[Inn-Tune]

Since you guys seemed to enjoy my other intercooler tech thread:
Tech: How an intercooler makes you horsepower

I figured I'd post this one I wrote a few years ago.


Tube and Fin
Pros:
Generally weighs about half as much as a bar and plate core of similar dimensions
Generally less expensive
Generally less flow restriction within the core than bar and plate designs
Less flow restriction through the exterior allowing better flow to the rear of the core and to a radiator, AC condenser, tranny or oil cooler, etc. which may be behind it

Cons:
Those with less flow restriction than bar and plate cores offer less heat rejection
Generally have more fins which means they're more likely to be damaged by rocks/debris which cuts down on cooling efficiency
Charge air entry extends beyond core wall making it more difficult for air to enter the core cleanly



Bar and Plate
Pros:
Generally off greater heat rejection than tube and fin design
Those with turbulators offer even greater heat rejection
Offered in tons of varying shapes and sizes
Less likely to be damaged by rocks and debris
Charge air entry sits flush with core allowing for cleaner entry

Cons:
Weighs about twice as much as a similarly size tube and fin core
More expensive
Blocks more airflow to radiators, etc. which may be behind it
Those with turbulators have greater flow resistance to charge air


Remember that there's a balancing act between cooling and airflow restriction within the core. The more densely packed turbulators are within a bar and plate core the more cooling will be done as the air passes through, but the greater flow is restricted.

There are many crappy cores for sale on Ebay and they are now becoming a common item at so called performance shops. In the product images they show the cores and you can see right down them because there are no turbulators present. Without these all you have is big chunk of metal with poor cooling. People are always saying the ebay ICs flow great. Sure they do, straight pipes with no restrictions do flow nicely.


In terms of the core itself, some bar and plate cores use radiused ends (not end tanks) to promote flow. I made a quick drawing to illustrate this. You can see how the airflow will enter the core more readily when the ends are radiused rather than flat. Air is less likely to collide and swirl, and more likely to curve in.

I made some quick drawings. Please try not to laugh.


And here are some pics which illustrate what I meant when I said the charge air entries on a bar and plate sit flush with the core...and the tube and fin entries protrude:



And lastly some radiused end tanks which promote uniform flow:



Before someone asks, I'm a bar and plate guy myself. A properly designed bar and plate intercooler being fed ample airflow in the front of a vehicle offers exceptional cooling efficiency that translates to lots of consistant power. Any flow restriction is easily overcome by sizing it large enough for your needs, as long as you can make room for it.

-Mike

[hoffit]

Wow. Good info.

[ride5000]

Originally Posted by Inn-Tune

There are many crappy bar and plate design cores for sale on Ebay and they are now becoming a common item at so called performance shops. In the product images they show the cores and you can see right down them because there are no turbulators present.

have you really seen cores on ebay entirely without turbulators?

i haven't been paying a lot of attention, but i've never seen anything like that before.

ken

[Inn-Tune]

Yessir every single one I've seen in person didn't have them. Lots of people have walked in the shop to ask us if the intercooler they bought online is OK or not so I've seen a lot of them.

[torquemada]

better pics

tube and fin




bar and plate and fin



plate tube and fin



square tank



shaped tank


OEM STI TMIC

[Inn-Tune]

And I thought nobody could top my sweet MS Paint drawings.... LOL

Excellent addition torquemada

[torquemada]

Originally Posted by Inn-Tune

And I thought nobody could top my sweet MS Paint drawings.... LOL

Excellent addition torquemada

I´ve stolen it from the EVO-boyz

here are two links with additional information

Bell Intercoolers - Technology and FAQs

ARE Cooling (Aluminium Radiators & Engineering P/L)

Don´t get me wrong, it´s only an addition for your very good thread

[ride5000]

Originally Posted by Inn-Tune

Yessir every single one I've seen in person didn't have them. Lots of people have walked in the shop to ask us if the intercooler they bought online is OK or not so I've seen a lot of them.

that's strange.

i guess i got a good one 2.5 years ago. it quite clearly has a second tier of tiny internal fins inside each of the charge air channels. i can't imagine an intercooler working very well at all without them.

and you're saying 100% of the many you've seen did NOT have such fins?

you don't happen to sell intercoolers at your shop, do you?

[Inn-Tune]

I do sell Precision (Garrett core) universal intercoolers here, but the people that come in with the 50 dollar ebay ones would never buy a real intercooler anyways. The ebay ones I've seen really don't have turbulators...on the other hand they're very light LOL.

[stinkfinger]

Are "turbulators" just the cooling fins inside the IC? Or are they something more than that?

I ask because I have an ebay TMIC, and it does have internal cooling fins, but I'm not sure if this is what is meant by "turbulators"...

[Inn-Tune]

Put simply a turbulator causes turbulence in the airflow which increases the heat transfer over a given area of the core. An open core will do less cooling work than the same core with turbulators in it. The difference depends on the density and effectiveness of the turbulators.

A fin would be considered a turbulator in this case. The ebay cores I've seen have had fins for external airflow, but internally where the charge air goes they did not.

Turbulators also add to the surface area the air contacts as it passes through the core.

[fullerton]

my "crappy" ebay TMIC has nearly the same internal design (besides being a bar and plate) as the stock version, at 1/4th the cost of name brand alternatives.

[ride5000]

fullerton, you obviously aren't in the loop.

every single one of the ebay ic cores mike here sees in his shop don't have them.

[Inn-Tune]

I haven't seen an ebay top mount made for WRX/STi. All the no name ebay ones I've seen were universal front mount units.

I have seen the XS Power big TMIC for WRX/STi and it definitely had internal fins. All the customers that came in with them had dents in them and they said they came out of the box like that. When pressure tested only one of the 5 or so we've seen leaked. Aside from that and poor fitment of the brackets, I haven't heard other complaints, but I have no idea what their efficiency is like as we haven't tested any.

[fullerton]

sti TMIC intercooler, Parts Accessories, eBay Motors items on eBay.com