[Tom Vaught]

Going thru some files and decided to post some info on high speed BOOST
COOLING (provided by Gale Banks). Enjoy


Sidewinder for this endeavor heats the intake air to approximately 480-500° F. while compressing it to over 50 PSI boost. Such high intake temperatures greatly reduce the charge density and maximum power potential of the engine unless intercooling is used to bring the temperature back to manageable levels of 100-120° F. Cooling the intake air that much is a challenge. It takes serious heat exchangers and an adequate cooling medium to get the job done. The only practical way to do it is with air-to-water intercoolers using very cold water. And even then, the water flow rate through the intercoolers must be substantial.
With all of the above taken into consideration, Banks® engineered a recirculating water system to intercool the compressed intake air for the Sidewinder’s Bonneville runs. The system uses twin Cummins® marine air-to-water intercoolers fed by dual Stewart-E.M.P.® high-capacity electric water pumps. The combined water flow rate is an incredible 120 gallons per minute. The ice water, taken from a custom 40-gallon tank designed by Gale Banks Engineering™ and assembled by Glenn Lirhus, is located at the rear of the pickup bed. Internal vertical baffles divide the tank into four compartments with alternating bottom and top crossovers to the next compartment. Dual pickups, drawing from the bottom of the fourth compartment, route ice water to the pumps, which are mounted directly to the side of the tank. A horizontal, expanded metal baffle inside the tank prevents any ice chunks from being sucked into the pumps. The water starts out at 33-35° F. and is fed through dual 1-3/4-inch supply lines to the intercoolers. The water, which exits the intercoolers an average of 6° F. warmer than it entered, is returned through 2-inch lines to the tank where it is then forced to flow through the four chambers in the tank to mix with cooler tank water before being picked up and pumped to the intercoolers again. Of course, during a run the average temperature of the tank water rises. The tank water was recooled to 33-35° before the start of each run. The 300 pounds of water weight at the rear of the Sidewinder also helped rear wheel traction on the salt.

Tom V.