Intercooler test - Results

The Oily Bits S2 Specific Topics
1

OK, now before I start, please don�t shoot the messenger. We have tested 5 intercoolers today and we have done it to the best of our ability, in the short space of time we had to arrange this, and as accurately as possible. As I have mentioned before this is an unbiased test. JSR do not make, market or sell any intercoolers.

The 5 coolers were:
Standard Exige cooler
Forge
Pro Alloy development version 1
MMG Stage 1
MMG Stage 2

We took the ambient temperature before each run, and it was within 5 degrees for the whole of the test. At the end of all the swapping over of intercoolers, the standard cooler was refitted and tested again, and the same results were achieved. Using this 2nd standard intercooler test the ambient throughout the day only differed by 3 degrees.

We tested each cooler with and without a cold air feed from each side vent.

We couldn�t test the MMG Stage 2 without the side air feed, due to the carbon shroud being bonded to it and it being internally gated, so without the side feeds and only being fed from the roof, air would only have been hitting the centre third of the cooler, so we didn�t think this was fair.

The test was basically a couple of warm up laps and then three flying laps and a cool down. All of the data in this report is from the final flying lap from each test.

The data was recorded using an AIM data logger taking its data directly from the Lotus ECU via CAN-BUS in real time.

The Proalloy cooler could only be tested on a separate car. The car was an identically specced 240BHP car. This was due to the different mounting base plate on the Proalloy cooler meaning swapping it from one car to another would have been extermly time consuming. Readings for the Pro Alloy cooler we taken with a Snap On ODB reader, again reading the air temp directly from the ECU in real time.

The first thing to note is that feeding air from the side vents works and it works really well. The graph below shows a 1 lap trace for the standard Lotus cooler both with and without the side air feed. The temperature scale is down the left hand side and is in degrees centigrade

In both graphs please ignore the occasional drops to zero degrees, this can only be put down to a loss of signal from the sensor for a fraction of a second.

As you can see feeding air from the side vents is worth between 10 and 15 degrees throughout the lap. Each cooler showed a similar result, so I haven�t bothered showing each one. If people really want to see it then let me know.

Now to the nitty gritty. The graph below shows 4 of the intercoolers overlaid on the same one lap graph. All of these figures are with side air feeds (remember we didn�t manage to do a full data log of the pro alloy cooler)

MMG Stage 1 � Green
MMG Stage 2 � Blue
Forge � Purple
Standard � Red

As you can see the Forge and the standard coolers are pretty stable and finish the lap at roughly the same temperature as they started. From our manual readings this was also the case for the PROalloy cooler. The two MMG coolers start the lap at a higher temperature than the other two as they are not stable and the temperature just keeps on rising lap after lap.

We also took a maximum and minimum figure from the fast laps manually. The max is the highest figure we saw and the min is the lowest figure the cooler recovered to during the lap. These figures were often collected from the slowing down lap, as to be fair at Bedford you can do three quarters of the lap before you need to start cooling down. All of these figures are with side air feeds.

MMG Stage 1: Max 90 � Min 68
MMG Stage 2: Max 80 � Min 60
Forge: Max 70 � Min 61
PROalloy: Max 69 � Min 60
Standard: Max 68 � Min 59

I will leave everyone to draw their own conclusions, but if you want my opinion, this test has left me with two thoughts. Firstly I will be keeping my standard Intercooler and secondly everyone needs to get some side air feeds as they are the single biggest difference you can make to your intake air temperatures and it is also probably the cheapest bang for your buck going!!!

One thing to bear in mind however, this was only ever a test of temperature between the different coolers. Whilst this in isolation increases power/reliability/etc, there were no tests made of flow rates, pressure drop, etc across the cores.

Big thanks to Liam from MMG who loaned us the stage 1 cooler, plus he said that whatever happens in the testing he will keep on developing and improving his products (We would love to help out).

Thanks to moomin for the loan of his MMG stage 2 cooler and to Fluffy for going and collecting it for us.

Thanks to Chris Ainsworth for the loan of the Forge intercooler

Thanks to my mate Porkie for the loan of his car and the Pro alloy cooler. He has informed me that Proalloy are working on an even bigger cooler that includes an enlarged shroud with side feeds.

