Why not use A/C equipment to cool intake air?

[YerDugliness]

I see the folks with turbos using intercoolers a lot...most often air to air cooled, but occasionally air/water cooled.

What I wonder is why isn't anyone using the gear associated with cabin air conditioning to provide better cooling than an intercooler? It seems to me that the evaporator coil (isn't that the part under the dash?) could be built into a box that would allow for it to cool the intake air much like it cools the air in the vehicle's cabin.

OK...so, I know this can't be an original idea, it's too simple...so there MUST be a reason that this isn't being done. Can someone explain to me why it isn't?

Thanks!

Dugly

[undy]

Two reasons... The volume of air consumed at WOT would minimize a significant temperature drop. The parasitic drop in HP from running the compressor would negate any gains. There are other reasons too, just not as significant.

[bobcowan]

Ford did that on a few cars over the years. I think the current Shelby is that way, but I could be wrong. It works pretty well. But it's not cheap, it's heavy, and it requires engine power to run = more parasitic loss. In a relatively stock engine, I'm not sure if there's enough of a performance advantage to make it worth while.

[cycleguy55]

Originally Posted by bobcowan

But it's not cheap, it's heavy, and it requires engine power to run = more parasitic loss. In a relatively stock engine, I'm not sure if there's enough of a performance advantage to make it worth while.

Agreed, and air-to-air is less money, lighter, simpler, more reliable - and there are no parasitic losses.

[Tommy]

This discussion reminds me of an experimental top fuel dragster I saw at the Garlits Museum. Seeing that the blower on an early hemi consumed about a thousand horsepower, the builder replaced the blower with a very large compressed air bottle. The design did allow more of the engine's power to go to driving the wheels, but it weighed so much there was a drop in overall performance. .... A compressor used to cool incoming air would result in an increase in gross engine output, but as was said earlier, the net would likely be a drop in overall performance.