PICS

 

I would think that heat being transferred from the engine compartment through the intercooler pipes via convection is negligible, even when the engine bay is warmed up and at a steady state temperature. Intake air temperature should be most affected by intercooler efficiency. But I do notice that my car feels faster if I go WOT before the engine bay warms up.

As a test, someone should do some air temperature measurements at the intercooler outlet, throttle body, and another point somewhere around the BOV discharge tube under the following driving conditions:
1) cool engine bay, 3rd gear pull from 2k to redline, SS ic pipes
2) warm engine bay, 3rd gear pull from 2k to redline, SS ic pipes
3) cool engine bay, 3rd gear pull from 2k to redline, AL ic pipes
4) warm engine bay, 3rd gear pull from 2k to redline, AL ic pipes

To limit the # of variables, we should keep the same intercooler and relatively similar pipe routing to have the same piping surface area, and try to do all tests under the same conditions.

 

Regarding my comment about my car feeling faster w/ a cooler engine bay, I just remembered that our ECUs give less timing w/ higher intake air temps and coolant temps as a safeguard. That’s probably what causes the power difference.

 

Man...what's up with all this non-sense???? WHo cares... All we want is to see some pics of the installation. Pics please!!!!!!!!

 

The heat transfer through convection can't be negligable, simply because it is the only form of heat transfer driving any temperature change in the intercooler pipes.

However, I agree with your thoughts on doing a comprehensive test. Yet I won't be the one to do it, I don't have the desire, I'll simply buy AL pipes and go with my instincts and what all of my education has taught me.

- Steve

PS, yeah, I want to see pics masterevo, but I in no way think analyzing a difference like this is "nonsense"

 

Pics Please.

 

+1

 

+2

Its like the "alphabet game for dummies"

 

I'm sure a lot of people wonder about this "nonsense". This type of information would be just as beneficial to know as whether X brand's exhaust generates more power over Y's brand exhaust.

I just ran a quick calculation to see what the air velocity is relative to flow rate going through a 2.5" O.D. pipe w/ .060" wall thickness.

Air velocity = Flow rate / Area

Flow Air Velocity
(CFM) (ft/s)
250 134.9
275 148.4
300 161.8
325 175.3
350 188.8
375 202.3
400 215.8
425 229.3
450 242.8
475 256.2
500 269.7
525 283.2
550 296.7
575 310.2
600 323.7


Under boost, air moves pretty fast. It doesn't seem like all that much heat would get transferred from the pipes to the air at these speeds. I would guess that the friction the air generates while going through the pipes at these velocities would heat up the pipes more.

*EDIT*
Corrected the air velocity values. I used diameter instead of radius when calculating area.

 

Now that is an interesting theory...

 

I say the vendors jump in and contact the manufacturer of the product and buy mass quantities for an even better deal.

 

Actually, the heat generated through friction in the air even at high velocities is pretty low. That intermixing of air particles is actually what accelerates the transfer of heat from the air to whatever medium it is passing by. Furthermore, the velocity of the air at the wall of the intercooler pipe is 0 ft/s. The velocity at the center of the pipe is higher than what you calculated. The velocity of the flow has an average speed equal to what you calculated, but the cross section of the flow is shaped like a bell curve, zero at the walls and highest at the center. The difference in velocities of the air particles relative to one another is very low (assuming they all move in a straight line parallel to the pipe) due to this curvature of velocity. Since they pass each other at low speeds, the heat generated by friction of flow is lower, yet since they are all passing by each other, they are transfering heat from the wall to the center and carrying it away at a fast rate.

Hope this makes sense

- Steve

 

Show pics now... Talk like a genius later. Then we can all make a decision.

 

I'm gunna take that as a compliment

- Steve

 

Come on pics?