The Diesel discussion is becoming hotter with many of carefee opinions being
thrown around. Maybe we need an intercooler :)

This is how it works: 

The exhaust gases are used to drive a turbine which adds air pressure to the
intake side of the engine. This allows a more rapid filling of the
combustion chamber rather than letting the piston do all the work through
suction. The drawback is that this turbine gets hot and heats up the intake
air (coming through the air filter) therefore making it less dense and
reducing the effiency of the process. An intercooler is basically a heat
exchanger which cools down the intake air after the turbocharger and before
it enters the cylinder head to increase the density of the gases. This
allows for more energy in the combustion process with appropriate adjustment
of fuel injection. 
The coolant which is heated up in the exchange is then cooled through
another radiator by exchanging temperature with air. 

Cool, isn't it? :)

Bj�rn
Bj�rn Ratjen, Ph.D.

Mill Bay, B.C.
Canada
ph/fax (250) 743-7575