1HDT/WTA intercooler

[TheBigBoy]

There you go guys. Go for it. I'm cut and pasting some simple results.

21psi boost
12x12x2 heat exchanger with fan


All my test data from this setup is with my max boost at 21psi, and I'm always at sustained max boost and thoroughly loaded if I'm trying to collect data...

My water seems to stabilize about 30C above ambient air temperature. It takes a couple of minutes to get it up there but it will hold forever once it's there so I'm certain that it's stabilized.

Average temperatures (in Celcius) during heat soak:

154 pre IC air
76 post IC air
54 post radiator water
23C ambient air

 

[TheBigBoy]

So this is what I don't get from everyone's input and writing off the WTA straight away. The best a ata can do @ 152'c is drop it to 75'c. Maybe I'm reading it wrong. But it seems the WTA is at 75' and stable also.

 

[TheBigBoy]

My worst case results at full heat soak @ 150'c. Was 92'c intake air temp. Working within these numbers. If you increased to size of the radiator to a 28x12x2 with 2 fans. That will further reduce the water temp at heat soak. And By running a reserve of water. That will postpone heat soak for longer.

 

[mudbludger]

Got your computer up and running yet? Would be great to see some more pics of your setup. How much difference does the heat proof tape around your heat exchanger make, looks like a good idea.

 

[TheBigBoy]

That's only really useful if running below ambient. I only put it on as I had it already. Putting it undeneath between the engine and cooler will make a difference though. I've since pull a wrx scoop on it. So that will help alot.

 

[mudbludger]

Well looks like you've got the results you were chasing, impressive setup. Its a good thing fellas like you do all this work to their rigs, saves me scratching my head and making too many stufff ups . Looks like your numbers have kept the flies away for now..... either that or they are all asleep

 

[gerg]

So this is what I don't get from everyone's input and writing off the WTA straight away. The best a ata can do @ 152'c is drop it to 75'c. Maybe I'm reading it wrong. But it seems the WTA is at 75' and stable also.

Ok so I want to thank you for posting up all your numbers as that is awesome. I disagree with your ATA numbers as I tested my nothing special top mount after install and soaked it and got:
pre: 148C
post: 59C
ambient: 17C
efficiency: 68%
2 K type multimeters calibrated.


I get 59.5% for your system
154-76 = 78 (actual drop) / 154-23 = 131 (maximum drop) = .5954
92C works out to 45.6% I assumed 23C ambient like the other test. If you can increase your exchanger it would really make a difference. Are you using water wetter? Its a surfactant modifier I believe and suppose to increase your surface contact and thus transfer area.

Thankyou
g

 

[Adam B]

The numbers in the original post are actually mine. I've averaged about 56% for my thrown together system using Frozen Boost parts. It was 40-something with the off the shelf Denco kit. (the 92C wasn't mine)

I'm using water wetter and about 25% glycol because I don't feel like changing fluid in winter.

 

[gerg]

Yeah removing your antifreeze will increase the transfer efficiency of the water, but water wetter doesn't help with freezing point, although it is an effective corrosion inhibitor. There is a chemical called fluorinert which has better efficiency than water, but its quite harmful to carbon based life forms and is very expensive. I dont have specs on it.

 

[Dougal]

Thanks for that.

 

[gerg]

Im tired and quite dis-inhibited, and usually say stupid things at times like these, but what if you fitted an ATA intercooler as a pre cooler to bleed of the bulk of the BTU and used your AC system to bring it down below ambient. You would be working with alot less bTU for the final drop and that ATW is pretty small and can be shifted to any position. Although you did weld it all together and stuff, but its just a thought.

 

[TheBigBoy]

Yep, I wasn't sure if Adam wanted to be named with his numbers. . Those numbers are through the hills and held for 10 minutes. So far, my numbers have been within 10 degrees of the water temp. Why? I'm not sure. The perfect system is to have the water flow increase with rpm. but it seens too hard right now. Im running straight water at the moment and will put a inhibiter in it. but for testing i drain it alot so no point yet. There really isn't any hills where I live. After I finish the large radiator and dual fans. I'll post numbers.

 

[gerg]

Try out water wetter. At the very least it a corrosion inhibitor that wont negatively affect transfer. Erm at east I think. Its suppose to help with transfer, but I haven't found a credible test yet to quote.

 

[TheBigBoy]

The numbers in the original post are actually mine. I've averaged about 56% for my thrown together system using Frozen Boost parts. It was 40-something with the off the shelf Denco kit. (the 92C wasn't mine)

I'm using water wetter and about 25% glycol because I don't feel like changing fluid in winter.

The 92'c actually never happened. That's just the math behind the absolute worst conditions that could ever happen. Even then the post ic air temps will be around 80'c.

 

[gerg]

Ok so if you did a large front mount and kept your WTA and plumbed right into the existing intake mod you've done that would take a huge load off your system. Then you could put your cooling system to bypass (via switch) your WTA intercooler to chill down your sink. Then activate it when you want to lower your intake charge below ambient. I wonder how low you could get your sink if you really insulated it?
Night.

 

[TheBigBoy]

Well I was actually going to using the refridgeration system and bypass the radiator (on a thermal fan temp switch). Because there's no point running below ambient water through ambient air. And the radiator won't start working well until the water is at least 10' above ambient. And the 2.5/3 litres of ambient water held in the radiator will give it a quick charge as the fans kick in at the same time. This should give me awesome down low and hold its own uptop. Which is what I've been wanting from the start. But never know until I do it.

 

[TheBigBoy]

Looking at Adams numbers and the size heat exchanger/radiator his using. I can see the temps during full heat soak with a radiator twice the size and twin fans being very very close to the ata intake temps. (Just saying)...

 

[TheBigBoy]

Ah, figured out a few things from our conversation Adam. I know your intake has a 180' bend etc. which doesn't help at all. And you have only ever checked your temps when fully loaded and climbing hills for 10min/full heat soak. But @ 21psi I think your flow rate has been overcome by the intake Air volume. As a test try turning boost down to 15psi or if you can increase the water pump flow. Then check your numbers. They should match mine.

 

[gerg]

Turning down his boost will help his system with intake charge temps, but that will hurt his EGTs over all if hes running the same fuel. I think the whole point of this intake stuff with turbos and coolers and all that is to efficiently shove as much air into the engine as possible. I do agree that a larger radiator will help his system even if he leaves his intercooler alone. I think he could just double up and use another full sized rad couldn't he? it doesn't have to be specific to the kit. Sorry Adam don't mean to write about you in 3rd person, but its just how the sentence flowed.

 

[TheBigBoy]

It won't hurt his egt's. it will drop them. The more boost pressure, the deeper it pushes the aneroid pin into fuel for the given amount of air. So if its tuned correctly. The afr's will be the same at 15/21. But the less volume of air pushing through the system will lower his egt's.

You could just add another and it would be pretty much the same. But I would rather just the 1 with a double or even triple pass and twin thermals. The kit radiators aren't very good quality and tiny end tanks.