add a fan to intercooler or a spray kit?
Discussion
just had two ideas which may be daft but.....
is there any benifit in just adding a fan to the standard intercooler and if so would it be best to allow it to be temp controlled by a thermocouple or to let it run permanently via a switched feed?
another thought is has anybody tried a water spray kit? coming from a background of jap cars these are quite popular and i am sure aftermarket install kits are available
any thoughts?
is there any benifit in just adding a fan to the standard intercooler and if so would it be best to allow it to be temp controlled by a thermocouple or to let it run permanently via a switched feed?
another thought is has anybody tried a water spray kit? coming from a background of jap cars these are quite popular and i am sure aftermarket install kits are available
any thoughts?
My aftermarket intercooler has a fan attached - to help alleviate heat soak when stationary in traffic.
No point in having fan running all the time - check out the US forums for same idea on an oil cooler.
Assuming you're thinking of external water sprays as opposed to water injection, IMHO water sprays are pointless unless using iced water on high boost application and standing starts, i.e. 1/4 mile stuff.
No point in having fan running all the time - check out the US forums for same idea on an oil cooler.
Assuming you're thinking of external water sprays as opposed to water injection, IMHO water sprays are pointless unless using iced water on high boost application and standing starts, i.e. 1/4 mile stuff.
Dear All,
You'll find loads of stuff and threads on here and on the USA forum re fans and ICs. The point I keep reminding is that a fan going at full tilt is equivalent to the car moving at 6-8 mph in static air, thats the airflow across the IC that a fan generates. They will claim gzillions of cu ft per minute and those figures seem impressive but actually measuring what they generate with an airflow meter soon puts them into the "intuitively seems reasonable but in reality hardly worth the effort" catergory. Below 6-8 mph the fans will slow (note slow, they will not stop it happening) the rate at which the IC heatsoaks but above 6-8 mph they will start to restrict the airflow over the IC. The degree of restriction is not sufficient to affect the ICs efficiency once you are over 20 mph. So the fans are only ever going to be usefull for slow moving stop start sort of traffic. If you track your car better to leave them off.
Regards
Paul C
You'll find loads of stuff and threads on here and on the USA forum re fans and ICs. The point I keep reminding is that a fan going at full tilt is equivalent to the car moving at 6-8 mph in static air, thats the airflow across the IC that a fan generates. They will claim gzillions of cu ft per minute and those figures seem impressive but actually measuring what they generate with an airflow meter soon puts them into the "intuitively seems reasonable but in reality hardly worth the effort" catergory. Below 6-8 mph the fans will slow (note slow, they will not stop it happening) the rate at which the IC heatsoaks but above 6-8 mph they will start to restrict the airflow over the IC. The degree of restriction is not sufficient to affect the ICs efficiency once you are over 20 mph. So the fans are only ever going to be usefull for slow moving stop start sort of traffic. If you track your car better to leave them off.
Regards
Paul C
sean_goodman said:
just had two ideas which may be daft but.....
is there any benifit in just adding a fan to the standard intercooler and if so would it be best to allow it to be temp controlled by a thermocouple or to let it run permanently via a switched feed?
another thought is has anybody tried a water spray kit? coming from a background of jap cars these are quite popular and i am sure aftermarket install kits are available
any thoughts?
I put a larger (thicker core) intercooler with twin fans on my M400. I work with laminar air flow and air-flow dynamics all day in my work, I came to the same conclusion that Paul has.is there any benifit in just adding a fan to the standard intercooler and if so would it be best to allow it to be temp controlled by a thermocouple or to let it run permanently via a switched feed?
another thought is has anybody tried a water spray kit? coming from a background of jap cars these are quite popular and i am sure aftermarket install kits are available
any thoughts?
The overall area of the fan motors/brackets etc, have a blanking effect over the cooler core (regardless of mounting in front or behind the core) so the best way to get more cooling is to get rid of the fans/brackets etc, thus giving greater unimpeded surface area and then to extend the rear "duct" of the intercooler beyond the rear grille of the car. This in theory is a lower pressure area at speed and therefore will encourage air flow through the core at a greater rate.
