Hey guys I have a question......can incoming air into an engine be TOO cold? As in it actually becoming a detriment to power? I had a crazy idea in my head and I think if done properly might actually work. I know for years that people have been joking around about hooking up their A/C air into their intakes for a REALLY cold air charge. Obviously the drag on the engine from the compressor would negate any benefit that this actually might have. Well this is where my idea might come into play. Instead of having a engine run compressor have one that runs externally from the engine, like a home A/C unit but in a much smaller form. This would require the use of a larger ALT but no big deal on that one as the compressor can be run from a toggle switch. Now this idea mainly goes to the turbo crowd as this would have a modified intercooler. So what if the intercooler was modified to run refrigerant through it as it does our stock A/C does? When the compressor is activated it sends the cold refridgerent through the modified intercooler further cooling the incoming air? if needed an external fan could be hooked up to it but I would think the air rushing through the front of the car at speed might be enough. If it hasn't been done yet then I think it could be an alternative to water meth injection. So what do you guys think? would it work or would it make the air TOO cold?

 

I have seen kits for intercoolers that use a metal ring, and then co2 is pumped through it to cool the intercooler down and make the air cooler.... I was looking at cold air kits... I wonder how much of a difference an intercooler with no boost would make ???

Raf

 

Problem with using an electric a/c compressor is the efficiency rating and factoring the amperage and voltage for this to work. I have been looking into how I could make this work for a while but I still haven't come up with a solution for the efficiency rating to work on this. As far as cooling the intake air charge, there have been a number of people attempt this with use of ice, co2, dry ice, etc.

 

How would a small shot of N20 with appropriate dedicated source of E85 work? 1/4 mile work that is.

 

That's why I was figuring in a larger ALT to take up some slack in the charging area. I believe that the compressor doesn't need to be on the whole time, just enough to chill things out for a race then warm back up naturally.

 

In the Northern hemisphere? In July?

Considering that cars work fine in the Northern hemisphere in February, even way up toward the Arctic Circle, I'm guessing, probably not.

 

just use the car's AC compressor wired to a switch that cuts off the power to the clutch at higher throttle and/or low vacuum readings... use the AC to cool a water tank in the air/water intercooler setup to store the "coldness" when off the throttle... one benefit would be that the extra drag from the compressor would help with engine braking when you are diving into a corner on a road course..

Ford played around with this kind of a setup about a decade ago for the Lightning pickups, but it never went into production..

 

been done

 

You do realize you would need a supermarket size ac unit to cool all the cfm the engine consume.

 

Heres one artical I read a few months back. Im a industrial ammonia technition so one of my buddys that knew i was into turbos and thought id like the artical. It was quite interesting but IMO a properly sized air to air intercooler and alky injection is the best route for most if there preference is drag racing or just all arround street driving. But since were on the subject heres the artical and my 2 cents on what you could do.

http://www.gmhightechperformance.com.../photo_19.html





They have marketed a few systems for the refrigerent to be routed into a chiller barrel or a plate frame heat exchanger on water to air intercoolers using a combination of 3 way control valves and sileniods. This way will work pretty good exspecially if you modifly the charge and flood the chiller barrel. You would need to add the proper sensors to make sure you don't flood you stock accumulator and liquid slug the compressor. For the most part the condensers on systems are over sized on purpose from the factory. You'd know if it was too small by subcooling and you might get where you want with just adding fan power. If not then you need more condenser and that would require you to get a new condenser that would work with the system you build. Too much condenser and youll have low pressures. Not sure how complicated it would to have a fan cycling switch or a modulating set up on a car... If you wanted to just dedicate a system to a water to air intercooler system, a flooded chiller barrel or PHX would work great, just gotta know what you're doing.

 

I know guys who suck in -30F air from a CAI so I would say no. Around here the coldest my car can eat is -10F and no issues with EFI