Some questions about how effectively the intercooler actually cools the air.

1) Has anybody tried mounting a temperature sensor before the intercooler, and then mounting a 2nd temp sensor after the intercooler to see how much it actually cooled the air? What kind of temperature change did you find?

2) Has anybody tried mounting a temperature sensor soon after the turbo, and a 2nd temp sensor right before the throttle body to see how much the whole intercooler system cooled the air? What type of temperature change did you observe?

 

One more question. Has anybody taken one of those infrared laser temperature tools and measured the temp of the intercooler piping on one side of the intercooler, and then again on the other side? Was there a big difference?

Obviously the temperature of the metal tubing does not have to be the same as the temp of the air traveling through it. So this is not the best method, but I doubt anybody has installed temp sensors in the tubing.

 

You are simply trying to test intercooler efficiency. That's why there are different systems, designs and setups rated at different percentages, under different conditions. Typical values would be 65-75%, so just do the math.

Read up on intercooler efficiency. All the probes and sensors you are trying to implement only shows temperature differences on one particular setup. You are better off logging the temperatures in front and behind the intercooler to find out if you are getting proper airflow instead...lol

 

So when you say 65% to 75% efficiency does that mean that the air leaving the intercooler is 25% to 35% cooler than the air entering it?

However, even if you know the efficiency it doesn't tell you the actual temperature of the air traveling through the intercooler itself. That is what I am curious about. I was wondering how much the air is heated by traveling through the compressor portion of the turbo, and how much cooler it gets by the time it enters the throttle body.

 

I think you misread my post... You can't guess your % efficiency...lol

You are supposed to log the temperature data from the turbo outlet to the intake manifold (or TB), and then crunch in the numbers to determine intercooler efficiency...lol All you need is two IAT sensors to perform the test.

What I was simply saying, is that all you are trying to do is determine intercooler efficiency %, and it's a very common test. Probably all the tuners/drag racers/shops/R&D here on this forum have done it a bunch times, and the average number is 65-75% for air-to-air setups.

 

Oh, now I understand what you were saying. So you still want to measure at the turbo and then again at the throttle body.

If the average number is 65-75% then wouldn't the air going into the throttle still be fairly hot? What type of temperatures are typical?

 

that depends upon the turbocharger used at a particular efficiency level and the amount of CFM created by that turbocharger based upon the particular PSI of air is forced for that sized turbocharger. It's not a one-size fits all scenario.

In your case, the air will be Hot to human standards, because the act of converting airflow ingested into the turbocharger into pressurized air creates heat, and the intercooler (technically it really is an aftercooling heat exchanger) is designed to reduce that temperature of that pressurized air that goes into the intake. The intercooler fin design, physical dimensions, and placement all play a role in that reduction (I think this was what you were originally trying to calculate.) But as Tony stated, the only way to measure that specifically is from the turbo outlet to the TB. The 65-75% efficiency on the intercooler is based upon the percentage of the intercooler's capacity to reduce heat. That can only be done on an individual basis of each setup. For most people, these percentages represent a guideline as to when its time to upgrade to a larger, more efficient exchanger

 

they work pretty good dude, just use your hand to feel.

I remember in a 30 degree day touching the before and after pipes, it was a big difference in temperature.

 

I actually kind of assumed that since the turbine half of the turbo was so hot that the compressor half was probably also really hot. So hot that the heat generated by compressing the air would be insignificant in comparison to the heat generated by the air passing through the hot compressor half of the turbo.

Is that true, or is the compressor half of the turbo well insulated from the heat of the turbine half?

Since EGT is what like 1000 degrees F, I assumed that the turbine would be close to that temperature (maybe 800 to 900 degrees?), and the compressor would be a little cooler(maybe 600 or 700 degrees), but still close in temperature.

I wasn't asking for any specific numbers. I was only curious about the general range. Like is the air coming off the turbo 500 to 700 degrees F, or is it much cooler?