YACT: Question about turbos and intercoolers

[GasX]

Looking at this picture of a turbo set-up and its plumbing, I couldn't help but wonder how a high level of boost is attained quickly when the increased air pressure created by the turbo has to compress air in the pipe to the intercooler, in the intercooler itself and in the pipe to the intake manifold. That is a large volume of gas to compress!

It seems to me (without accounting for the cooling affect of the intercooler) that the turbo could either generate boost faster or generate more boost if a MUCH shorter pipe went straight from the turbo housing to the intake manifold.

Does the intercooler provide that much benefit such that the larger volume of gas is more than offset?

 

[fs5]

short answer: yes.

 

[Passions]

yes and no.

 

[alkemyst]

the intercooler does cause a pressure loss and lag even, there is a lot of design that goes into picking the right one....many on the street are over-killing with huge intercoolers and causing performance decreases.

However, the intercooler cools the charge which allows for higher and safer boost levels.

Like most things its a trade off.

 

[Templeton]

There will be increased lag with a longer route of pipes and ic, but it's usually not noticible. Compared to the volume of air the turbo is putting out, the volume in the pipes/ic really isn't that much. The intercooler more then makes up for the lag by allowing you to run higher levels of boost.

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: alkemyst
the intercooler does cause a pressure loss and lag even, there is a lot of design that goes into picking the right one....many on the street are over-killing with huge intercoolers and causing performance decreases.

However, the intercooler cools the charge which allows for higher and safer boost levels.

Like most things its a trade off.

I love seeing cars with massive oversize intercoolers on the street. It's like the new IROC...

Sounds like you would want to err on the small side...

 

Sounds like you would want to err on the small side...

Incorrect, look at it this way, when you compress air, it develops heat, this heat can be very detrimental to your engine because it invites spark knock (detonation, pinging), it also dramatically decreases horsepower because hotter air is much less dense than cooler air.

Bolting on a big intercooler will cause a slight lag in boost but it will also drop the temps considerable thus saving your engine from detonation (also you will not be required to back off on ignition timing which reduces horsepower).

The difference is ever so slight in boost lag that it will be barely noticeable.

 

[GasX]

Well, in that case, if and when I get a turbo set-up, I am going to have an intercooler the size of a small mattress bolted onto the hood of the car! 😀

 

That will not work, fresh cool air must be forced through the fins on the cooler to be functional.

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: Roger
That will not work, fresh cool air must be forced through the fins on the cooler to be functional.

Did I mention it was going to be mounted standing up on the hood?

 

Did I mention you will need a periscope to drive the damn thing ?

 

[Quixfire]

As a Big Block Ford owner I am now embarrassed to have an Edelbrock part on my engine. 🙁


But I will say they are some very fine cylinder heads. 😀

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: Roger
Did I mention you will need a periscope to drive the damn thing ?

I am going to installa custom GPS/OnStar system. I will just drive along listening to some sultry vixen telling me to speed up, turn left OMG STOP STOP AAAAGGHGHGHGGHHH!!!!!...

 

[thedarkwolf]

I didn't notice any increase in lag when I installed an intercooler on mine.

 

[GasX]

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
I didn't notice any increase in lag when I installed an intercooler on mine.

but did you notice more vroom?

 

[thedarkwolf]

Yes but I also raised my boost from 12 to 14psi at the sametime. I need more fuel to go any higher.