Types of Automotive Intercoolers

1. Introduction of automotive intercooler

Car intercoolers are generally made of aluminum alloy materials. According to different cooling media, common car intercoolers can be divided into two types: air-cooled and water-cooled. These cooling devices use the cooling medium to absorb heat in the intercooler and dissipate it to the outside, so as to ensure that the air has a proper use effect. The intercooler is generally only visible in a car with a turbocharger. Because the car intercooler is actually a turbocharged accessory, its role is to improve the engine’s air exchange efficiency.

2. Automotive intercooler types

(1) Air-cooled car intercoolers

The principle of air-cooling is the same as the radiator of our household refrigerators and air conditioners. It is to let air pass through pipes to increase the contact area between the pipes and the surrounding air, and then pass through the surroundings. The air cools it down. The air-cooled automotive intercooler uses outside air to cool the air passing through the intercooler. The advantage is that the entire cooling system has fewer components, and the structure is relatively simpler than that of a water-cooled intercooler. The air-cooled automotive intercooler is mainly composed of two parts, that is, the heat dissipation core and the air chambers at both ends. The heat dissipation core is mainly composed of a circulation tube and a heat sink.

(2) Water-cooled car intercoolers

Water cooling is just the opposite of air cooling. It is to put a cooler into the intake duct to let the pressurized hot air flow through. In the cooler, there is a constant flow of cooling water to take away the heat of the supercharged air. The water-cooled automotive intercooler uses circulating cooling water to cool the air passing through the intercooler. The advantage is that the cooling efficiency is higher, and the installation position is more flexible, and there is no need to use a long connecting pipeline, which makes the entire intake pipeline smoother. The water-cooled car intercooler is mainly composed of two parts, namely the heat dissipation core and the intercooler shell. The heat dissipation core is mainly composed of a circulation tube and a heat sink.