Cold air box design for turbo NT's

[BigRand]

Now I have another question (which I might have to start a new thread for...but I'm really hi jacking a thread that "I started").

I'm thinking of making a cold air intake box like corbrin did on 2gnt.com I was just going to build a box out of sheet matal (test fit with cardboard of course), and have it be a complete 3D box surrounding the air filter off my turbo inlet.

I was going to have a whole that collects fresh via a tube collecting air from one of the air dams below.

I am also thinking that on other air boxes I have seen before they usually have a like a foam filter on the top side of the box.

Anyways the main reason I am posting here is because of all the scientific minds we've got in this thread already.




I have a couple of questions to facilitate some conversation.

1) What is the space requirement between the box and the air filter that sits inside of it? I don't want to restrict the air by having it too close so is this something ot worry about?

2) Is there a better way to isolate the heat from outside to the inside of the box with better materials?

3)What size diameter should the air duct/tube be to provide enough air for the isolated air filter?

4) what are the pro's and con's that are overlooked of an airbox design?

 

[totaleclipse_05]

I'd be interested to see how this project turns out for you Rand, keep us updated with whatever you do.

 

[VelocitàPaola]

1) What is the space requirement between the box and the air filter that sits inside of it? I don't want to restrict the air by having it too close so is this something ot worry about?

That's a good question. I'd say try to keep about 3" of space around the filter. I'm sure there's some complex mathematical method to finding the right answer, but without FloWorks at hand, I'm not willing to find it.

2) Is there a better way to isolate the heat from outside to the inside of the box
with better materials?

Sheet metal is probably your best bet because of workability issues. It'd be hard to make an air box out of some sort of composite material without a vacuum form, etc..

3)What size diameter should the air duct/tube be to provide enough air for the isolated air filter?

At least the size of the intake. 4-5" should be ample.

4) what are the pro's and con's that are overlooked of an airbox design?

Just make sure it makes a decent seal against the hood and against the intake pipe. If you could coat the outside of the box with some sort of reflective foil/paint, that'd be good too.

 

[BigRand]

I was looking to find the link to corbrin's intake box link, but I can't' seem to find it.

If anyone else can can they post it in here please.

 

[VelocitàPaola]

http://www.2gnt.com/www/corbin/airbox.html

http://www.2gnt.com/www/corbin/hood.html

 

[dr1665]

I'd also suggest leaving a small exhaust vent for the airbox. If you're forcing air into the box, you'll want a low pressure area to keep the airflow from stagnating in there. Consider a smaller slot, possibly on the header side of the box, where the excess air being forced in there can escape. You shouldn't have to worry about heat (at speed) because the hot side of this slot will be a high pressure are where cold air is escaping the box into the bay. (Then again, maybe this aids in that convection paul was talking about...)

 

[VelocitàPaola]

Eh... convection happens in more or less closed systems (such as under a heat shield).

I don't think he needs to be too worried about stagnating air (although that was a good point and valid concern) because the turbo will always be a source of vacuum, sucking air in; whether the car's at idle or 8K RPM.

 

[BigRand]

I think my main concern is going to be space. I've got those star intercooler lines below the intake and the air filter itself is pretty much smashed up against the airduct vent (under the fuse box) where the old intake tube would get air from.

I'll take better measurements in the daytime when I really get a chance to do some field work on this process.

What do you guys think Corbrin's reason was for just making the top of the air box the actual hood itself, and not building a top to it?

 

[Blitzeclips]

Honestly, II'm not kidding at all guys, this is wierd.

EVERY time I have an idea for our cars, it's either being developed or posted the next day. This was actually running across my mind a couple times. You know what they say, great minds think alike! Well, I'd like to think so..

I am very willing to fit some of this stuff up. I have a HUGE 6 foot x 3 foot roll of 26 gauge sheet metal at home, so if the temps. don't drop too much, I can fab something up.

I've also managed to find some scrap stuff laying around my basement that can improve this idea.

I have a leftover SS feed line, NOS solonoid, and some cables from the bikes. Also, my brother's co2 bottle for his paintball gun(which he DOESN'T use )...
I think I'm going to find some fitting and tee everything together, see if I can make a switch for a cold shot of air.
I'm planning to make a duct into the intake box, then hopefully find some hollowed tubing for the units delivering the co2. Then as it's isolated, once the co2 is released it should stay within the area boxed.

So it's a twist to the idea but beneficial nonetheless. Honemade co2 kits baby!

 

[dr1665]

Honemade co2 kits baby!

Ah. Made by hone.

Consider this a case where the idea came out the day before you.

I had considered, at one point, a couple years back, coiling copper tubing around the intake pipes in a turbocharger system, then wrapping them again with some form of insulation to protect them from ambient heat. The idea was to run this tube from the CO2 bottle, continuously around the intake piping, down to a nozzle at the intercooler so that, when you purged the system, you sort of iced the inner surfaces of the intake piping after the cooler, which would get the last of the spray. The idea being to let the IC do the bulk of the cooling, while having the CO2 continue the cold environment through to the TB.

Got the idea from the old school, hot rodders, who used to have a copper coil in-line with their fuel line to the carbs. They would put this coil into a coffee can and then fill the coffee can with ice water to help cool and condense the fuel to the engine. :shrug

 

[Defiant]

If you're seeking cooler air next summer, have the intake at least a foot above ground level.