2

Sorry about the graphs being a bit small. If you ‘right click’ them and do ‘open image in new tab’ that makes them bigger.

3

Sean, when you say pro alloy is that the chargecooler intercooler or an air intercooler thingy?

4

Its an intercooler. Was just a development one they did for me for FREE.

As Sean said the production ProAlloy one is bigger and will also have a bigger shroud… airflow is soooo key as the results show. I really couldn’t believe how well the ‘Ears’ worked on the cars. Big thanks to Renton for doing an awesome job on my ones.

Oh… and wasn’t there another test done today Sean? are you gonna release the results of that one :wink: :slight_smile:

5

surprised to see the stock one doing so well unless im missing somthing?

6

Although surprised and disappointed I have to say congratulations on the job.
It’s hard to fault the methodology for the results obtained on the same car. I await the thoughts of those more skilled in intereting the results but my first thoughts are , oh bugger.
I think we all agree the stock I/C heatsoaks more than what we change it too, so is there another factor here I’m missing?

7

Save the money spending on diff air coolers and just get a chargecooler like me, no heatsoak or any of that shit cus you can leave it running, taking the cooler water from front to back so everytime the car runs flawlessly, no powerloss and no s1 elises pulling away on straights :stuck_out_tongue:

8

On the heat soak issue, maybe if the cooler is taking the heat out of the air and as a result getting hot, rather than letting it pass through and into the engine maybe that’s a good thing??

All of the coolers were air to air intercoolers

9

Thanks to Sean for going out his way to do the this test , it must have been a busy day sorting all the intercoolers out .
I’m obviously gutted that the stage two performed badly on the test and just by the laws of physics and the higher heat transfer rate it should have done far better .
As soon as I found out the results I called Liam at MMG who I have to say was gobsmacked at what I told him and got straight on the phone to his core supplier who also said " that’s impossible " and " every car that core has been fitted to like GTRs/ Porsches / Koenigseggs its outperformed everything out there ".
Obviously Liam has told me that if the data turns out to right once they have looked at it then he will sort it out and if I know him he will .
One thing I don’t understand is how did the Forge outperform the standard intercooler at Spa by a big margin and then was not as good as the standard intercooler at Bedford , could it be the type of track ?
The Forge has a core very much like the standard intercooler but bigger so you would think it would lose more heat just by the fact it has more cooling fins .
I’m sure Sean is just as surprised on his test that the standard intercooler was better than all the aftermarket ones as I’m sure Forge & Pro Alloy will be .

10

Very well done all those involved, constructive and unbiased, I must say I did put my hand in my pocket and bought a Forge IC and with the Standard IC and the Forge IC sat side by side on the bench I could not see how one was going to be any better than the other. So I will now fit side feeds and also open up the “LETERBOX” where the roof scoop meets the rear clam.

11

Great tests so well done to everyone involved.

It would be good to hear from the manufacturers to see what they think of the results & whether they differ from tests they have done previoously against the OEM kit.

12

I see sales of air hose rising …
Well done for posting results … excellent read :slight_smile:

13

One thing I don’t understand is how did the Forge outperform the standard intercooler at Spa by a big margin and then was not as good as the standard intercooler at Bedford , could it be the type of track?

Suspect the main difference is driver to be honest. Forge cooler at Spa also was attatched to a 260 Cup, so there are a couple of differences in the map, injectors and fuel pump as we know. It also had the carbon roof which may give an increase in airflow if the thickness of the material is less, thereby allowing more air through to the cooler. Will have a look on monday.

14

[quote=moomin]
One thing I don’t understand is how did the Forge outperform the standard intercooler at Spa by a big margin and then was not as good as the standard intercooler at Bedford , could it be the type of track ?[/quote]

That’s fair comment, although I think it’s much easier to pick holes in the Spa ‘results’. They were 3 different cars, 3 different spec engines, 3 different drivers and the ‘logging’ was manual.
Having gone out with Chris in his Forge’d 260 and Sean in his standard 240, I can confirm Chris was a bit more mechanically sympathetic than Sean!

I think flow testing the coolers could be interesting. K&N used to lend us their flow bench when I worked at Redline. They may be up for doing the same for exiges.com? That doesn’t help with the implications of potential pressure drops of the different coolers though.

