Would this work to cool an intercooler?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2002
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From: Sligo PA
Would this work to cool an intercooler?
I had an idea and figured I would post it here to get some feedback. Most people have heard about people spraying nitrous oxide on an intercooler to cool down the air charge. Instead of using nitrous could you spray liquid CO2 over the intercooler? Basicly creating a sheet of dry ice on the intercooler. It would need to be stored in a nitrous style bottle because you need the tube in the bottle. I know that CO2 is way colder then nitrous and is much cheaper. I could get a NOS brand bottle filled with CO2 for about $15. Would this idea work? Can you see any problems? Could you use a bottle heater to raise CO2 psi like you can with nitrous?
This is just a thought. Figured it would be fun to talk about.
This is just a thought. Figured it would be fun to talk about.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,952
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From: Little Rock Arkansas
Re: Would this work to cool an intercooler? (Phobos84)
It does...Some of the big power import guys are doing this. They would rather put the nitrous IN the car instead of spraying it ACROSS the car so they use CO2... A friend of mine that has a 9 second AWD Ichipussi (that's Mitsubishi, excuse me) fogs his intercooler with CO2, it's good for an additional 50whp. Someone is also making a billet fuel rail (NX maybe?) that has an oriface for either N2O or CO2 to use as a fuel cooler (kinda like a cool can but inline with the fuel in the rail).
-Jeb Burnett
-Jeb Burnett
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 1999
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From: Windermere FL
Re: Would this work to cool an intercooler? (Phobos84)
I suppose it would work, but it sounds sort of expensive, not only to setup but to keep filling those bottles.
I would think that if you wanted to do this 'for special occassions', like drags or other races, that it would be cheaper to put some ice on it. Sort of like what the old racers used to do with ice on the intake ducts.
But if you are really wanted to do something hi-tech, some sort of fans or perhaps duct work would be cheaper to install and more cost effective to operate.
I would think that if you wanted to do this 'for special occassions', like drags or other races, that it would be cheaper to put some ice on it. Sort of like what the old racers used to do with ice on the intake ducts.
But if you are really wanted to do something hi-tech, some sort of fans or perhaps duct work would be cheaper to install and more cost effective to operate.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2002
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From: Sligo PA
Re: Would this work to cool an intercooler? (Flame Red)
This would only be used on a track when I really want to beat on it. The reason the thought had crossed my mind is because I have a bunch of old NOS brand stuff laying around and am thinking about building a blower engine in the future. I can also get the CO2 cheap. So for me it wouldn't cost that much.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Arvada CO
Re: Would this work to cool an intercooler? (Phobos84)
I say do it and let us know what happens!
But I just put ice on my intercoolers and I have also seen guys spray fire extinguishers on their intercoolers?
But I just put ice on my intercoolers and I have also seen guys spray fire extinguishers on their intercoolers?
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 1999
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St. Jude Donor '10
Re: Would this work to cool an intercooler? (krivera)
that would be a killer advantage in a street race. :yesnod: arm it like a normal full throttle N20 switch, so it sprays when the pedal is on the floor :reddevil
[Modified by SurfnSun, 5:08 PM 4/8/2003]
[Modified by SurfnSun, 5:08 PM 4/8/2003]
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 1999
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Re: Would this work to cool an intercooler?
There was a firebird set up for the salt flats that they used a CO2 system on it to cool in intake air. I do believe this engine was N/A. The firebird had 3 bottles in the rear. This should work, and work good.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2002
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From: Sligo PA
Re: Would this work to cool an intercooler? (bill mcdonald)
Well when I build it I might try it. If it dosn't work very well I'm not really out anything. Like I said I have all the stuff laying arround and I could get the bottle filled cheap.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 2,872
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From: Wilmington NC
Re: Would this work to cool an intercooler? (Phobos84)
a word of caution here.... ice can act as an insulator as well, i don't htink it would be too much of a problem here in this scenario, but if you completely iced the intercooler and the heat transfer level gets reduces by the outer shell of ice keeping the heat in the intercooler it may backfire on you, more research would be needed to back any of this in this situation, but if i were going to use it i would recommend a small steady spray rather then one big dump when using the CO2 to drop your outlet temps. a slight spray of the cold CO2 charge will work excellent as long as you give it the opportunity to boil taking along with it the heat being produced from the boosted air charge. the boiling effect is the key to heat removal! let us know how it turns out!
