[rand49er]

Originally Posted by CTSV_510

Can you explain why that's a better orientation for the heat exchanger? Why wouldn't you want the coolant going right from the hex to the intercooler instead of passing through the hex after running through the intercooler?

A heat exchanger is designed to transfer heat energy and the amount of heat it transfers is a function, among other things, of the temperature differential between, in this case, the hot coolant exiting the intercooler and the cooler ambient air. I rationlized that I wanted to take the most advantage of the HEX's ability to do this since that's what it's designed to do while the temperature difference was greatest, and that's when it first exits the intercooler (i.e. when the coolant is at its hottest). Then, when the maximum amount of heat is extracted, it can further cool to a small extent in the reservoir which is not designed to provide cooling but is simply what it is, a reservoir, before passing through the pump again and reintroduced into the intercooler.

This is as opposed to the reverse where the coolant would be slightly cooler exiting the reservoir before going into the HEX thereby lessening the amount of heat transferred through it.

Thus, in my configuration, the heat transferred in the HEX is certainly more, and the heat transferred to the surroundings in reservoir is probably less. However, my thinking is that the net effect is that this arrangement is better. How much? Some ... maybe not a lot, but some. Is it worth it? Maybe, maybe not ... depends. The point is, it would have bugged the heck out of me had I not done it according to my instincts/understanding of heat transfer.