how crazy is the refridgerator intercooler idea
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single digit dreamer
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From: omaha ne
how crazy is the refridgerator intercooler idea ford did something like this on a lightning concept truck, seems like a company does it for the turbo buick guys too.
for those of us with a air-water intercooler set up and complete air conditioner set ups it seems like it wouldn't be that hard to set up.
the idea is use your ac to cool a reserve of water. when a certain boost presure is reached you would allow the cold fluid to flow thru the intercooler and have an air charge that is cooler than it would be with just running ambient temp water running thru there. the outside ac radiator is prety big and looks like it would transfer alot of heat. you would have to shut off the air when you floored it and you would probably only be able to have a 20-60sec reserve of fluid but that is a prety long time, i never floor it for more than 15sec's or so.
if you had a pump that flowed 6gal/min(is that about right?) you would need a 3 gallon reserve for a 30sec blast. i suppose for an all out track car it wouldn't make sence, be better to run good gas and drop as much weight as you can but for a street car seems like an idea to consider.
for those of us with a air-water intercooler set up and complete air conditioner set ups it seems like it wouldn't be that hard to set up.
the idea is use your ac to cool a reserve of water. when a certain boost presure is reached you would allow the cold fluid to flow thru the intercooler and have an air charge that is cooler than it would be with just running ambient temp water running thru there. the outside ac radiator is prety big and looks like it would transfer alot of heat. you would have to shut off the air when you floored it and you would probably only be able to have a 20-60sec reserve of fluid but that is a prety long time, i never floor it for more than 15sec's or so.
if you had a pump that flowed 6gal/min(is that about right?) you would need a 3 gallon reserve for a 30sec blast. i suppose for an all out track car it wouldn't make sence, be better to run good gas and drop as much weight as you can but for a street car seems like an idea to consider.
or you use salt water and run a cryo kit through the reservoir.. chill the water to SUB freezing temperatures immediately before you run into a foe on the street and smoke him... prolly work for the track too 
heck you could have it trigger 'on' whenever the temp rises above a desired maximum. hmm ahh .. eehh yea!
heck you could have it trigger 'on' whenever the temp rises above a desired maximum. hmm ahh .. eehh yea!
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From: Mefis
How much power does it take to run the A/C compressor? It might be prohibitive to be turning the A/C compressor while at full tilt. I dont know, it might be just something to take into consideration.
What about running a heat exchanger inside a little freezer powered by an inverter through your cigar lighter? you could tell people it is there to keep your drinks cold.
What about running a heat exchanger inside a little freezer powered by an inverter through your cigar lighter? you could tell people it is there to keep your drinks cold.
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From: memphis tn
Using the A/C compressor to chill the water in a air to water system is done by chilling the coolant in a holding tank and circulating the chilled water on demand when boost is detected.From what I can find out about the Lightning prototype is that the chilled water is available for a burst of accelaration then has to chill the holding tank for the next burst.Of course if the chilling of the intercooler lasts 13 sec that would be plenty.
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From: Mefis
OK, I stand corrected on that full throttle A/C operation.
So then would you then stick the evaporator in a liquid tank and use a pump to circulate the cooled liquid to the Water/Air Intercooler. Sounds simple and effective enough. Just gotta insulate the lines going from the resevoir tank to the intercooler.
Go For It
So then would you then stick the evaporator in a liquid tank and use a pump to circulate the cooled liquid to the Water/Air Intercooler. Sounds simple and effective enough. Just gotta insulate the lines going from the resevoir tank to the intercooler.
Go For It
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single digit dreamer
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From: omaha ne
Originally Posted by 2002-4.8
OK, I stand corrected on that full throttle A/C operation.
So then would you then stick the evaporator in a liquid tank and use a pump to circulate the cooled liquid to the Water/Air Intercooler. Sounds simple and effective enough. Just gotta insulate the lines going from the resevoir tank to the intercooler.
Go For It
So then would you then stick the evaporator in a liquid tank and use a pump to circulate the cooled liquid to the Water/Air Intercooler. Sounds simple and effective enough. Just gotta insulate the lines going from the resevoir tank to the intercooler.
Go For It
couple of questions i have for this set up. can you submerge the evaporator in a liquid and still have it work? probably have to be antifreze, thinking about leting the pump run all the time but have it divert past the intercooler right at the last second, then you would just open the valve and let it rip thru the intercooler. that way the cold liquid would be right at the intercooler where you needed it and it would be more of an equal temp thru out the system.
other question is could you run it and your ac, seems like it would work as long as just one or the other was on with a diverter valve for the freon, send it to the one in the liquid or the one in the truck. i think both returns could just y together.
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From: memphis tn
I don't see any difference in running the cooler and A/C,than running a front and rear A/C unit on an SUV.I think the prototype Lightning system circulates coolant like a normal air to water intercooler with an extra chilled holding tank just before the intercooler so only that coolant is chilled and only supplied on demand so not all the coolant is chilled just a small amount.
Last edited by whitt1; Jan 25, 2004 at 08:47 PM.
I used to think about something like this when I fist got my Vortech kit. My thought was to use the Vortech system and have it set up like stock, but have a y going into the aftercoolering and a y comming out of it. You could set it up like a nitrous system with a WOT swich and 4 noids. When you hit wot the two noids before and after the y's could close and the other two could open allowing the cold water to flow. When you let off they could close and the other two could open back up allowing you to run cool water.
I don't know if this would work, but its just an idea I came up with. I have no idea how to set up the ac system so that you would have cold freon running through the system without having the air on inside the car. If the idea worked, I would be afraid of the noids sticking like on a nitrous system. "not sure if its likely". Maybe you could use a temp guage with a warning light. If the noids stuck closed the air temp would rise and the light would let you know so you don't stay in it.
I gave up on the idea thinking the extra weight wouldn't be worth the hp. Someone tell me if this idea is BS.
I don't know if this would work, but its just an idea I came up with. I have no idea how to set up the ac system so that you would have cold freon running through the system without having the air on inside the car. If the idea worked, I would be afraid of the noids sticking like on a nitrous system. "not sure if its likely". Maybe you could use a temp guage with a warning light. If the noids stuck closed the air temp would rise and the light would let you know so you don't stay in it.
I gave up on the idea thinking the extra weight wouldn't be worth the hp. Someone tell me if this idea is BS.
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From: memphis tn
The idea will work I'm just afraid of not having the time,knowledge and resourses to see a project as complacated as that through.All it would take is a temperture switch to arm the system when the holding tank is chilled,a boost sensing switch to deploy the chilled coolant directly into the intercooler and a way reduce the boost when the system is not fully functional.I think an automobile manufacturer or large automotive aftermarket company could easily do it,but it would be tough for an individual to do.
