What Is An Intercooler:
If you are a car enthusiast and own a turbo charged car then you should know that what actually an intercooler is,its purpose and how does it work??If somehow you happen to be one of those lucky chaps who possess these cars but unfortunate enough not to know what an intercooler is because all the headache of mantaining your car is done by your car mechanic and what you do is that you empty your wallet in front of him as an end user.Then still there is nothing to worry about because after reading this article you will be knowledgeable enough to know the basics of the car intercoolers. An intercooler is somewhat similar to a car radiator but it is specific to a turbocharged and supercharged cars.They can be fitted to both petrol or diesel car.They are also known as charge coolers.The purpose behind its installation in a turbo charged car is to reduce or lower the temperature of the air going into the car engine.
How Does An Intercooler Work?
As said above,it is by its working nature nearer to a car radiator.When the heated air contacts with intercooler it passes through intercooler's vanes where the air is cooled down by the external air passing through the vanes.In simpler words an intercooler uses external cold air to lower the temperature of internal hot air.Simple physics seems to operate here where the hot internal air tends to loose its heat by trying to make the cold external air warm thus loosing its heat and becoming cold enough to boost the horsepower of your car.
Where An Intercooler Is Installed?
Intercoolers are installed right behind the front bumper so that it continously comes in contact with the external cold air.
Why Does A Turbo Car Need An Intercooler?
Turbochargers compress the air which is being fed to the engine.And if you are or have been a good student of science then you must know that compressed air has got higher temprature than air at a normal pressure and ofcourse less oxygen than cool air.Oxygen,which is essential to burn the fuel.so if you install a turbocharger without intercooler as its remedy than it would have serious implications on your horsepower.I guess this makes sense.
How To Measure The Effectiveness Of An Intercooler?
If logical measurement of the effectiveness of an intercooler is not so difficult.The important thing is to identify what to measure?The answer is simple.The core purpose of an intercooler is to cool the air therefore its effectiveness can be measured by observing to what extent it has lowered the temperature of the air which was compressed by the turbochargers.
For Example:
If the temperature of compressed air from turbocharger is 50'c and after passing through an intercooler its 40'c then its effeciency would be(note:10'c fall in temperature)
10/50 * 100=20% effeciency.
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