Cooler intake air solution?

[CRUZTAKER]

There was a recent thread on cooling intake air to increase horsepower in those warm climate tracks.
Anyone have thoughts on this product?

Does it appear to be something we could integrate for track use in our MM's?


http://www.mercurygallery.net/mmnet/watermark.php?file=510/627COOL_AIR_INTAKE-med.jpg

[woaface]

N20 alternative?

[CRUZTAKER]

Nooooo James...this is a unit that cools the air entering the intake. Not a form of fuel.
Alot of hits tonight, but no comments. Maybe it's a sham?

[Petrograde]

hmmm,.. in theory it would work. But,.. I'd still like Ram Air!

[Ross]

OK, I'm neither a chemistry major nor a gearhead, but here's a thought. Feel free to correct me. There is only a given volume of air that can enter the engine with a given intake setup. Air is essentially 21% oxygen. If you replace part of that air with CO2, what will that do to the oxygen levels in the combustion process? Remember, it's not AIR that causes the fuel to burn, it's the OXYGEN in the air that causes it to burn. That's what I understand nitrous to do. It doesn't add more air to the combustion process, it replaces part of the air with a gas that contains a higher concentration of oxygen, right? Now someone chemically minded help me with whether the CO2 has a higher ratio of oxygen than normal air does. I understand that this system is supposed to cool the air, but if you are getting cooler air with less oxygen, it's a trade off, right? Of course, if the CO2 not only cools the air, but also has a higher concentration of oxygen, I can see where theoretically this would work.

[crom]

I brought this same kit/theory up before last year. This system doesn't inject CO2, it uses CO2 to cool an element placed in the intake. The element then cools the air going into the intake. The total cost is around $500 bucks. It might make a slight difference in performance seeing how the MM does like cool intake air, but as far as bang for the buck the consenus back then was it's not worth it. For track use in the summer(hot) months I'm sure it would but you also end up with the element in the intake path, don't know how that would effect the overall flow characteristics of the intake system.

[SergntMac]

Ummm...I'm no brain either, Ross, but it was my take on things that the CO2 was forced through the coil, chilling that, and as the air passed over the coil, it was likewise chilled. Maybe I missed something? Anyway, I can't see this approach as having enough bang, no matter the buck...IMHO.

[Ross]

That answers my question, guys. If the CO2 isn't injected into the air stream, then my concerns aren't really on point. Same thing judges usually tell me.

[woaface]

OOO, So what if you get a can of compressed air from Home Depot or Office Depot (haha...de pot!) and you use that instead...more oxygen?