Intercooler TypeIntercoolers may be air-cooled or water-cooled depending on manufacturer design and operator preferences. While both configurations can achieve adequate cooling of compressed air, the availability of the cooling medium is a key selection criterion.
Air-cooled intercoolers can be used in virtually any environment by utilizing ambient air to pull heat out of associated processes. Water-cooled intercoolers require a steady flow of cool water to effectively achieve thermal exchange with a heated industrial process. An absence of continuous flow of water will make a water-cooled intercooler an impractical choice.Anticipated System TemperatureEach industrial application requires a unique temperature of the compressed air flowing through it. When deciding on the type of intercooler to integrate, operators must pay attention to the temperature of the air entering the exchanger and the thermal reading anticipated at the outlet after cooling. Only intercoolers able to achieve satisfactory outlet pressures should be considered.Size of Cooling OperationIntercoolers of various sizes and thermal ratings are available for cooling turbo-charged engines. Matching an appropriately sized intercooler to a cooling process is crucial to operational efficiency and longevity of associated processes components.Maximum Compressed Air Flow RateThe most effective intercooler must achieve optimal cooling at the maximum airflow rate of the compressor it is attached to. This is another crucial factor all operators must consider when choosing an intercooler device.
Lower flow rate operations might benefit from smaller-sized intercoolers. In contrast, high flow rate processes are better served by equipment with a larger surface area that permits more rapid cooling to the desired outlet temperatures.Intercooler AlternativesIn operations where the integration of an intercooler is not practical, other heat exchanger units can be installed in continuum with an air compression unit. Aftercoolers are heat exchange devices that can rapidly cool air just emerging from a compressor outlet.
This process cooling equipment has a similar setup to an intercooler with tubing filled with water, pulling heat from the compressed air (water-cooled type) or with compressed air pipes being bathed in cool ambient air (air-cooled type). This device can rapidly drop compressed air temperatures to between 5-20°F.
