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Improving Engine Performance Through Intake 2013-01-1404
Published
Design 04/08/2013
Badih Jawad, Kingman Yee, Selin Arslan and Liping Liu
Lawrence Technological Univ.
Copyright © 2013 SAE International
doi:10.4271/2013-01-1404
engine speed range at which FSAE vehicles perform best. In
ABSTRACT other words, the intake should be designed in such a way that
The power and torque output of an engine (for a Formula the resonant conditions increase the flow of air to the engine.
SAE vehicle) can be dramatically improved through good After that, additional improvements can be accomplished by
intake design. For example, performance can be improved by using traditional engine tuning involving flow of fuel, timing
reducing pressure losses in the intake system, or by and so on. Several intake designs from past FSAE vehicles
improving the restrictor's design to increase airflow at lower were analyzed and compared.
pressure drops. A plenum design with equal air distribution to
all cylinders can also be helpful. In this study, four different ANALYSIS
intake designs were tested on a dynamometer and the power
outcomes were compared. Based on theory and lab testing Helmholtz Theory of Resonance
and intake system was designed to optimize throttle response
The Helmholtz theory relies on the fact that an internal
as well as low-end torque; a steady flow of air passes through
combustion engine produces pressure waves which propagate
the throttle body and the restrictor and then into the plenum.
in the engine's intake system. The compression of air during
Dynamometer testing confirmed an overall increase in torque
flow is analogous to a spring introducing resonance in the
and horsepower compared to earlier designs.
intake manifold during wave propagation [1]. One of LTU's
FSAE cars (called Vehicle 1) was selected for Helmholtz
INTRODUCTION tuning analysis and an intake was designed and built based on
Appropriate low-end torque is vital for good performance of resonance to improve air flow [2].
Formula SAE (FSAE) vehicles which typically need power at
speeds between 30 and 50 mph. Based on the FSAE For the analysis of resonant engine intake systems, H. W.
competition rules, the intake of gasoline engines must be Engelman [3] developed an electrical analogy in which the
restricted so that airflow to the engine is reduced, thus, intake is represented by a resonant electrical circuit; inductors
limiting the engine's torque and horsepower. Reclaiming the and capacitors are analogous to runners and secondary
power loss is the essential to maximize performance. volumes of the intake system. In this study, the Helmholtz
However, optimizing the intake design by trial and error resonator is made up of a single cylinder and its intake runner
followed by testing can be time-consuming as well as with an open intake valve. The tuning peak occurs when the
expensive. To simplify the task, the Helmholtz theory of natural frequency of the cylinder and runner is approximately
resonance was used. Although this theory involves relatively twice the frequency of the piston. For a multi-cylinder
simple calculations it can provide good predictions of the engine, the cylinder during its intake stroke has a primary
speed at which tuning peaks occur. In this manner, the best volume of V1, while its runner has a length of L1 to the
options for intake design can be identified more quickly. nearest branch point (or plenum) and a cross-sectional area
A1. These make up the primary pipe. The secondary pipe is
In order to use the Helmholtz theory to tune an engine, the the source of the primary pipe, and has a length of L2 and a
vehicle intake system must consist of components which cross-sectional area A2. The rest of the intake system is
match the equations so that the tuning peaks include the considered inactive and has a secondary volume of V2. The
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ratio of the secondary inductance to the primary inductance is of Vehicle 1 (Figure 1) was examined for restriction of
called the inductance ratio (a). airflow and minimal turbulence.
The components of the intake were designed to optimize both
(1) the throttle response and the low-end torque.
Because the components (venturi restrictor, plenum, etc.) of Throttle Design
the secondary pipe may have variances in their cross-
To reduce turbulence along the intake, a barrel design was
sectional areas, the secondary inductance is determined as the
used in the throttle because when it is wide open, a barrel
sum of the individual inductance of each section:
valve does not obstruct the airflow to the body. By comparing
throttle bodies used in the past, it was concluded that a
(2) smaller throttle body offers partial restriction of airflow
which results in better airflow control. Vehicle 1's design
The capacitance ratio (b) is the ratio of the secondary volume incorporated a 1.22 in2 throttle body, providing a partial
to the primary volume. The primary volume is the cylinder's throttle restriction up to 82% throttle actuation. In addition, a
volume when the piston is at mid-stroke. For example, in the mesh screen was located between the throttle and the
case of a four-cylinder engine, the primary volume is restrictor to facilitate the transition from turbulent to laminar
flow into the restrictor. (Figure 2.)
