Interesting, but it also doesn't seem to make the best sense to me. I don't have a physics degree so bare with me!
Just by speculation, warm intake versus cold intake, with both of these there is plenty of nonrestrictive airflow available to the engine (versus stock air box arrangement).
In general, more energy is available for the engine with the cold air intake. You will get more power out of the same volume of air. So to create enough acceleration to get the car to 25mph lets say, it will need less air to create this acceleration because the O2 available is more dense, therefor, should result in slightly lower RPM.
A warm intake, which will draw in less dense air will need more RPM to create the same acceleration as the cold air intake. The result *should* be the same acceleration, but more RPM to get the same HP, as the hot O2 has less energy.
So wouldn't less RPM with the CAI result in better mileage? I know the difference is probably very small, but it should be there to an extent.
I know in an introductory engineering class I took a few years ago, we talked about the efficiency of engines. The hotter it is, the more efficient it will be. So this could hold some truth toward the WAI side of the argument, but, hot air won't mean a hotter engine. In terms of the heat inside of the combustion chamber, the air being +-15* or so will hardly make any difference.
Again, this is just me thinking out loud not saying anybody is right/wrong. Just speculation.
I wish some company would do a direct comparison between WAI verus CAI, preferably done independently so no "influences" can be made.
Just by speculation, warm intake versus cold intake, with both of these there is plenty of nonrestrictive airflow available to the engine (versus stock air box arrangement).
In general, more energy is available for the engine with the cold air intake. You will get more power out of the same volume of air. So to create enough acceleration to get the car to 25mph lets say, it will need less air to create this acceleration because the O2 available is more dense, therefor, should result in slightly lower RPM.
A warm intake, which will draw in less dense air will need more RPM to create the same acceleration as the cold air intake. The result *should* be the same acceleration, but more RPM to get the same HP, as the hot O2 has less energy.
So wouldn't less RPM with the CAI result in better mileage? I know the difference is probably very small, but it should be there to an extent.
I know in an introductory engineering class I took a few years ago, we talked about the efficiency of engines. The hotter it is, the more efficient it will be. So this could hold some truth toward the WAI side of the argument, but, hot air won't mean a hotter engine. In terms of the heat inside of the combustion chamber, the air being +-15* or so will hardly make any difference.
Again, this is just me thinking out loud not saying anybody is right/wrong. Just speculation.
I wish some company would do a direct comparison between WAI verus CAI, preferably done independently so no "influences" can be made.
