There are many parts in the car, the intercooler is one of them. Of course, the 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 function of the intercooler is to reduce the intake air temperature of the engine. The reasons for lowering the intake air temperature are as follows:
1. The temperature of the exhaust gas discharged by the engine is very high, and the temperature of the intake air will be increased through the heat conduction of the supercharger. In addition, the air density will increase during the process of being compressed, which will inevitably lead to the air temperature rise, thus affecting the charging efficiency of the engine. If we want to further improve the charging efficiency, we need to reduce the intake air temperature. Some data show that under the condition of compatible air-fuel ratio, the engine power can be increased by 3% - 5% when the temperature of the charge air drops by 10 ℃.
2. If the uncooled charge air enters the combustion chamber, it will not only affect the charging efficiency of the engine, but also easily cause the combustion temperature of the engine to be too high, resulting in knock and other faults, which will increase the content of nitrogen oxide in the exhaust gas of the engine and cause air pollution.
In order to solve the adverse effect of air temperature rise after supercharging, it is necessary to install intercooler to reduce the intake air temperature.
One of the reasons why turbocharged engine has more power than ordinary engine is that its efficiency of air exchange is higher than that of natural intake of ordinary engine. When the air enters the turbocharged, its temperature will increase greatly and its density will become low. The intercooler just plays the role of cooling 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 be damaged or even dead due to the high air temperature.
Because the temperature of the exhaust gas from the engine is very high, the heat conduction through the supercharger will increase the temperature of the intake air. Moreover, the air density will increase in the process of being compressed, which will inevitably lead to the increase of air temperature, thus affecting the charging efficiency of the engine. If you want to further improve the charging efficiency, you need to reduce the intake air temperature. Some data show that under the same air-fuel ratio, the engine power can be increased by 3% ~ 5% when the temperature of the charge air drops by 10 ℃.
If the uncooled charge air enters the combustion chamber, it will not only affect the charging efficiency of the engine, but also easily cause the combustion temperature of the engine to be too high, resulting in knock and other faults, and will increase the NOx content in the exhaust gas of the engine, resulting in air pollution. In order to solve the adverse effect of the air temperature rise after supercharging, it is necessary to install intercooler to reduce the intake air temperature.
II. Daily maintenance of intercooler
The air-cooled intercooler is installed together with the radiator of the water tank. It is installed in front of the engine and cooled by the suction fan and the ventilation of the vehicle. If the intercooler is not cooled properly, it will cause the engine power shortage and fuel consumption increase. Therefore, the intercooler should be inspected and maintained regularly. Here is how to maintain the intercooler:
1. External cleaning:
Since the intercooler is installed in the front of the car, there may be sludge, leaves and other debris blocking, which will block the channel of the cooling fins of the intercooler, so it should be cleaned regularly.
When cleaning, the angle of water gun with small pressure perpendicular to the plane of the intercooler can be used to wash slowly from top to bottom or from bottom to top. Never wash obliquely to prevent damage to the intercooler.
2. Internal cleaning and inspection:
The internal pipes of intercooler are often attached with sludge. Colloid and other dirt not only narrow the air flow channel, but also reduce the cooling and heat exchange capacity. Therefore, maintenance and cleaning are also necessary. Generally, the intercooler should be cleaned and inspected every year or at the same time of engine overhaul and water tank cleaning.
The cleaning method is as follows:
Add 2% soda water solution (at 70-80 ℃) into the intercooler, fill it up, wait for 15 minutes, check whether there is leakage in the intercooler, shake it back and forth for several times, then pour out the washing solution, and repeat the above operations until the poured water solution is clean. If the outside of the intercooler is stained with oil, it can also be cleaned with alkaline water. After cleaning, use compressed air to dry the water or air it naturally.
Intercooler is still unfamiliar to us, after all, it's a cold word. Generally, the intercooler is installed on the turbocharged vehicle, in fact, it is the matching equipment of turbocharging, whose function is to improve the air exchange efficiency of the engine. For supercharged engine, intercooler is an important component.