chris
chris
Drifting
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From: providence ut
Re: Would this work to cool an intercooler? (lcvette)
when I was in nam we had the great idea of cooling beer with co2 in a duffel bag and after three fire extinguishers the beer was still warm............so it going to take alot of co2 on a hot day. :cheers:
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2002
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From: Sligo PA
Re: Would this work to cool an intercooler? (lead foot 85 vet)
when I was in nam we had the great idea of cooling beer with co2 in a duffel bag and after three fire extinguishers the beer was still warm............so it going to take alot of co2 on a hot day. :cheers:
Well I guess when I go to build it I'll try but this isn't going to be for a while yet. I was thinking about putting a thermometer in the air duct after the intercooler and see what it says. Thats how I will prove if it works or not.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 1999
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Re: Would this work to cool an intercooler? (Phobos84)
I was thinking about putting a thermometer in the air duct after the intercooler and see what it says. Thats how I will prove if it works or not.
Make a run with out the CO2 and notice the difference of temps.
then do a run with the CO2 and see how much the after temp has dropped.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2002
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From: Sligo PA
Re: Would this work to cool an intercooler? (bill mcdonald)
Wow after doing a little research it turns out I was wrong. The boil point of CO2 is -109 F and boil point of nitrous oxide is -129 F. So spraying nitrous over it would be a little cooler. We are talking about only a 20 degree difference but I thought CO2 would be way colder. Ah well I can still get it for way less then the cost of N2O.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2000
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From: Chandler AZ
Re: Would this work to cool an intercooler? (Phobos84)
If you're going to all that trouble to mount and plumb the tank, ya may as well just fill it with nitrous and directly "cool" the air charge; and maybe spray in a bit more fuel.
Why spray nitrous on the outside of the intercooler; when it will make much more power spraying it on the inside....
Why spray nitrous on the outside of the intercooler; when it will make much more power spraying it on the inside....
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 1,952
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From: Little Rock Arkansas
Re: Would this work to cool an intercooler? (gcrouse)
That is correct...CO2 is NOT as cool or dense as N2O...But it is a helluva lot cheaper and -110 on the intercooler WILL get the job done with out sacrificing the giggle gas you should be putting IN the motor!
On a related note I own and run Deep Freeze Cryogenics... We specialize in deep cryogenic processing of motorsports components, firearms, and industrial tooling. We use liquid and gaseous nitrogen in our processing...It's -320F...Talk about cold. In reference to the "beer cooler" mentioned above; I built a small stainless steel box just big enough to hold a 6 of longnecks...It attaches to the exhaust vent on the cryo processor...It will cool a 6-pack of beer to freezing temps in less than two minutes, just from the exhaust! Yeah...We have a pretty good time around here! :cheers:
-Jeb Burnett
On a related note I own and run Deep Freeze Cryogenics... We specialize in deep cryogenic processing of motorsports components, firearms, and industrial tooling. We use liquid and gaseous nitrogen in our processing...It's -320F...Talk about cold. In reference to the "beer cooler" mentioned above; I built a small stainless steel box just big enough to hold a 6 of longnecks...It attaches to the exhaust vent on the cryo processor...It will cool a 6-pack of beer to freezing temps in less than two minutes, just from the exhaust! Yeah...We have a pretty good time around here! :cheers:
-Jeb Burnett
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: Lakeland fl
Re: Would this work to cool an intercooler? (jburnett)
i just read in Hot Rod, that the future Ford Lightening will use it air conditioning system to cool the charge. It may be a Ford, but I thought it was innovative. They said Ford claims it to be worth 50 HP in short bursts. It doenst say too much more about it though.
