... intercoolers to me?

I'm almost done putting on my Kenne Bell. I know that in the next couple of months KB is coming out with an intercooler. I know that intercoolers cool the air going into the throttle body and that's good. But how do they work? My understanding (please correct if I'm wrong) is that a tube goes from the S/C, blows air through a tube & fin thing similar to a radiator, and then on into the TB. Does an intercooler have water in it or something? I understand water/methanol injection, how does an intercooler differ? I've searched and searched, but I can't find a beginner's explanation which, unfortunately, is what I need...

 

There are two basic types of intercoolers.

First you have air to air intercoolers. These are placed in an area with direct flow of air over it from the vehicle moving. The pressurised air from your blower enters one side and as it crosses through the intercooler it is cooled by air rushing over the intercooler much like a radiator cools the engine coolant. The cooler air then goes out the exit of the intercooler and into the engine.

Then you have air to water intercoolers. This is probably what the KB is gonna use but, I have never seen a concept of it. The air to water works like this. The pressurised air from your blower goes in one side and is blown across a "radiator" inside of the intercooler. This radiator has coolant flowing through it that is pumped to a heat exchanger somewhere in direct airflow from the vehicle moving. The heat from the pressurised air is transferred to the coolant which is pumped to the heat exchanger where air flowing across it pulls the heat outta the coolant. So it's kinda a two step process to get the heat out with this method but, it works well.

Both ways have there good and bad points but, one thing is for sure....ANY intercooling is better than none all else equal.

Hope that helped some.

 

In basic terms, hot compressed air from the compressor blow through an intercooler which is nothing more then a radiator for air. Then ambient air flow across the fins of the intercooler cooling the heated compressed air inside of the intercooler, then the cooler, denser compressed air flows out of the inter cooler into the motor. That is how an air to air intercooler works. An air to water intercooler is a little different as it used water to cool the compressed air much like a normal radiator, only in revers, and then the water is cooled with a conventional radiator. Does any of that make since?

 

Opps, looks like Xlr8nss bet me too it.

 

an intercooler is a heat transfer device, just like air conditioning, radiator, trans cooler excetra, it takes heat from one place and transfers it to another, some use air some use water.

for exapmle if you have a air to water setup you have two raidator like units with water flowing through them, one in the flow of the engines intake air between turbo or s/c and engine and one outside of flow usually in flont of raideator, as the turbo or s/c compresses the air it heats up, the hot air flows across the tubes and fins of the unit in the intake flow and the unit absorbs the heat, cooling the air flow, then the water running through absorbs the heat of the unit and cools the unit, the water then flow to the unit outside the intake flow and runs through it heating that unit up and cooling the water, the outside air runs across the tubes and fins and heats up cooling the outside unit.

 

xlr8nss forgot to add that some of the water to air intercoolers is set up so you can use ice to make the water colder, the ice does not last long.
the air to air intercooler is the most efficient.

 

all I know is, i need one. Or i need to sell my whipple and go turbo.

 

So if I understand correctly, with the air-to-water setup there are two separate "radiators." One that the charged air blows through, the other mounted behind the grill. The water in the first radiator absorbs the heat from the blower, the water then flows to the second radiator, where it's cooled, then is pumped back to the first radiator. Pretty cool, thanks guys.

 

You got it Mike.