Water cool or intercool? for supercharger application
03-14-2004, 07:05 AM
#31
To summarize:
Big Ben actually agrees with AUS2000 that W/A is better for the typical SC application on an S2000.
But he says A/A is better for road race cars, because "They are more reliable, they don't require extra equipment that has a possibility of breaking, and they are lighter."
This thread was argued so much because the original "efficiency question" was so broad that any answer can be argued as correct. If the question had been "Is water or air more efficient at transferring heat?" there would be only one answer - that water transfers heat better than air.
But the real question was actually more like "Is the added weight and complexity of a water cooled intercooler worth it in a typical forced induction S2000?" This is a very complicated question, and one that can't be answered without knowing all kinds of additional information. It's just a shame that so many detours were taken before coming to a conclusion.
There is one statement I would like to clarify, since it does not appear to be correct:
You're probably wondering why I don't take Big Ben's word for this since, after all, he's an engineer.
But despite spending all that time in a classroom, Big Ben is wrong on this one. A water injection system works by forced evaporation, and it's the heat absorbed by the evaporation process that makes water injection cool so well. It has nothing to do with tiny atomized droplets cooling better than a contiguous mass of water. It's the change of state from liquid to vapor that causes the sudden temperature drop.
This is the same principle by which an air conditioner works, where liquid coolant is suddenly forced to evaporate through a pressure change, pulling heat from it's surroundings.
The point is that water injection and water cooling work by two different processes and shouldn't be used in the same comparison. The water injection comment has nothing to do with the topic, just as drag racing practices where it only has to work for 15 seconds don't apply to street driving.
.
Big Ben actually agrees with AUS2000 that W/A is better for the typical SC application on an S2000.
But he says A/A is better for road race cars, because "They are more reliable, they don't require extra equipment that has a possibility of breaking, and they are lighter."
This thread was argued so much because the original "efficiency question" was so broad that any answer can be argued as correct. If the question had been "Is water or air more efficient at transferring heat?" there would be only one answer - that water transfers heat better than air.
But the real question was actually more like "Is the added weight and complexity of a water cooled intercooler worth it in a typical forced induction S2000?" This is a very complicated question, and one that can't be answered without knowing all kinds of additional information. It's just a shame that so many detours were taken before coming to a conclusion.
There is one statement I would like to clarify, since it does not appear to be correct:
Originally posted by Big Ben
Water works best as a heat absorber when it is in atomized form. This is why water injection systems work so much better than an intercooler. atomized water can reduce intake temps by over 250 degrees.
Water works best as a heat absorber when it is in atomized form. This is why water injection systems work so much better than an intercooler. atomized water can reduce intake temps by over 250 degrees.
But despite spending all that time in a classroom, Big Ben is wrong on this one. A water injection system works by forced evaporation, and it's the heat absorbed by the evaporation process that makes water injection cool so well. It has nothing to do with tiny atomized droplets cooling better than a contiguous mass of water. It's the change of state from liquid to vapor that causes the sudden temperature drop.
This is the same principle by which an air conditioner works, where liquid coolant is suddenly forced to evaporate through a pressure change, pulling heat from it's surroundings.
The point is that water injection and water cooling work by two different processes and shouldn't be used in the same comparison. The water injection comment has nothing to do with the topic, just as drag racing practices where it only has to work for 15 seconds don't apply to street driving.
.
03-14-2004, 08:53 AM
#32
Registered User
It's easier for the water to evaporate when the air is presented with a larger water surface area (i.e., atomized). So, Ben wasn't wrong, he was just a bit less than clear for the taste of some.
03-16-2004, 08:41 PM
#35
Originally posted by mikecl713
so... comptech sc with a bigger radiator for the aftercooler isnt great for track usage? only suitable for drag? too much weight in the front compromise handling?
so... comptech sc with a bigger radiator for the aftercooler isnt great for track usage? only suitable for drag? too much weight in the front compromise handling?
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