RE: Intercooler Efficiency

["Colin Barfoot" <Colin_Barfoot@msn.com>]

Has anyone looked into using a water cooled intercooler for their quattro such 
as the Lotus Esprit turbo's "Charge Cooler"  Heat transfer should be alot 
better and as on the lotus the heat capacity of the stored water would provide 
an initial higher efficiency until the water temperature reached equilibrium.

With respect to the question on how a larger intercooler could result in 
piston destruction, could this be resulting from the increased charge density 
(achievable with cooler denser air downstream of the turbo) combined with 
higher engine speeds temperatures etc of racing conditions, finally exceeding 
the design combustion pressure of the pistons!  Perhaps you'll need to replace 
the pistons with higher strength/thicker material.

Eventually if you keep getting more and more charge into the cylinders you'll 
reach the point where something fails. This is probably much higher than 
you'll reach under street conditions.  So adding evaporative cooling/ larger 
intercoolers etc is likely ok since preignition/detonation is likely the most 
common cause of piston destruction. 

Turbo experts/ Automotive Engineers please feel free to respond/ add to the 
above discussion.

Regards,
Colin
86 5000 CD Quattro 304,000 km