(3)
The capacitance ratio is given by
(4)
In order to determine the tuning peaks of a given intake
manifold design, the inductance ratio (a) and the capacitance Figure 2. Throttle Body Design for LTU's FSAE
ratio (b) are used in the appropriate equations [4]. Vehicle 1.
Design of Formula SAE Vehicle 1 Torque
Experience reveals that natural aspirated engines are more To obtain the largest post-restrictor flow rate, a venturi-type
reliable than those using turbochargers or superchargers to restrictor was selected. With a bell mouth entrance and exit
improve intake airflow. configuration there are kinetic energy losses caused by the
separation of the boundary layer. The venturi design
minimizes head losses so maximum pressure is recovered
after passing through the restrictor.
Investigation revealed that significant improvements in air
flow can be achieved if the length of the diffuser cone is
increased [5] (sometimes up to 10 inches.) Also, a longer
diffuser with a smaller angle resulted in more air flow at
lower pressure drops. After some analysis, a venturi
restrictor, shown in Figure 3, was made. It has a 32 mm inlet
(at the left), a 20 mm restriction and a 7 degree incline taper
leading to a 50.4mm exit (at the right).
Figure 1. Intake Design for LTU's FSAE Vehicle 1
The competition rules for Formula SAE also required a single Figure 3. Cut-a-way view of venturi restrictor 1.
throttle upstream of the required intake restrictor as well as
no restrictors downstream of the restrictor. The throttle body
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The performance curve of venturi restrictor 1 (the left-most Results
curve, ♦) is compared to that of other designs in Figure 4.
This design was capable of producing a flow rate of 130 Flow Bench Testing
cubic feet per minute at a minimum pressure drop. It Flow bench results (Table 1) showed some improvement in
achieved 92% of its maximum flow rate at 13 inches of volumetric flow rate when compared to earlier intake designs
water. (Vehicle A and Vehicle B).
Table 1. Comparison of Intake Performance
The positive effect of equal air distribution is not evident in
Table 1 but more evident in Figure 6 which shows an
increase in torque as well as horsepower.
Dynamometer Testing
Figure 4. Performance of various restrictors. For the dynamometer tests, a water brake style dynamometer
was used; it was driven directly off of the front side of the
crankshaft. During the tests, the following parameters were
Air Flow monitored: air temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity,
The plenum (Figure 5) for FSAE Vehicle 1 consisted of four engine temperature and dynamometer calibration.
centrally located bell mouths which delivered air equally to
all runners while minimizing vena contracta effects. The Tuning peaks were predicted for the various vehicles but
objective of this design was to equally distribute the air to all measured peaks varied a bit. Figure 6 shows the intake torque
cylinders by using equal distances between the venturi outlet, curve for Vehicle 1 where a spike was predicted at 7431 rpm
the runner inlet, the runner outlet and the cylinder inlet. followed by an increase in torque. The equations do not
Positioning the air inlet at the top of the plenum (as opposed accurately predict the performance of the final design, but
to the bottom) provided a more direct flow of air to the runner provide a means for identifying the intake conditions for
inlet. The plenum had equi-distant runners of length 254 mm maximum airflow.
length and inner diameters of 33 mm.
Figure 5. Schematic of the plenum (Vehicle 1).
Figure 6. Torque and horsepower curves (Vehicle 1).
A flow bench and a dynamometer were used to test the
various intake designs. The unmodified cylinder head and the
complete intake system (including the throttle body and
restrictor) were used in each test.
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The dynamometer performance of Vehicle A's intake design • velocity at exit: 67.97 m/sec
is shown in Figure 7. The lower peak is below 3500 rpm
while the upper peak is approximately 8300 rpm where there • choked flow: 0.00951 m3/sec draw at 12,347 rpm
is a definite increase in horsepower. The final runner had a length of 254 mm and an inner
diameter of 33 mm.
Based on theory and lab testing [6], Vehicle 1's intake system
was designed to optimize throttle response as well as low-end
torque; a steady flow of air passes through the throttle body
and the restrictor and then into the plenum. Dynamometer
testing confirmed an overall increase in torque and
horsepower compared to earlier designs. The torque curve
broadened and increased in magnitude. Engine output torque
increased by 30% compared to earlier designs.
