Mike@KenneBell
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2014
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- Location
- So. California
- First Name
- Mike
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- 2015 Mustang GT
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- #1
UNDERSTANDING KENNEBELL LIQUID COOLING
Liquid cooling accounts for 66% of our sales. It was unique enough to receive a U.S. Patent so we thought that Kenne Bell would be better qualified to explain the advantages of our LC system than our competition who persists in posting information about Kenne Bell product that we do not agree with or is blatantly false. No animosity here, just defending our product and correcting some misconceptions and false information.
Our website http://kennebell.net/KBWebsite/Home_pg/layouts/Homepage.htm explains the Liquid Cooled principals of operation. The Patent info is also on our website under “Patents” as per our attorneys recommendations. First of all, the big advantage of LC is not the cooling of the air charge. The actual air temp reduction is comparatively low but it sure cools down the supercharger (case, bearings, seals, drive, oil (up to 200*) and the front plate). This huge temp reduction results in longer component life, higher RPM, boost and HP. If you are not interested in these benefits, then Liquid Cooling is not for you. LC superchargers were engineered to utilize a small amount of normal temperature IC coolant to control internal component expansion and rotor contact at higher CFM, RPM, and/or boost levels.
The cooling is how KB Twin Screws avoid the rotor scuffing that plagues our competition. Here is how it works. Any Twin Screw ingests cooler air from one end of the supercharger (rear or front inlet) and progressively compresses and heats (can’t have one without the other) air the length of the supercharger until it exits the discharger port. As a result, the hotter air at the end (front or rear inlet) of the compression cycle causes the front rotor support plate to expand more than the cooler rear support plate. Remember, heat expands aluminum. Hence the cause of rotor contact or “rotor scuffing”.
Here’s what happens and what the patent is all about. Since the front rotor shaft support plate is hotter from higher boost/temps, the expansion is greater causing the rotor shafts and their attached steel timing gears to spread unequally as compared to the rear bearing support plate with cooler inlet temps. But there’s more. The front gears are steel which expands at half the rate of aluminum. This combination drastically alters the GEAR LASH which in turn closes up the male to female rotor TIMING AND CLEARANCE. The reduced (tighter) rotor clearance results in rotor interference, contact and damage at higher boost/temps and RPM.
By cooling the front plate and ultimately controlling the temperature to comparison ratio, we are able to rev all our Liquid Cooled superchargers higher and, therefore, produce more boost and HP that others without Liquid Cooling. Where other Twin Screws burn down at 24psi and/or 16,000RPM we can run 35psi and 18000RPM on our 3L and 4L kits. That’s what Liquid Cooling can do for you (+9psi and 2,000RPM).
Both Johnny Lightning’s 5.0 Cobra Jet and Mark Meierings 5.4 Shelby run 33-35psi and 18,000RPM.
We are not recommending that everyone with 10-15psi boost and/or a 2L must buy LC. We are saying that if you have plans to grow above 15psi or want maximum life and reduced wear from your supercharger it’s an economical option. Just like larger radiators transmissions or engine coolers.
Whether water is flowing through your engine or a SC, it ABSORBS HEAT and allows the engine or SC to run cooler. Regardless of how well a supercharger product is engineered, cooler is better. No rocket science required here.
BTW, Kenne Bell uses “precision cut” helical and straight cut gears on all our SC’s. We use straight cut gears on the 3L and 4L SC’s because they generate that cool “billet whine” vs. the muffled cast aluminum sound. All KB supercharger gears have been produced in Italy since we first introduced the Twin Screw to Fords in 1990. It’s the only manufacture who has met our quality requirements.
Oil temperature difference in gears? Negligible if any. All gears create heat when they are not in oil depending on RPM level. And we have an 800Hp SC Dyno. A little 125HP electric dyno leaves a LOT of guess work regarding the use of LC. Kawasaki didn’t use a Twin Screw and some who may have a Twin Screw and claim “they don’t need it” (Liquid Cooling) are really saying “they can’t use it”-for fear of Patent infringement. U.S. Patents are the rewards and protection for those who work very hard and spend a lot of money developing unique and better products than their competition.
The Kenne Bell LC DOES WORK as designed. Its why our superchargers can be revved considerably higher and develop more boost and HP than our Twin Screw competitors. That is fact. And let there be no question about this. Our drives, gears, bearings, and seals enjoy a longer life than the non LC counter parts. In this case “cooler is better” with any supercharger.
Thousands have been sold and no complaints so far. There is another aspect to this temp scenario-the lower discharge temps of the 4x6 rotor concept vs. a 3x5. That’s next along with “Rear inlet vs. Front Inlet” Supercharging. And how we engineered one 5.0 2.8 kit that is easily upgraded to a 3.2, 3.6, 4.0, 4.2, 4.7 and up to 1400HP potential with the same intercooler, manifold, throttle body and inlet system.
Jim Bell
Here’s a link to our website on Kenne Bell’s Patented Liquid Cooling for more information:
http://kennebell.net/KBWebsite/Tech_Info_pg/layouts/LC_pg.htm
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