What is a Charge Cooler?
When it comes to top-notch luxury vehicles, every bit of horsepower matters. The science is simple — the more air force into your vehicle's engine, the greater the explosion of power. However, two scientific principles work against each other, leading to inefficiency in the system:
- Hot air is less dense than cooler air.
- Compression creates heat.
Therefore, it is imperative for the air that enters the engine to cool down to provide maximum power and efficiency for your vehicle. The cold, denser air allows more oxygen molecules in a smaller space, leading to an enormous explosion of energy. Additionally, when air is turbo compressed, it produces heat that can negatively affect your vehicle's torque, power, and emissions.
Fortunately, charge air coolers come to the rescue by working as a mediator between your vehicle's turbo and the engine. These are placed in front of the radiator to take the compressed air from the turbo and cool it down before reaching your car's engine. This helps boost the energy and efficiency of your car's engine.
The basics of a charge air cooler
A charge air cooler is often called an "air-to-air" cooler. This means it exclusively uses the cool air to bring down the temperature of the warm air passing through it. Therefore, regardless of the configuration, a turbocharger system maintains the intake air at the right temperature and density to boost fuel combustion.
The essential parts of the charge air cooler include a turbocharger that takes in the warm air and compresses it by using exhaust gases. This compressed-air then flows to the charge air cooler to cool down the air in the engine. This cooling process works similarly to radiators or heat exchangers. A metal tube is used to transfer this heat away from the compressed air to increase its density further.
The greater density allows the air to turbocharge the engine as it enters the intake. This further begins the cooling process while expelling the warmer air out of the machine.
The dangers associated with charge air cooler leaks
Like any other component of your car's engine, turbo coolant lines and charge air coolers are also prone to breakdowns or failures. The primary cause of such breakdown can be a leakage in your vehicle's charge air cooler. However, air leaks are harder to detect than oil or water leaks. Significant air leakage can lessen the engine's horsepower and fuel efficiency.
Some typical causes of leakage in a charge air cooler can be constant engine vibration, heat stress, or other unwanted circumstances. Luckily, with the assistance of a reputed aftermarket products dealer, you can replace faulty charge air coolers with a good quality aftermarket product and, thereafter, opt for regular preventive maintenance.
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