Intercooler - what is it and how does it work?

The intercooler is an integral part of the pressurization system in modern cars, both gasoline and diesel. What is it for, how does it work and what can break in it? Everything you need to know about the intercooler can be found in our article.

What will you learn from this post?

• What is an intercooler?
• What are the functions of an intercooler?
• How do intercooler malfunctions manifest?

Shortly speaking

An intercooler, as its professional name suggests, a charge air cooler, cools the air passing through the turbocharger. The goal is to maintain the efficiency of the turbo. Hot air has less mass, which means less fuel can enter the cylinders and reduces engine power.

Intercooler - charge air cooler

At first glance, the intercooler looks like a car radiator. This association is most appropriate because both elements serve similar functions. The radiator cools the engine while air intercooler running through a turbocharger – in order to further improve the efficiency of turbocharging.

The operation of a turbocharger is based, as the name suggests, on air compression. The entire mechanism is driven by the exhaust gases escaping from the engine compartment, which, flowing through the exhaust system to the outside, set the turbine rotor in motion. The resulting rotation is then transferred to the compressor rotor. This is where the essence of turbo charging comes in. The compressor draws in air from the intake system and then compresses it and releases it under pressure into the combustion chamber.

Due to the fact that more oxygen enters the cylinders, the fuel supply also increases, and this affects the engine power. We can visualize this with a simple equation: more air = burning more fuel = higher performance. In the work to increase the power of automobile engines, the problem has never been to supply additional portions of fuel - they can be multiplied. It was in the air. Initial attempts were made to overcome this obstacle by increasing the power of the engines, but it quickly became clear that this was not the way out. This problem was solved only after the construction of the turbocharger.

How does an intercooler work?

The problem is that the air passing through the turbocharger heats up to a significant temperature, reaching 150 ° C. This reduces the performance of the turbo. The warmer the air, the more its mass decreases. This is why an intercooler is used in cars. It cools the air that the turbocharger "spits" into the combustion chamber - by about 40-60% on average, which means more or less 15-20% increase in power.

Through GIPHY

The intercooler is the last link in the intake system, so usually found at the front of the vehicleright behind the bumper. Cooling occurs due to the movement of the car due to the air flow. Sometimes an additional mechanism is used - a water jet.

Intercooler - what can break?

The location of the intercooler just behind the front bumper makes it failures are most often mechanical – in winter, it can be damaged, for example, by a stone or an ice block. If a leak occurs as a result of such a defect, the combustion process of the fuel-air mixture will be disrupted. This is manifested by a drop in engine power, jerks during acceleration and lubrication of the intercooler. You may also experience similar symptoms if the air cooler becomes dirtyfor example, if oil or dirt enters the system through the exhaust gas recirculation valve.

Do you suspect that your car's intercooler is defective? Take a look at avtotachki.com - you will find air coolers at a good price.

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