Been reading "Turbo" by Jay K. Miller.

I read that the word "intercooler" is a heat exchanger used between turbos in a compound set up, and technically our heat exchangers are properly termed "aftercoolers".

Miller didn't make a big deal of it but it got me thinking.

If there was no pressure drop using an "intercooler" would there be any benefit to adding one if the aftercooler was capable of doing its job in the compound system?

 

Some of the high money guys will intercool between stages of a compound setup. It works well from what I have read. They will also intercool between stages in a triple setup. Do a search on Compd. There was a thread about it.

 

Thanks spooler. I had temperature probes in my triple setup - one after first stage boost, then final boost then after the cooler in the intake horn.

When I hit about 50 PSI the temps were 140°F and 350°F. The Banks cooler does a good job of dropping the final charge air back down to about 90°F - close to ambient. It starts to slowly creep up at that PSI but I'd be well over the speed of this truck before I'd heat up my "aftercooler".

I'm tempted to toss in a compact air to water cooler in between the two stages.

 

the nomenclature aside, there are significant benefits to "intercooling". It's not done mostly due to cost vs benefit (like getting an aftermarket CAC on a stock truck) and because it's a pain to install, usually have to remove the right side battery in our trucks. (duramaxs, due to lack of space, will often duct to the bed and back!)
Anyway, as the primary (atmospheric) charger compresses the air and heats it up, it is no different than why we use a CAC on the single chargers. To condense the air molecules (cool it off) sending more dense air to the engine. With the compounded turbos, cooling it between stages allows the secondary to "swallow" more air molecules and less demand is then placed on the secondary turbo and subsequent CAC.

Shorter still, the intercooler enhances the turbos ability to feed more air to the engine.

 

One other thing not often thought about.

During long stretches of highway cruising, it's never an issue. Doing a number of back to back 1/4 mile runs, it's always an issue.

The turbos can produce a ton of heat when being pushed hard. The CAC is a heat exchanger. It is also a heat sink and as that CAC's metal surface temp rises, it loses efficiency. An air to water intercooler is more efficient and staves off that effect.

 

With my triple setup my second battery is already gone so there's some room there. Probably wouldn't need a very big intercooler for the low pressure.

I think I would do the heat exchanger in the truck bed against the back with an electric cooling fan and a guard / cage to protect the setup.

And suggestions for good manufacturers?

 

lazarsmith used to do some custom built setups for that. He'd be a good place to start.

 

Don't put it in the bed... rip out the dash on the passenger side, take the seat out, box it off from the driver... plenty of room then...

 

No can do - I have put in far too much time redoing my interior!

Intercooling between the stages will be an interesting experiment...