Intercooler end tank design
#1
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Intercooler end tank design
Well I have been snowed in since yesterday due to this east coast blizzard and had some time on my hands. I decided to do some basic simulations of typical square intercooler end tanks out of boredom. I figured I would share these with you guys as I know alot of you build intercoolers. These are just some quick simulations so these are by no means verified real results.
With mass flow rate of 3 lb/s
With mass flow rate of 20 lb/s
Here is a backdoor style one , sorry its not the best view
Its pretty much what you would expect. What are your guys thoughts on this? I am also willing to try some other designs if you guys want as Im going to be snowed in for the next two days or so.
With mass flow rate of 3 lb/s
With mass flow rate of 20 lb/s
Here is a backdoor style one , sorry its not the best view
Its pretty much what you would expect. What are your guys thoughts on this? I am also willing to try some other designs if you guys want as Im going to be snowed in for the next two days or so.
Last edited by Race Egr; 12-20-2009 at 03:59 PM.
#2
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Bellows Falls VT
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Intercooler end tank design
would the sim be the same if you push it or pull it? Interesting. I also have read that cooler air moves slower. is this material heated or does temp have any effect on this?
#6
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Re: Intercooler end tank design
http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/turbo/intercooler.html
The following users liked this post:
#7
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Macon, Ga
Posts: 1,371
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Trending Topics
#8
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Re: Intercooler end tank design
I can do a backdoor design in a little bit. Do you guys have any dimensions or spec's you want me to go by or will a rough design work for you?
#9
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Abbotsford, BC
Posts: 978
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Intercooler end tank design
So an aluminum rectangle box, with an inlet courtesy of a hole saw, welded to a heat exchanger, doesn't provide evenly distributed airflow!?!?!
#11
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
#12
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Abbotsford, BC
Posts: 978
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
#14
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Washington DC
Posts: 308
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
#16
Honda-Tech Member
Thread Starter
Re: Intercooler end tank design
If you would have read, I posted this because I have been snowed in and I was bored. I figured I would make a thread where we can discuss different inter-cooler end tank designs and have as an informative thread on this topic. I am sorry I didn't make a thread posting pictures of a turbo manifold or down pipe we've all seen a millions times. so please quit ruining this thread and stop posting your useless comments.
#19
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Abbotsford, BC
Posts: 978
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Intercooler end tank design
If you would have read, I posted this because I have been snowed in and I was bored. I figured I would make a thread where we can discuss different inter-cooler end tank designs and have as an informative thread on this topic. I am sorry I didn't make a thread posting pictures of a turbo manifold or down pipe we've all seen a millions times. so please quit ruining this thread and stop posting your useless comments.
There wasn't anything I said to imply that you should have posted a manifold or a downpipe, you are getting butthurt for no reason. Lets see some tests on some different tank designs
#20
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: castlegar, bc
Posts: 1,303
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Intercooler end tank design
I like the back door one, I dont get to play with stuff like this so simple things amuse me. I dont think Passanger was trying to be a ***, I think he was hoping for you to have some ideas on getting some even flow across the exchanger, or trying to inspire you to try some solutions. Hes pretty smart on things like this
If you have time can you try a backdoor with a radius on the front tank?
If you have time can you try a backdoor with a radius on the front tank?
#21
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Fargo, ND, US
Posts: 1,257
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Intercooler end tank design
I like the back door one, I dont get to play with stuff like this so simple things amuse me. I dont think Passanger was trying to be a ***, I think he was hoping for you to have some ideas on getting some even flow across the exchanger, or trying to inspire you to try some solutions. Hes pretty smart on things like this
If you have time can you try a backdoor with a radius on the front tank?
If you have time can you try a backdoor with a radius on the front tank?
When i think about intercooler end tank design i just look on google for race cars and take into account what they have done, and some of the nicest i have seen are rally cars.
this one is off a Bentley LM car
They like to flare the inlets out into a oval shape. I could only guess to distribute the flow over the core better. also they alternated sides on the inlet and outlet.
#22
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: NYC bitchessss
Posts: 9,555
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
#23
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: NH, usa
Posts: 428
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Intercooler end tank design
most inter cooler designs are such crap. People sometimes make such bad end tanks that their big *** intercooler only cools a couple of rows. Sure it looks pretty and big and impresses people, but the truth is that they are wasting space and decreasing air velocity. The problems are that people dont have the room to fit the right shape in, or the shape becomes too much of a fabrication problem for them.
http://www.mipowertechnology.com/hrsg.htm
This website shows a little CFD analysis on adding fins to direct flow. Such techniques are used in jet fighters called "air fences", which help slow moving air from 3D flow (left to right movement) on the wing. Keeping air velocity high with no piping losses is a bit tricky, but having the right shape and fins along with appropriate CFD for the matched mass flow the inter cooler can then have its best cooling potential.
SolidWorks is a good and easy way to see whats happening! Now put some new models up and lets discuss them!
http://www.mipowertechnology.com/hrsg.htm
This website shows a little CFD analysis on adding fins to direct flow. Such techniques are used in jet fighters called "air fences", which help slow moving air from 3D flow (left to right movement) on the wing. Keeping air velocity high with no piping losses is a bit tricky, but having the right shape and fins along with appropriate CFD for the matched mass flow the inter cooler can then have its best cooling potential.
SolidWorks is a good and easy way to see whats happening! Now put some new models up and lets discuss them!
#24
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Posts: 988
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Intercooler end tank design
I think one of things to remember when we say that most intercooler end tank designs are horrible, very few customers are willing to pay for 12 hours of labor making hammer formed end tanks. For most customers, sharp corners and flat sheet will be enough to keep everyone happy.
I've done some flow testing of some intercooler tanks I did for a project, and as expected, they flowed like crap. I have a pretty good sense of visualizing air flow in my mind, and I know just by looking at my end tank that it is bad. But what can you do?
I've tested using CosmosFloWorks, but I don't really know what I'm doing with that software, so I don't know how setup the air flow. Sure I can get the arrows up and it looks cool and all, but what are my actual results ... (I wanted to post some pics, but for some reason my remote desktop is not responding).
I've done some flow testing of some intercooler tanks I did for a project, and as expected, they flowed like crap. I have a pretty good sense of visualizing air flow in my mind, and I know just by looking at my end tank that it is bad. But what can you do?
I've tested using CosmosFloWorks, but I don't really know what I'm doing with that software, so I don't know how setup the air flow. Sure I can get the arrows up and it looks cool and all, but what are my actual results ... (I wanted to post some pics, but for some reason my remote desktop is not responding).
#25
Honda-Tech Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: NH, usa
Posts: 428
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Intercooler end tank design
I've tested using CosmosFloWorks, but I don't really know what I'm doing with that software, so I don't know how setup the air flow. Sure I can get the arrows up and it looks cool and all, but what are my actual results ... (I wanted to post some pics, but for some reason my remote desktop is not responding).