Been pondering a A2W setup would like to get some feedback from some of the builders on here. Car it will be used on is my 99 WS6. I want the ability to use a ice box for the track and will be looking into the frozen boost kit but I want to modify it with a twist.

I have been thinking I got this pretty Ram Air hood that is not being used anymore. So I came up with a idea. What if I build a box to direct the hood scoops to the turbo inlet, factory box wont work since I already sold it, and its not 5" so I need to build one. That's easy enough with some sheet metal or aluminum. Then I got to thinking about switching to a A2W intercooler as the 3" A2A really is worthless for 1/8 mile racing. Only I still want to be able to drive the car to the track and put some race cars back on trailers, or go out and do a Denmah inspired burnout, Cars shows ect. Problem is a race setup will continue to heat up without a heat exchanger to get rid of the heat. Here is what I came up with.

Incorporating my idea for the new air box I am thinking of putting the air to water heat exchanger in the top of box, similar to where the factory filter is located. This would do two things first on the street Air passing through the heat exchanger on the way to the turbo would cool down the water temperature, granted that air would also heat up hopefully not much. Hopefully this would eliminate the need for a fan. The Heat exchanger shouldn't cause any more resistance than the typical filter, not looking for this to work great, but well enough for the car to be streetable with meth injection. The next purpose (Main Purpose) it would serve would be opposite with Ice in the box at the track the water temp would be lower then atmospheric so it would have a cooling effect on the incoming air, that is already cooler due to being pulled from outside the vehicle vice in the engine bay. This would lead to more dense air being compressed and a higher mass flow rate from the turbo, compressed air would then be passed through the Frozen Boost A2W intercooler and cooled further driving IAT's down further, then it gets some meth on its way to the throttle body to further lower temps and increase octane of 93.

2 goals.
Keep IAT's cool enough to drive on the street with out ICE.
Get colder air to the motor at the track.

Here is a diagram of the Ram Air Box, and a A2W system drawing to give you guys a idea of what I hope to accomplish.

What do you guys think of this? Is it doable, worth it. Have I lost my mind, not worth the time.
[IMG][/IMG]

 

The only isssue I see is the air box becoming a restriction on the inlet side and having an effect on spool and boost at higher RPM. Neat outside the box thinking here.

 

Let the turbo suck in fresh air from the front or side of the car and then run your H/E in the back of the car or up in the front grill. Also, you will want to have a set of bypass valves to eliminate the H/E in the system when you go to the racetrack, running on ice water only.

 

The heat exchanger should flow pretty good, there made similiar to single core radiator so restriction should be very low no more than a air filter anyway. As far as the box its going to be pretty large to prevent restriction, I plan to remove the screens on the scoops to open them up for more air flow.

Thanks never seen anything like this done before and most its going to cost me to attempt it would be the cost of the sheet metal to fabricate the Ram Air Box. I need all the other parts regardless.


More thought

There are a couple of ways I can fight the heat issue on the street. As I think that air coming in the box would heat up through the exchanger and would be compressed and heated more. This effect would most likely continue driving the water temperature up until it boiled/ pressurized and leaked out.

A small fan could be installed and one of the sides be made removable from the ram air box so the fan would pull in cold air from the scoops through the heat exchanger, The turbo would have to pull air from the engine compartment while on the street but really that is what most are doing so it shouldn't be an issue.

Or for the same effect I could install a small fan on the box either on the side or back, and build a cover that slides in between the fan and the box, to prevent hot air from the engine compartment from coming in the box when at the strip.

For sure one of the above methods would make sure that it works well on the street.

The big question is what kind of water temperatures are coming out of the A2W intercooler outlet side? If its colder than ambient I should be able to take advantage of it and run it through the heat exhanger and get some pre-cooling. Essentially the heat exchanger would work as a cooling coil, the same way they work in a air handler in your home.

 

Ive seen this done before and this was my original thought, but if the water coming out of the A2W is still cold why not utilize it. Granted it will melt the ice quicker but I havent seen anyone go home yet with no ice in the box at the end of the night.

I dont really want to hang the turbo that far forward to pull air from the front, it shifts weight more than I want and has longer primaries which will reduce heat and effieciency so.... Plan is to hang the turbo close to the battery area on the inside of the frame and do a 5" down pipe out the front bumper through the old overflow bottle area.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

Why not just stick a large Charge cooler in there and be done with it? When you are part throttle (ie no boost) the Charge cooler will be pulling heat out the water and putting it back through the engine. Asumming you are not road racing or driving hard on the street it should work.

If you are set on being different, how about keeping the A2A (maybe a larger unit) and then running a charge cooler in series. That way you can effectily 'turn on and off' the iced water from the rear. You also keep the advantages of the of the air to air.

Chris.

 

We usually use at least 2 bags every run at the racetrack to keep it consistent, I would think the H/E would only be beneficially on the street to keep IAT's consistent.

You don't have to hang it forward, you can just suck in air from the inner fender area by the battery and just run your down pipe a different way.

 

Not set on being different, just proposing a concept for discussion. My A2A is only 3" inlet outlet. Restriction is why I am switching as I plan to turn it up and upgrade to a billet ETR wheel in the future. IAT is not terrible 130s on 15 psi but I have seen A2W do better on more boost at the same track and day. Mostly wondering how much benefit could be had by precooling the air. I know the frozen boost stuff works well I have seen it first hand.