Yep, really interesting...

 

I'd love to hear a technical answer here as well I would assume its because the T&F are easier to build/assemble/more consistent in mass quantities once you have a given dimension. Other than where they meet up at the end tanks, these are so close in construction to a B&P that these are more of what people would call a "hybrid". The external aerodynamics are identical (in that the tubes are actually flat) &, other than the protrusions to guide air into the channels, the internals are pretty close as well. You do lose a slight amount of core for a given size in order to get the end tanks on, but in this case, it isn't much.

I think it's really incorrect to make a blanket statement on which is better. An an example, HKS & Greddy used a T&F core on some of their high end coolers, which outperformed many B&Ps on the market. However, some B&Ps outperform some T&Fs, really depends.

 

For one,
the $150K car is only making 400hp... not 600 700 800 900 etc.... I have never seen a 1000 rwhp with tube and fin design...
Second,
The core is much lighter...
markski

 

FWIW, the popular Greddy "4 row" is a T&F and found on many Supras in the 700-1100hp range

 

no the 150k car is making over 500 hp and the GT2RS is making 630 hp. There is no doubt that the end tank design is cheaper and they save money there. But the core looks good.

 

Closer...

Type K thermocouple mounted in the passenger's side piping (same process for the driver's side):





Engine bay with thermocouples installed / ops check with the Fluke 52 II dual channel thermometer (calibrated to 500C with +- 1.5C accuracy and an update rate of ~2Hz). Note the water/meth nozzles on each side -this will remain off (the pump isn't even on the car yet). Pressure test was good.




Passenger's side lead:




Driver's side:






As a reminder, GT2 / 997.1 core is on the driver side, 997.2 / GT2 RS core is on the passenger. Should have it buttoned up and on the road tomorrow, stay tuned!

 

Looking very legit so far!

 

Fantastic. Scientific testing...I love it! Keep it up.

 

EARL3 vey interesting test.We keep specting results.Good luck.

 

End tank material has nothing to do with HP.. My Cummins run 45psi of boost thru plastic End tanks and doesnt leak so if designed right the material to me is meaningless as long as it doesnt fail..

The Gt2 RS is obviously a good option for those with mild upgrades.. and certainly better than the POS chinese core pictured on page 1.. You will reach a point of course that you need more thickness to keep the AIT down..

From my experience its hard to say which is better Tube or Bar.. My thoughts are tube and fin cools better than bar and plate but the draw back is more restriction.. Some apps will benefit from Tube and other Bar.. Depends what you are going for.. many road race apps use Tube because of the better cooling and they can afford the loss in flow.. Just really depends what your building.. They are all not 1 size fits all or 1 type fits all IMO..

Mike

 

From FAQ http://www.bellintercoolers.com/page...FAQ.html#FAQ_8

Does one style core cool better than another?
No, almost no difference. With three decades of testing intercooler’s, we have found no appreciable difference between any core style or manufacturer. Keep in mind, that the merit of a core is it’s efficiency versus its internal drag characteristics. When sized for a tolerable flow loss, virtually all cores will produce essentially the same efficiency results. Perhaps a core with slightly less flow area per linear inch, or one with longer tubes, will need perhaps 5% more tubes to equal the best of intercooler’s with regard to flow loss and efficiency. Not a very important difference.

 

Initial results are in...

Background on the test car:

01 996 TT 6 speed, ~38k miles, fresh plugs, 94 octane, K16 turbos
EPL Flash
2.5" turbo inlet pipes
Remus Exhaust
996GT2 Intercooler (same as 997.1) driver's side
997.2 Intercooler (same as GT2 RS) passenger's side

You wish you had this logging setup! (see previous posts for equipment)



Note that I am at high density altitude (~6000ft today), so to create the 2bar or so of absolute pressure that a 1 bar flash calls for, these turbos are producing ~1.3 bar at the outlets to make up for the low ambient pressure (and quickly falling out of their efficiency range) -perfect for a thermal test on intercoolers!

I'm still sifting through the data but here's the first log:

This is a full 1-4 pull after a few quick 2-3 pulls to get her warmed up, ambient temp of 23.3C. The pull starts at 14 seconds & I let off at about 28.5 secs.



Video of this run so you can get an idea of recovery time (~14-60s): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhC-O...tart=10&end=60

I'll get the rest of the data up later but it's pretty much the same story after repeated pulls, you're looking at better than a 20C improvement (34F) once you get some load on these coolers (more as you do extended pulls).

and that, my friends, is HUGE. I would challenge any of the budget (<$1600) intercooler options out there with this cooler in thermal efficiency (any probably some higher dollar ones as well). Rest of the writeup with duct mod instructions to follow.

Random thought...if I can produce logs of 2 different coolers on the same car at the same time with $200 of equipment and between a full time job, why can't very many of the people who sell these things do the same? ...the truth is out there

I'll do some follow on tests when I put my 16g's on, though I would expect lower overall temps with the larger & more efficient compressors.

 

Asuming that the GT2 unit is more efficient then the regular 996 unit this does not even show the full potential of these thing vs. Stock. The results look great. I am sold

Out o curiosity - do you have a stock unit? Would anyone not using theirs volunteer to ship you theirs for testing? It's dissapointing that ppl who charge 3k for intercoolers will not a take the time to produce something like this.

 

Very impressive results... the trick would be to put them on a 18g or a A28 turbos... run stock then these.... I do have a feeling they will do well... like on a 600 rwhp car...
great work
mark

 

Impresive work EAR13 very clearly exposed.