Stirling engine

[hoovermatic]

I've been checking out stirling engines recently and reckon it would be a good replacement for the air conditioning compressor to refridgerate an intercooler.
Anyone had any experience with these?

[doggystyle]

yep they tend to freeze your throttle body up >:(.. it also takes a bit to regulate and set up but if you pull it off its good for those 30' days

[hoovermatic]

I've since read that you only get a gain of 1hp for every 11 degrees of reduced temperature so frozen air is only gonna give about an extra 3hp which is probibly less than what it will take to spin the compressor. :-/

[Turbo3]

Yep heard much the same thing as I started to look at for my car. Gains are not worth the hassle and the power needed to drive the compressor. Also creates a lot of condensation in the intercooler, and makes it's way into the engine as unpredictable water injection! :-/
Pete

[doggystyle]

but then if you drove it with an electric motor would it it add the same amount of drive to your alternator.. nah bugger it just use iced water spray on your intercooler, cheaper and easyer

[Colza]

It has to get its power from somewhere, if not directly by making your engine harder to turn, then it will just make you alternator harder to turn instead.
Im planning on setting up a water-to-air at the side of the engine bay. Intercooler immersed in a tank of water that is connected to a second radiator up the front. Makes the intercooler pipes shorter and means you can use a smaller cooler so less lag ;D