Can anyone please explain how a air to water intercooler work? Does the air flow through open water? Or does the air flow around coils that have water flowing threw them? Both? Neither? Details? Thanks!!

 

the air to water cooler is basicly an enclosed radiator. the water flows through the "radiator" while the air flows through the enclosure & the out side of the cooler. the water & air donot make contact.

 

think of it as a dual core type cooler. water flows through it in rows beside where air flows also. the systems i have seen use there own source of water/coolant seperate from engine and also have a pump to move the water. im sure others will chime in cause there are probable alot of different setups.

 

There not very common on a street setup! More of a pullin setup!

 

That's why I am studying up on this. I would like to be competitive in pulling

 

how much would the air have to travel through it to work? I am thinking of making one and wanting to know how much it would take to cool it. 1-2 feet 3-4 feet? Any one know how far it needs to travel before it cools down the air?

 

Cummins has one OEM for their stationary engines. THat would be a start and then having a separate water system for circulation.

 

Why not release NO2 on a spray bar in front of the CAC to cool both the CAC and the radiator?

Yes the NO2 will cost money to spray, but the system is simple and cannot add more than 25 pounds of weight to the truck front end.

 

Where could I look this up at? Any cummins part house should have one right? I still want to keep my air2air one in, so I wonder the size of it

 

i've seen one made where he took his OE CAC ad welded a box around it that he could fill with ice water worked good after he put a small pump on it to help even every thing out and with it mounted in front of the truck added good weight

 

I like y'alls ideas!! Keep em comming! Any ideas on how far the air needs to flow to cool? I wonder how far it flows in my factory air2air, just across or a zig zag back and forth?

 

The air flows from one side of the intercooler to the other. No zig zag pattern, just strait across.

Cory

 

The liquid to air square area will be smaller than the air to air. Water will assorb heat thermodynamically better than air, you just have to remove the heat from the water. The system works well, you have less air volume to fill vs an air to air cooler. You also drop the temperature of the incoming air go thru the liquid cooler than air. Most daily drivers don't use them as one the liquid get warm your heat the air up. Thats why racers use dry ice to the supply tanks down to cool the liquid down.

 

ya I thought about the water getting warm in a daily driven system. I would drain the water out untill I need it at the track. That's why I want to keep the stock intercooler as well.

 

how many gallons of water should the system be, to be able to cool things off well enough?