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This discussion has been carried out ad nauseum in a thread posted over a year ago. In situations where you have higher air density, more oxygen is in the air (per given volume), thus more fuel is needed (richer tune). The converse is true. Saturation vapor pressure varies with different temperatures. Anecdotally, you probably notice that when you drive in higher altitudes, even on windy roads on mountain inclines, your gas mileage increases. I would notice this when driving through the Rocky Mountains in Colorado or in the higher altitudes at Sequoia National Park.
The bottom line is that air density and oxygen saturation affect performance due to the combustion of air/fuel in an engine. Density altitude is calculated using temperature, percentage relative humidity, and barometric pressure.
When it comes to temperature, cool air is more dense than hot air as it holds less water vapor.
An intercooler functions to remove heat from intake air, increasing the air density, and thus power.
I have always wondered why, aside from the explosive dangers, why no one has devised an O2 concentrator or even O2 tank, that increases the O2 content of the air fuel mixture for race cars. The answer may lie in the type of fuels, or N2O injection, that is more combustible?
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