Function

In the middle of the 80s team Renault clobbered its competitors, particularly in the formula 1, with the help of the turbocharger. Partly, this success was owed the combined charge air cooling. Indeed, this was promising only in the racing sport because of the higher temperatures established here, more than 200°C in the suction parts.

How it works

An air/coolant heat exchanger is combined with an air / air heat exchanger. In the picture on top a racing car is visible for the 24-hour Le Mans race, though the turbocharger is missing, the combined charge air cooler is still present. You can trace the flow path of the air from the right cylinder bank up to the charge air cooler well.The size of the intercooler is striking. The air, from the racing turbocharger sometimes strongly heated with more than 2 bar is first cooled with coolant and afterwards by an air flow cooled down more than usual. Because this worked for relatively constant temperatures of the blown in air also with part load, the regulation was easier at that time, e.g., for the ignition. 05/08