heat. Rear mounts in my view are counter productive.
Last edited by tom falco; Jun 24, 2012 at 08:32 AM.
fuel is heated by your fuel pumps. As it runs through your heat exchanger, it will heat up even more, and be very poor at absorbing heat. you then run it into the engine bay where the fuel absorbs more heat, and you will run into vapor lock. The fuel boils, and will make the car stall. Boosted cars will break during lean conditions, so this is a HUGE red flag. People just running a large fuel pump can overheat the fuel very quickly, just ask around in the fueling section. also, there are GALLONS of water to effectively fill the heat exchanger. theres no way you will have enough fuel volume to accomplish this. The system would be massively complex with additional fuel pumps and fuel resivoirs to do it properly, and you would still run into vapor lock.
all of this is ignoring the fact that the fuel does not have the heat absorption properties that water does. Boiling point of fuel can be as low as 100 degrees.
all of this is ignoring the fact that the fuel does not have the heat absorption properties that water does. Boiling point of fuel can be as low as 100 degrees.
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 323
Likes: 0
From: ny
at 8psi your talking about a .2-.4 psi drop on a air to air intercooler i know your going for something different but like a previous post said dont try and reinvent the wheel. also is your entire exhaust system wrapped to the rear mount? cause that will make up any loss youd lose buy adding that intercooler.
look at it this way, the Saturn V rockets and the Space Shuttles liquid engines both used its fuel to cool down the engines. giant turbochargers were used to pump the fuel like they are used on cars to pump air.
the feasible way to use the fuel to cool the intake tract would be a standard A2W system modded to accept the high pressure fuel. it would work and probably work well as itd be lighter than a whole A2W setup. it would help also by slightly heating the fuel thus making it more easily atomized. i think you should go for it =). leak test EVERYTHING twice and then check again before starting.
the feasible way to use the fuel to cool the intake tract would be a standard A2W system modded to accept the high pressure fuel. it would work and probably work well as itd be lighter than a whole A2W setup. it would help also by slightly heating the fuel thus making it more easily atomized. i think you should go for it =). leak test EVERYTHING twice and then check again before starting.
FormerVendor
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,444
Likes: 2
From: WWW.SPEEDINC.COM
You wouldn't flow nearly enough fuel for this to work.
Not only that but you would need to regulate it before the intercooler so the fuel was returned to the tank before it was heated up by the intercooler.
Even at max fuel flow at WOT you would have to burn through all of the hot fuel in the intercooler before it even started to see ambient fuel from the tank. What would the intercooler itself hold, half gallon?
In the end I think the only thing you would accomplish is heating the hell out of the fuel and nothing else.
Not only that but you would need to regulate it before the intercooler so the fuel was returned to the tank before it was heated up by the intercooler.
Even at max fuel flow at WOT you would have to burn through all of the hot fuel in the intercooler before it even started to see ambient fuel from the tank. What would the intercooler itself hold, half gallon?
In the end I think the only thing you would accomplish is heating the hell out of the fuel and nothing else.
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