The only real way to test everything at once would be actual performance testing I think (rolling roads couldn’t replicate the real world air flow). Either on track over many laps so that lap times, peak speeds and temps could all be monitored (still a good margin for variation though, like tyre wear and driver inconsistency etc.). Or performance testing at somewhere like Brunters where several in-gear tests could be carried out in the same conditions, on the same stretch of track, on the same day, in the same car… Say 4th gear driving from 25mph to 90mph and measure the 40-90 time…? That would mean a good chunk of cash and time needs spending though - slightly different to “we’re at a track day anyway, lets bolt some testing on”.

15

The results were shocking, that’s why we bolted the standard cooler back on at the end and tested it again, I was sure the first test was going to be wrong. No one was more shocked than I when the second test of the standard cooler, exactly matched the first.

In my opinion it can only come down to an air flow issue. Maybe the airflow, even with the side pipes is that bad that the higher quality cores simply dont get a chance to start working properly???

16

Well firstly lets start with the figures don’t lie and from what I can see that looks to be about as fair a test as you could possibly do.

Way back when, Forge told me that they had tested various core designs on the exige and found that the tube and fin they used was the best on the exige due to the low air flow.
I’m not sure about the pro alloy but looking at the OEM and Forge both use tube and fin and both seem to of faired better in the test.
Its quite a surprise to see the OEM the top of the pile even if its not by much as I know my car runs better with the Forge fitted, I am guessing thats a flow thing?
It would be interesting to see flow results for the different coolers.
The other thing I note is that really none of them are doing that great a job, 60 deg looks a little on the high side
for a cold’ish day in Bedford.

Boothy

17

[quote=JDS]One thing I don’t understand is how did the Forge outperform the standard intercooler at Spa by a big margin and then was not as good as the standard intercooler at Bedford , could it be the type of track?

Suspect the main difference is driver to be honest. Forge cooler at Spa also was attatched to a 260 Cup, so there are a couple of differences in the map, injectors and fuel pump as we know. It also had the carbon roof which may give an increase in airflow if the thickness of the material is less, thereby allowing more air through to the cooler. Will have a look on monday. [/quote]
You would think the Forged 260hp car would generate more heat than a standard 240 Just with the extra 20hp and with the standard intercooler peaked at 96C and the Forge at 78C at Spa and then the standard did 59C peak and the Forge 60C at Bedford can that be down to driving style ?
I don’t doubt your result to be anything but correct and unbiased and hats off to you for finally getting some comparable data even if the results are not good for anyone that has an aftermarket intercooler , just trying to get my head round it .

18

Interesting results, makes me think I’m lucky I only paid around �200’ish for my Forge and not the full whack.

I just added some ducting to mine yesterday and it’s helped with the cool down rate but not a huge difference to the peak temps (66 without ducts vs 60 with ducts) although it’s very hard to find anywhere large enough on the road to find the space to do this.

The next thing is to buy some larger side scoops and fit maybe a scoop to the end of the hose and possibly even chamber off the intercooler to avoid airflow reversal.

Neil.

19

[quote=SeanB]The results were shocking, that’s why we bolted the standard cooler back on at the end and tested it again, I was sure the first test was going to be wrong. No one was more shocked than I when the second test of the standard cooler, exactly matched the first.

In my opinion it can only come down to an air flow issue. Maybe the airflow, even with the side pipes is that bad that the higher quality cores simply dont get a chance to start working properly??? [/quote]

Nice test guys - very interesting and shocking at the same time

One piece of data I missed was the ambient air temps - Spa was in the low to mid 30’s on the day I saw 78 IAT. What was Bedford ???

I’ll digest the rest and may comment later… :wink:

20

Bedford ambient temps ranged from 17 to 22.

The ambients for each test were:

1st test - Standard cooler - Ambient 17
2nd test - Forge - Ambient 19
3rd test - MMG stage 2 - Ambient 19
4th test - PRO Alloy - Ambient 22
5th test - MMG stage 1 - Ambient 20
6th test - Standard cooler - Ambient 20

I have pictures showing the cores of each cooler, I will post those up later.

And I say again, nobody was more surprised than we were with the results.