The Helmholtz equations were used to predict maximum
airflow, torque and horsepower. However, maximum torque
and horsepower could not be attained because the use of a
central plenum allowed for overlapping flow in the intake
which robbed the preceding cylinder of its air inertia. As the
Figure 7. Torque and horsepower curves (Vehicle A). piston in the first cylinder moved to bottom-dead-center
(BDC), the corresponding intake valve opened and pressure
Vehicle B's dynamometer performance is shown in Figure 8. increased. As the second cylinder's piston moved toward
The lower peak occurs below 3800 rpm and the upper peak at BDC and the intake valve began to open, the pressure was
about 8200 rpm. The big range between the peak values may lower than that in the first cylinder. Since the first intake
cause the unusual behavior of the torque curves, especially in valve was not closed yet, the second cylinder robbed air and
Figure 8 between 3800 and 5800 rpm. pressure from the first cylinder through the plenum.
FUTURE WORK
In the future, to minimize the above problem of pressure
losses and to increase horsepower, FSAE Vehicle 2 could
incorporate a log plenum in a step-down configuration. A
simplified sketch of the concept is shown in Figure 9.
Figure 8. Torque and horsepower curves (Vehicle B).
DISCUSSION
The final design specifications for FSAE Vehicle 1's venturi
restrictor were Figure 9. Sketch of a proposed log plenum assembly for
Vehicle 2.
• inlet: 32 mm
The distance traveled by the air to all cylinders is the same
• outlet: 50.4 mm because the runner origins are all equally spaced in
• taper: 7° taper relationship to the plenum source. Equi-distant from the
venturi's outlet, air is received and split at the first level. At
• overall length: 330.2 mm the second level, each plenum feeds its own runner which is
connected to the cylinders. With this design, the cylinders do
• velocity at throat: Mach 1
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not succeed each other in firing order. To reduce turbulence, 3. Engelman, H., “Design of a Tuned Intake Manifold,”
bell mouths are located at the plenum entrances and exits. A.S.M.E. Paper 73-WA/DGP-2, 1973.
4. Eversman, W. and White, J., “Acoustic Modeling and
For Vehicle 2, packaging restrictions limit the overall height
Optimization of Induction System Components,” SAE
of the intake to 14 inches, and widths of 9 inches for the
Technical Paper 951261, 1995, doi: 10.4271/951261.
upper plenum and 10 inches for the lower plenum. Typically
plenum volume will be twice the engine displacement. 5. Sches, C., Guilain, S., and Maroteaux, F., “Modeling of
the Fuel Behavior in the Intake Manifold of a Port-Injected
The Helmholtz equations predict that tuning peaks will occur Spark-Ignition Engine,” SAE Technical Paper 972992, 1997,
at 2300 rpm and 8200 rpm. doi: 10.4271/972992.
6. Plint, M.A. and Martyr, A.J., “Engine Testing: Theory and
CONCLUSIONS Practice,” 2nd Edition, Society of Automotive Engineers,
The design and construction of Formula SAE vehicles has Inc., Warrendale, PA, ISBN 978-0-7680-0314-7, 1998.
always been one of continuous improvement. Student teams
learn from their predecessors as well as conduct their own DEFINITIONS/ABBREVIATIONS
research to improve vehicle performance. The goal is to
combine the torque improvement from Vehicle 1's design FSAE - Formula SAE
with the proposed improved intake design of Vehicle 2 in
order to achieve better performance at the next competition.
Vehicle 1's design incorporated a 1.22 in2 throttle body,
providing a partial throttle restriction up to 82% throttle
actuation. In addition, a mesh screen was located between the
throttle and the restrictor to facilitate the transition from
turbulent to laminar flow into the restrictor. Based on theory
and lab testing Vehicle 1's intake system was designed to
optimize throttle response as well as low-end torque; a steady
flow of air passes through the throttle body and the restrictor
and then into the plenum. Dynamometer testing confirmed an
overall increase in torque and horsepower compared to earlier
designs. The torque curve broadened and increased in
magnitude. Engine output torque increased by 30% compared
to earlier designs.
REFERENCES
1. Jameson, R. and Hodgins, P., “Improvement of the Torque
Characteristics of a Small, High-Speed Engine Through the
Design of Helmholtz-Tuned Manifolding,” SAE Technical
Paper 900680, 1990, doi: 10.4271/900680.
2. Jawad, B., DeGain, M., and Young, A., “Design of a
Restricted Induction System for a High Speed Four Cylinder
Engine,” SAE Technical Paper 2000-01-3090, 2000, doi:
10.4271/2000-01-3090.
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