How does an intercooler affect the power output of an engine?
By supplying the engine with a denser intake air charge the engine will have the potential to make more power. Each 30 degree F reduction in intake charge temperature is the same as adding 1 PSI of boost pressure. So as example let’s suppose you are running a supercharger at 7psi boost, and the compressor discharge temperature is 200 degrees F above ambient and ambient air temperature is 80 degrees F, so your intake charge would be 280 degrees F as it leaves the supercharger, with no intercooler this is the temperature that the intake air charge would have as it enters the engine. Now let’s say we add a 75% efficient air to air intercooler. The intercooler would remove 150 degrees F from the compressor discharge temperature leaving us with ambient temperature plus 50 degrees F. In our example that would be 130 degrees F, a difference of 150 degrees F. supposing our intercooler was the “mythical zero pressure loss intercooler” our sample shows that an intercooler gives the same performa
