What is a charge air cooler?

What is a charge air cooler?

Internal combustion engines, particularly turbocharged or supercharged engines, employ a charge air cooler (also known as an intercooler) to cool compressed air before it enters the combustion chamber. The charge air cooler lowers the compressed air's temperature by releasing heat into the surrounding atmosphere or a cooling system.

The temperature of the air rises as it is compressed by a turbocharger or supercharger. Less dense air has less oxygen because it is less dense than cold air. A charge air cooler enhances the density of compressed air by cooling it before it enters the engine's combustion chamber, which enables more oxygen to be packed into the same volume of air. As a result, more gasoline can be used, resulting in a higher power and better fuel economy.

Depending on the application and design of the engine, charge air coolers may be liquid-to-air or air-to-air. Compressed air in air-to-air coolers is cooled by passing through a heat exchanger, which is frequently positioned in the engine's air intake system. Compressed air is cooled in liquid-to-air coolers by passing through a heat exchanger coupled to the engine's coolant system.