Charge Air Cooler And Plumbing: Operation

Intake air is drawn through the air cleaner and into the turbocharger compressor housing. Once inside the housing the air is compressed by the rotation of the turbine wheel. The turbine wheel is driven by exhaust gasses.

This air compression process causes heat. Pressurized air (charge air) from the turbocharger then flows forward through the charge air cooler, located in front of the radiator, to be cooled by the air flow from vehicle motion rushing past the cooler fins. From the charge air cooler the air flows back into the intake manifold, past an air control valve that assists in EGR mode. There are also resonators located in the charge air stream that assist with air flow and noise suppression.