| Preface: I do not have a Mechanical Engineering degree, I don't have any qualifications in fluid-dynamics, etc. Just intuitiveness. Air, like water and electricity, seeks the easiest way. Considering the design of many Z32 TT aftermarket intercoolers having the placement of their inlet/outlet pipes determined by the location of the hoses and restrictive space in the front corners of the Z32 TT, it occurred to me that most of the air is traveling through the bottom of the intercooler since that is where the inlet and outlet pipes are; it's the straightest, easiest course for the air to take. And so the entire structure of the intercooler is not being utilized evenly and therefore not as efficiently. Greater efficiency = greater power. It would only be by greater and greater pressure that the air would be forced to travel up to the top of the intercooler and then back down again to the outlet pipe. Wouldn't it be nice if the entire structure of the intercooler were utilized without the engine having to work more to create greater pressure? It would seem that the most effective way to utilize as much or all of the intercooler dimensions would be to put the inlet and outlet pipes at the mid-section of the intercooler, or have two inlet pipes - one at the top and one at the bottom of one side, while having two outlet pipes - one at the top and one at the bottom on the other side, so as to have the air travel more evenly throughout the intercooler without the need for greater and greater air-pressure, whether that greater air-pressure be occurring or not. While there may not be room for either of such configurations, perhaps that could be overcome by realizing that, IF the two-pipes-per-side design were utilized, the two pipes could be significantly smaller and could "Y" into the one larger pipe further on at a location where there IS at least enough space to resume the larger pipe. The two smaller pipes could resolve the space issue, and there would still be enough air-flow volume through those two smaller pipes as long as the inside-diameter of each is at least half of that of the larger pipe which should maintain the original air-flow volume capacity of the larger pipe. OR, perhaps you could install a "diverter" of some sort inside the inlet side, a simple plate or scoop that catches half the air coming in and sends it to the top of the intercooler. That way it's being sent up top by mechanism instead of from greater pressure. Flame suit on. Am I goin off the rails on the crazy train, or does any of this make sense? And I apologize if all this is a re-hash.
Thanks, guys :)
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