2.0 TFSI Intercooler

2.0TFSI Cooler

The idea

2.0TFSI platform cars have a front mounted intercooler as standard, which provides adequate cooling for a stock car. However once boost levels are increased, either by ECU remapping or the introduction of a bigger turbo, stock coolers struggle to maintain low intake temperatures.

Once the air intake temperature gets too hot, the engine ECU will retard the timing and lower boost levels to maintain engine’s safety.

The stock cooler forms the hangers for both the radiator and air conditioning condenser, due to this up rated cooler designs fall into one of two categories.

• Keep a stock cooler in place and add additional cooling.
• A new cooler which retains all the hangers for the radiator and a/c condenser.
  Whilst offering more efficient cooling. and reduced pressure drop

As the stock cooler have its limitations, a small core and plastic end tanks
(Note Audi S3 cooler has a slightly larger core, with aluminium tanks, but restricted inlet / outlets)

THS concluded for a number of reasons that a new high efficiency bar and plate cooler as a direct replacement for the stock cooler offers best solution and results.

• No extra pipe work, keeping un-cooled air volume to a minimum, reducing turbo lag.
• Removal of restrictive OEM end tanks, restrictive inlet/outlets and core.
• Lower pressure drop.
• No bumper trimming required.

The design

Using 3D CAD modelling the cast aluminium end tanks were designed to retain the vital hanger points necessary for the a/c condenser and radiator. New larger inlet / outlets and unique end tank shape give increased unrestricted air flow.

These are then TIG welded to a large bar and plate core. The complete cooler is pressure tested to 5bar (72psi)

The core

The THS TFSI cooler features a Bar and Plate core. Bar and Plate core offers similar cooling properties as tube and fin systems but has the added advantage of reducing pressure drop due to lower hydraulic internal restrictions. This means that the THS TFSI intercooler has a reduced pressure drop over the standard OEM cooler and S3 cooler.

The core measures 610mm x 415mm x 57mm (24” x 16¼” x 2¼”)

Pressure drop

How does reducing pressure drop help?

On the 2.0TFSI engine the boost pressure is measured on the up-pipe after the intercooler. However the boost pressure here, or at the intake manifold will be less than that at the turbo outlet. This is because of the restriction of the intercooler and pipe work.

Reducing the pressure drop by means of a more efficient intercooler and pipe work requires the turbo to produce less boost pressure at its outlet whilst still maintaining the required boost pressure at the intake manifold.

This has 2 distinct advantages:

1. Compressing air causes it to increase in temperature, the less it is compressed the colder it remains.
   An intercooler which offers good cooling but with a high pressure drop due to restrictive core and excessive pipe work is less efficient than one with similar cooling but a less restriction.
2. The turbo is not working as hard to produce the same requested boost at the manifold. Prolonging the life of turbo.

Connections

To connect the new THS TFSI cooler to the cars existing charge air pipe work we have designed 2 new silicone hoses to allow for the large inlet and outlets of the new intercooler.

An CNC machined adaptor is used to connect the turbo outlet pipe to the new silicone hose. Keeping the cooler in the stock location keeps the intercooler pipe work short which means that no additional turbo lag will be experienced.

The result

Giving lower intake temperatures right across the rev range. Let the figures speak for themselves.

Fitting Instructions

Supplied with the intercooler are a set of comprehensive instructions.