Its already feeling like summer time here in AZ and I've found a new inspiration for this because I like to do overly complicated things for little to no reason other than it being fun. Mostly this is just hypothetical conversation and I think it could be applied to not only the intake charge but also the fuel rails for potential detonation protection.
I have a 5 page post about this on another forum, but wanted to take a slightly different approach this time around as I think is more realistic. But first, before I talk about how, let me explain further the 'why'.
1) I like to obsess over small things and cook up overly complicated ways to spend my money.
2) A normal A2A intercooler is rendered largely useless during the summer in this state. Last year we had just over a mere 6" of total rain and the temp was over 100 degrees on 100 different days with thirty of those days over 110 degrees. That is an entire month where the temperature, in the shade, is 110* or higher and a third of the year where the temp is hotter than a lot of other states will see all year round. Just imagine how hot it is over the asphalt where your intercooler lives. To put this into perspective, this state has seen temps approaching 130* and unless you've been in our type of weather, it is difficult to really have respect for how much efficiency it robs from your engine. When your ice cold AC feels like it is burning you by the time it travels from the vent to your face, then perhaps you'll get an idea. Or perhaps when your AC does not get cold until you're already parking your car and walking around with a wet spot on your back is normal.
So there is definitely a 'problem' or 'situation' that may or may not be resolved by this approach I'm suggesting, so lets move on to the 'how'. When I first posted about this for our cars it was 2013 and I had read about people doing this for quite a long time, by no means am I suggesting this as a new idea. My understanding was and still is very limited on how it works but I thought a little conversation would be interesting.
Initially, I had priced out parts for a heat exchanger, evaporator coil etc, but the size of all the parts required for a dedicated system aren't very realistic due to packaging constraints and is the main reason I dropped the idea. Additionally, the first objection people like to present when this idea is suggested is that the continuous cooling capacity of the AC system would need to be tremendous in order to have any chance of actively cooling the intake charge. And based on what I've read, they are completely right which is why every approach I've seen simply cools a 1-3 gallon circuit of water or coolant in no/low boost situations and uses that bank of energy to keep the intake charge cooler or near ambient for several seconds, long enough to make a pass or highway pull. Since the AC compressor disengages during WOT, the water quickly becomes heat saturated so this only works for short durations. After which, you'd hot lap your car for a bit with the AC compressor engaged and cool the water circuit down again for another run. Basically the same as the icebox concept but with the AC instead. If a water/coolant reservoir is used, it could technically double as an A2W ice tank setup as well.
To fix the packaging problem, or at least part of it, it is going to be necessary to eliminate the idea that a separate water pump and heat exchanging circuit be used. And if possible, utilize a re-routed factory heater core. By leaving the AC on with the heat turned all the way up, the AC fan will blow air over the evaporator creating cold air which will then pass over the heater core. I have not determined if our cars will actually allow this to happen and if not, what kind of electronic changes would be necessary. But normally, this would be the same as trying to cool the engine coolant with the air conditioning. However if the heater core was routed to the A2W intercooler and any associated water reservoir, the air conditioning would no longer be cooling the engine coolant but the A2W circuit instead. A water pump may still be needed to circulate the heater core/A2W circuit but that shouldn't be too difficult.
This is assuming that our HVAC system is designed in this same fashion. Routing the lines for the heater core away from the engine coolant radiator, toward the A2W intercooling circuit means that the car would not have any heater functions, unless a three way valve of some kind was installed.
At this point, i'm curious if our HVAC system is setup like the image above, and if setting the temps to hot with the AC engaged is possible. Lastly, what the fluid capacity of the factory heat exchange circuit is and what kind of plumbing would be required to reroute the lines to a suitable place where there may be enough room to squeeze in a bullet/barrel style A2W intercooler in place of a chargepipe. A BOV would need installed onto the elbow of the turn into the throttle body or prior to the A2W cooler:
The downside to all of this if it works, is that while activated you'll have air of varying temps blowing into the cabin potentially causing the cabin to be uncomfortably warm. Also, you lose the heater function which shouldn't be a problem for three out of four seasons and if engine coolant is used in the A2W circuit, a three way valve of some kind may solve most or all of that problem. The last problem and perhaps one of the biggest is the pressure drop you'll see from running two intercoolers inline.
