I am definitly putting electric fans on my intercooler.

 

Cool, now we just need to figure out how to weld titanium to aluminum...

Why not make the whole thing out of it (cost?) also, what are the thermal properties of titanium? Might not be appropriate. Aluminum is one of the better heat conductors.

 

The fins could be pressed in and epoxy'd. The endtanks and bar/plates or tubes could be titanium. The entire intercooler would be titanium with inserted aluminum fins. The thermal properties of titanium should be good for this.
The effect would be drastic because the walls of the bar/plates or tubes could be super thin and would cool much much faster.
Not to mention the huge weight savings, and higher reliability of stronger metal.
Aluminum is a relatively weak metal, and the necessary wall thickness of aluminum in intercoolers almost acts as an insulator.

 

One thing to consider is the rates that the two metals will expand and contract under heat and cooling.

- Steiner

 

Not really since the fins are not an integral part of the intercooler. They are loosely packed, and superthin. They will not put any force on the structural part of the intercooler.
The only reason I suggested aluminum fins is because packing superthin titanium fins in the intercooler would not be very cost effective and would not have anymore benefit than aluminum fins.

 

I wasn't referring to the structrual part but to the fact that if they expand and contract at different rates, they might work themselves loose, if the epoxy does not hold, or they may have clearence issues.

- Steiner

 

http://www.apo.nmsu.edu/Telescopes/S...roperties.html

Scroll down to thermal conductivity...titanium is relatively shitty in terms ofheat transfer when compared to alum, copper, silver, etc...I'll take a solid diamond IC however...

Hmm...would that be considered rice?

 

lol yeah I think that's a little too bling, it wouldn't be rice if you were a bonified pimp though.

I can't believe this is a topic. ANODIZING (coat a metal with an oxide coat) a metal greatly reduces its ability to transfer heat, because oxides are some of the worse conducters around, and also it lowers the surface area by removing the really small ridges from the metal. Or if ur goin' to just paint it like it sounds, then it would be far worse because the paint would be a thermal barriar. the only way I do see this helping is if ur goin' Mach1+ or ur turbo has melted and somehow the intercooler is still going.