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Old 01-21-2008, 09:27 PM
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bwilson4web bwilson4web is offline
Engineering first
 
Real Name: Bob
Location: Huntsville, AL
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Default Re: Cold air density vs MPG

Hi,
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sungod18 View Post
So then might the short air intake drawing air from inside the engine compartment offset the cold air losses over a longer trip?

Might be worth the investment over a span of years driving in the north.
The drag has to do with the weight of the air that has to be pushed aside and pushes against the vehicle motion. Take for example, swinging you hand through water, a very dense fluid, versus air, a much less dense fluid. As the air gets colder and colder, it becomes denser and like water, becomes harder to move through.

Don't forget that the heated air from the engine compartment takes energy. So even if there were enough hot air to make a difference, the new problem would be the amount of energy it would take to heat the air.

No, the only thing that helps is either slower speed or aerodynamic improvements.

Bob Wilson

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