The other thing I read about is the concept of cooling the fuel rail, what kind of benefits could that present if any?
I have a 5 page post about this on another forum, but wanted to take a slightly different approach this time around as I think is more realistic. But first, before I talk about how, let me explain further the 'why'.
1) I like to obsess over small things and cook up overly complicated ways to spend my money.
2) A normal A2A intercooler is rendered largely useless during the summer in this state. Last year we had just over a mere 6" of total rain and the temp was over 100 degrees on 100 different days with thirty of those days over 110 degrees. That is an entire month where the temperature, in the shade, is 110* or higher and a third of the year where the temp is hotter than a lot of other states will see all year round. Just imagine how hot it is over the asphalt where your intercooler lives. To put this into perspective, this state has seen temps approaching 130* and unless you've been in our type of weather, it is difficult to really have respect for how much efficiency it robs from your engine. When your ice cold AC feels like it is burning you by the time it travels from the vent to your face, then perhaps you'll get an idea. Or perhaps when your AC does not get cold until you're already parking your car and walking around with a wet spot on your back is normal.
So there is definitely a 'problem' or 'situation' that may or may not be resolved by this approach I'm suggesting, so lets move on to the 'how'. When I first posted about this for our cars it was 2013 and I had read about people doing this for quite a long time, by no means am I suggesting this as a new idea. My understanding was and still is very limited on how it works but I thought a little conversation would be interesting.
Initially, I had priced out parts for a heat exchanger, evaporator coil etc, but the size of all the parts required for a dedicated system aren't very realistic due to packaging constraints and is the main reason I dropped the idea. Additionally, the first objection people like to present when this idea is suggested is that the continuous cooling capacity of the AC system would need to be tremendous in order to have any chance of actively cooling the intake charge. And based on what I've read, they are completely right which is why every approach I've seen simply cools a 1-3 gallon circuit of water or coolant in no/low boost situations and uses that bank of energy to keep the intake charge cooler or near ambient for several seconds, long enough to make a pass or highway pull. Since the AC compressor disengages during WOT, the water quickly becomes heat saturated so this only works for short durations. After which, you'd hot lap your car for a bit with the AC compressor engaged and cool the water circuit down again for another run. Basically the same as the icebox concept but with the AC instead. If a water/coolant reservoir is used, it could technically double as an A2W ice tank setup as well.
To fix the packaging problem, or at least part of it, it is going to be necessary to eliminate the idea that a separate water pump and heat exchanging circuit be used. And if possible, utilize a re-routed factory heater core. By leaving the AC on with the heat turned all the way up, the AC fan will blow air over the evaporator creating cold air which will then pass over the heater core. I have not determined if our cars will actually allow this to happen and if not, what kind of electronic changes would be necessary. But normally, this would be the same as trying to cool the engine coolant with the air conditioning. However if the heater core was routed to the A2W intercooler and any associated water reservoir, the air conditioning would no longer be cooling the engine coolant but the A2W circuit instead. A water pump may still be needed to circulate the heater core/A2W circuit but that shouldn't be too difficult.
This is assuming that our HVAC system is designed in this same fashion. Routing the lines for the heater core away from the engine coolant radiator, toward the A2W intercooling circuit means that the car would not have any heater functions, unless a three way valve of some kind was installed.
At this point, i'm curious if our HVAC system is setup like the image above, and if setting the temps to hot with the AC engaged is possible. Lastly, what the fluid capacity of the factory heat exchange circuit is and what kind of plumbing would be required to reroute the lines to a suitable place where there may be enough room to squeeze in a bullet/barrel style A2W intercooler in place of a chargepipe. A BOV would need installed onto the elbow of the turn into the throttle body or prior to the A2W cooler:
The downside to all of this if it works, is that while activated you'll have air of varying temps blowing into the cabin potentially causing the cabin to be uncomfortably warm. Also, you lose the heater function which shouldn't be a problem for three out of four seasons and if engine coolant is used in the A2W circuit, a three way valve of some kind may solve most or all of that problem. The last problem and perhaps one of the biggest is the pressure drop you'll see from running two intercoolers inline.
The other thing I read about is the concept of cooling the fuel rail, what kind of benefits could that present if any?