I suggest you talk to Adrian as he has probably done a bit of experimentation with this in a wind tunnel.
F.C.
We looked at this issue quite extensively as part of the 'monster build' and came to the conclusion that fans were of limited usage. What I really wanted was a Co2 system, as this can be used to cool the fuel as well, but then you need space for the Co2 bottle.
In the end I have opted for the turbobits IC water spray controller. This works off two temperature controllers to measure the temperature of the air going in and out of the IC. When the temperature reaches the correct point the syem sprays water. Much more sophisticated than a throttle position system and now all I need to do is find space for the reservoir.
See here:
http://www.turbobits.co.uk/acatalog/elabtronics_in...
In the end I have opted for the turbobits IC water spray controller. This works off two temperature controllers to measure the temperature of the air going in and out of the IC. When the temperature reaches the correct point the syem sprays water. Much more sophisticated than a throttle position system and now all I need to do is find space for the reservoir.
See here:
http://www.turbobits.co.uk/acatalog/elabtronics_in...
Biggriff said:
We looked at this issue quite extensively as part of the 'monster build' and came to the conclusion that fans were of limited usage. What I really wanted was a Co2 system, as this can be used to cool the fuel as well, but then you need space for the Co2 bottle.
In the end I have opted for the turbobits IC water spray controller. This works off two temperature controllers to measure the temperature of the air going in and out of the IC. When the temperature reaches the correct point the syem sprays water. Much more sophisticated than a throttle position system and now all I need to do is find space for the reservoir.
See here:
http://www.turbobits.co.uk/acatalog/elabtronics_in...
Richard...what size reservoir are you going for?In the end I have opted for the turbobits IC water spray controller. This works off two temperature controllers to measure the temperature of the air going in and out of the IC. When the temperature reaches the correct point the syem sprays water. Much more sophisticated than a throttle position system and now all I need to do is find space for the reservoir.
See here:
http://www.turbobits.co.uk/acatalog/elabtronics_in...
Martin.
I have the biggest IC we could fit already and the water spray is simply to hold off heat soak for as long as possible.
Not sure on reservoir location or size as that's still tbd.
Any ideas? I thought of inside the rear wings above the fuel pumps but it might have to go somewhere up front.
R
Not sure on reservoir location or size as that's still tbd.
Any ideas? I thought of inside the rear wings above the fuel pumps but it might have to go somewhere up front.
R
sean_goodman said:
is there any benifit in just adding a fan to the standard intercooler and if so would it be best to allow it to be temp controlled by a thermocouple or to let it run permanently via a switched feed?
Replace the standard IC with one from Pro Alloy; it works well enough on a racecar so it's more than good enough for a road car. Don't fit a fan as it inhibits airflow.--
Richard
I recently have build this. After a couple of days I have to say that it looks impressive, but it doesn't work. There is a notable LOSS of power, special at higher revs. Even when the fans are running all the time.
I also feel that the air-conditioning was less cold as usual.
Oh, I have a modified 2.5 Tdci ;-)
Yer fans can actually block air from coming through cleanly if they are running all the time. What you have done here is covered large areas where air should be contacting the intercooler with plastic...
On a side note, I really don't understand fans on intercoolers (i do in principal but not in reality). The only time it will really help is if you are in traffic, I have never been onboost in traffic or in a situation where there hasn't been time for heat soak to leave. It might help you get through the McDonalds drive through 0.004 of a second faster but in reality it's just going to restrict some air flow,, but just my opinion.
On a side note, I really don't understand fans on intercoolers (i do in principal but not in reality). The only time it will really help is if you are in traffic, I have never been onboost in traffic or in a situation where there hasn't been time for heat soak to leave. It might help you get through the McDonalds drive through 0.004 of a second faster but in reality it's just going to restrict some air flow,, but just my opinion.
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