one last ic question..

PittSpeed Automotive
1

which intercooler design is more efficient… i can t spell :slight_smile:

BAR AND PLATE IC’S??

TUBE AND FIN ??

BELOW IS COPY/PASTE FROM PROBETALK… but that pt… i need one more confirmation before purchase! im thinking of going with a 20x10x3 core size… nothing to huge since the turbo isn t that big

Part II

As far as intercooler design is concerned, I am aware of two basic types. The “bar and plate” design (your typically Spearco intercooler) and the “tube and fin” design (I believe the Starion intercooler is a “tube and fin”). While I am not familiar with the intricacies of the two designs, I do know that the tube & fin is more efficient than the bar & plate, but it also sacrifices the low pressure losses found on the bar & plate designs. Intercooler design boils down to a compromise. On one hand you want to slow the air velocity to allow heat transfer to occur and maximize the surface area with which heat from the air can be transfered to the aluminum core. On the other hand you want to minimize flow loses by stream lining the core and minimizing surface area which creates viscous drag (commonly called frictional drag, which occurs at surfaces). So you can see that intercooler design is clearly a compromise. I should also note that there are pressure losses due to density changes of the fluid medium also, but the losses are small relitive to viscous losses. Viscous drag is by far the biggest contributor to pressure losses in intercoolers.

2

here’s a breakdown, bar and plate cools better, tube and fin flows better, there is no “one more efficient than other” because they do different things. keep in mind that you want to choose an ic that flows the same or more cfm as your turbo will. typically bar and plate on big turbo applications are huge (look at the kinetic core) so they can flow a lot where as a tube/fine design that flows the same can be much smaller but you sacrafice in cooling.

that out of the way here’s my personal feelings:
go with a bar/plate as it will provide better cooling characteristics but be prepared to buy a larger than anticipated one to match flow.

the other way to go is with the apexi core it’s both bar/plate AND tube/fin providing flow and cooling in the same application, looks a little funky compared to other ic’s but if looks don’t matter then go with that one.

3

Originally posted by BlueMeanieTSi
here’s a breakdown, bar and plate cools better, tube and fin flows better, there is no “one more efficient than other” because they do different things. keep in mind that you want to choose an ic that flows the same or more cfm as your turbo will. typically bar and plate on big turbo applications are huge (look at the kinetic core) so they can flow a lot where as a tube/fine design that flows the same can be much smaller but you sacrafice in cooling.

i c! my turbo’s not to big… but tad bigger then stock so ill probally get the basic intercooler… tube and fin! there also cheaper! :slight_smile: im trying to build a low hi 12 low 13 sec car for under 2900$ including the car 1200$ :slight_smile:

thank for some insight!
:cool: