A considerable number of people will consider vehicles with "t" when selecting vehicles, i.e. models with turbocharged engines. The efficiency of air exchange of turbocharged engines is higher than that of normal engines with natural air intake, so they have greater power. When the air enters the turbocharger, its temperature will increase greatly and its density will decrease correspondingly. The intercooler is just to cool the air. The high-temperature air enters the engine after being cooled by the intercooler. If the high temperature air directly enters the engine due to the lack of intercooler, the engine will knock or even damage the flameout due to the high air temperature.
Intercooler can only be seen in the car with supercharger installed. Because the intercooler is actually a matching part of turbocharging, its function is to reduce the high temperature air temperature after turbocharging, so as to reduce the heat load of the engine, increase the intake air volume, and then increase the power of the engine.
The intercooler is generally made of aluminum alloy. According to the different cooling medium, common intercoolers can be divided into two types: air-cooled and water-cooled.
The principle of air cooling is the same as that of the radiators of refrigerators and air conditioners in our household. It is to let the air pass through one pipe, increase the contact area between the pipe and the surrounding air, and then cool it through the surrounding air. An air-cooled intercooler placed above the engine.
Water cooling is just the opposite of air cooling. It is to put a cooler into the air inlet pipe and let the hot air flow after pressurization. In the cooler, there is cooling water flowing continuously, which takes away the heat of the charge air.
The intercooler is installed in front of the engine, which is cooled by the suction fan and the through surface air of the vehicle. If the intercooler is not cooled properly, it will lead to insufficient engine power and increased fuel consumption. Therefore, the intercooler should be inspected and maintained regularly.
Internal cleaning: the internal of the intercooler is usually attached with dirt such as oil mud, so it also needs to be cleaned and maintained. Generally, it needs to be cleaned once a year, or when repairing the engine or water tank. The cleaning method is to wash with alkaline water.
External cleaning: since the intercooler is installed at the front, the radiator channel of the intercooler is often blocked by oil sludge (hydraulic oil overflows from the steering oil tank), which hinders the heat dissipation of the intercooler. Therefore, the intercooler should be cleaned regularly. Washing method: use water gun with low pressure to wash slowly from top to bottom or from bottom to top at an angle perpendicular to the plane of the intercooler, but never oblique to prevent damage to the intercooler. If there is oil stain outside the intercooler, it can be cleaned with alkaline water.