Auberon wrote:
Correct me if I'm reading this erroneously.
I'd like to know how it is feasible to interpolate the electronically governed speed beyond 4000 rpm and why would you indeed do that? There is no practical purpose. Why interpolate?
My impression of aftercooler efficiency figures after long-term observation and running are different.
Basically the calculated engine load I'm working with (from my AE and confirmed by UltraGage) is between 65 and 72% per the ECU output.
Same relatively steep hills and similarly loaded vehicle.
Prevailing conditions change of course - that is why I include RH measurements and whatever else I can provide.
At 42 C ambient (real temp) (using the same efficiency determination formula) the thermal efficiency is 1% at this load and high external temps with high RH. Incidentally I'm not using the MAP to sense intake temp. It is actually measured independently and @ gave 85% RH per method discussed below. I get an efficiency of 1%
Cool running:
Same hill very close to same load in vehicle:
AT 24 deg C ambient (actual) RH = 35%:
A/C running both times.
RH using a sling hygrometer and psychrometric charts (AKA adiabatic cooling).
This does not look as rosy to me as the other figures presented above.
As the main function of an aftercooler is to increase air density beyond what the T/C has produced and reduce thermal detonation (secondarily of course).
The goal is not excessive boost P but to increase air density for engine performance and 20 psi is relatively high for a road car. 6-8 is closer for most petrol driven jobs.
Incidentally EGT in mine isn't radically different in either case as long as engine load is within this range.
As the industry standard for efficient aftercooler efficiency is between 60 to 75% (when new). we are a long way away from that in my view.
I'd re-state that mine has not changed notably relative to when this in/out gauge was installed. quite some km's ago.
I just don't see it as an acceptably efficient unit - never have.
I'd have to be considering a bar and plate design for the potential of running at 20 psi boost reliably with (at the every least) extruded header tanks with the ideal having turbulators to reduce the liklihood of laminar flow......in an ideal world. Thus we have the engineering dichotomy - turbulators increase resistance to flow but in turn increase heat exchange between the Al and the air........I'd rather lose some boost (as I NEVER EVER run above 2500 rpm) so flow efficiency isn't so critical as increasing the density of my air charge.....which is poor in these units by my measurements.
Cheers
I am not sure if this is what you were saying, but the charts above are for the stock and aftermarket cac's from the BMW 3L turbo motor, not ours.
I dont know if I buy that a lower flowing(turbulators), high cooling efficiency CAC is the answer. The reasoning is that the ECU is going to force the turbo to generate the same boost within the Intake manifold regardless of the flow characteristics of the CAC. If you are cooling the air a tremendous amount, but at the cost of high resistance, then suddenly you have a much greater mass flow rate entering the cylinders at the same pressure as the stock CAC. The consequence is that the Turbo now has to work harder, and at higher boost levels on the hot side of the CAC, to provide the required mass flow rate which means more power is needed to spin the turbo and the air entering the CAC is hotter. That may work against you from an efficiency standpoint, and without retuning, you will make no power gains as the ECU is only going to inject a set amount of fuel anyways since it does not care about AFR.
The air going in and out of the CAC has to make a lot of right angle turns and is moving at a pretty fast rate. I had my CAC hose off the other day while I was taking some compressor rpm readings and it was spitting air out like a leaf blower at idle. I cannot imagine that it would be laminar through the CAC with the exception of off throttle conditions. I think given a much larger, higher flowing CAC, we could see some improved MPG's under load and increased horsepower through efficiency gains alone.
I guess now that I have thought about it I think the following:
-For peak power you want the a CAC maximum cooling capabilities along with tuning to add the extra fuel that you can now burn thanks to the higher mass air flow.
-For peak efficiency you need a CAC with the least resistance and reasonable cooling to reduce the turbos effort. As long as you keep the mass flow rate the same as what the ECU expects, the engine will need to provide less work to gain the boost it wants while still burning the fuel that is injected. since a diesel can run at very high afr's, you could be cruising along at 70mph, using only a little fuel but still pumping 15+ psi.