Liquid Charge Air Cooler

An intercooler or charge air cooler is an air to air or air to liquid heat exchange device used on turbocharged and supercharged forced induction internal combustion engines to improve their volumetric efficiency by increasing intake air charge density through isochoric cooling.

Liquid charge air cooler.

If the ambient air temperature is very low the fresh water which is usually at 30 degrees celsius will heat the charged air and make it comfortable for the engine. The charge air cooler is designed to cool the charged air from something in the region of 180 c to 220 c down to around 40 c. Liquid cooled charge air coolers lcacs help diesel and gasoline engine manufacturers to meet stringent emissions regulations and improve engine power and fuel economy. It achieves this by using cooling water.

We look forward to helping you design your next. The smallest are most often referred to as intercoolers and are attached to automobile or truck engines. Charge air from the turbo flows within enclosed passages in one direction with separate cooling passages flowing cooler ambient air in a perpendicular cross flow pattern to the charge air. Figure 2 is an illustration showing an air to liquid heat exchanger installed in the intake manifold of a 7 8 l 210 hp medium duty di diesel engine 305.

In addition to the actual charge cooler air to water systems have a secondary cooling system much like a standard engine cooling system but dedicated specifically to the intercooler. The wcac offers a fast engine response due to immediate cooling from the water glycol and due to installation of the wcac directly on the engine unit. Nissens wcac is a charge air cooler where the charge air is cooled by means of water glycol coolant from the front end module. Thus charge air coolers also serve as heaters when a ship enters cold climate areas.

In bar and plate designs the passages consist of plates on top and bottom with fins in between. Let us assume that the charge air cooler is cooled by fresh water lt circuit. Charge air coolers range in size depending on the engine. You have a coolant which passes through the intercooler core and is then pumped through the system to a radiator in the front of the car to have the heat.

Prior to the 1990s most charge air cooled engines utilized jacket water cooling where charge air temperatures were thermostatically controlled to about 90 c 195 f. Typically used as an aftercooler downstream from a turbocharger the lcac cools the hot charge air to increase the intake s air density before entering the engine.