An internal combustion engine (ICE) is a heat engine where the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high-pressure gases produced by combustion applies direct force to some component of the engine. The force is applied typically to pistons, turbine blades, rotor or a nozzle. This force moves the component over a distance, transforming chemical energy into useful mechanical energy.
It replaces the OEM air intake with a short metal pipe and a conical air filter inside the engine bay. A significant increase in intake air volume will only occur in an engine where the factory intake piping was designed with baffles and other sound absorbing materials (rubber, etc.).
An intake or inlet is an opening on a car or aircraft body capturing air for operation of an internal combustion engine.
A particulate air filter is a device composed of fibrous or porous materials which removes solid particulates such as dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria from the air. Filters containing an adsorbent or catalyst such as charcoal (carbon) may also remove odors and gaseous pollutants such as volatile organic compounds or ozone. Air filters are used in applications where air quality is important, notably in building ventilation systems and in engines.
The term ram, albeit commonly used, is somewhat a misnomer. A true ram air intake device is something that enhances intake pressure or in the case of resonant systems such as Chrysler's Sonaramic, increases the torque with a peak at a certain RPM.
There is still some open debate on this issue, but some believe that a problem with short ram air intakes is that the air entering the intake is at a higher temperature due to the proximity of the engine, which may reduce some power. This may be partially offset by an increase in the volume of air entering the engine. To counter intake heat problems, many short ram intakes include some form of heat shield. Moving the intake inlet port further away from the engine block will also help to alleviate the problem and some users use a cold air intake where the inlet air is at or close to ambient temperature. However, others claim that Short Ram Intakes (SRIs) or similar Warm Air Intakes (WAIs) offer benefits over Cold Air Intakes (CAIs) which include better MPG due to a more complete burning of fuel. Users with forced induction engines often opt for short ram intakes because compressors adjacent to the engine, especially turbochargers, heat the incoming air and negate much of the benefits of a cold air intake. Additional problems can result from using a short ram intake in cars utilizing a mass airflow sensor though most of today's sensors automatically adjust without issue. Turbulence in the intake airflow produced by the filter or piping, or a change in intake diameter at the point where the airflow is measured can produce inaccurate airflow readings. The error in airflow then translates to an error in the amount of added fuel. In the worst case, the air/fuel ratio can run lean, causing detonation and possibly engine failure although the airflow sensor will generally detect and correct the throttle to compensate for the warmer air. This can also be solved by modifying/elongating the intake piping, replacing the airflow meter, or by replacing/remapping the engine control computer to provide the correct amount of fuel for the intake airflow at all engine speeds.
A cold air intake (CAI) is usually an aftermarket assembly of parts used to bring relatively cool air into a car's internal-combustion engine.
Forced induction is the process of delivering compressed air to the intake of an internal combustion engine. A forced induction engine uses a gas compressor to increase the pressure, temperature and density of the air. An engine without forced induction is considered a naturally aspirated engine.
A turbocharger, colloquially known as a turbo, is a turbine-driven forced induction device that increases an internal combustion engine's efficiency and power output by forcing extra compressed air into the combustion chamber. This improvement over a naturally aspirated engine's power output is due to the fact that the compressor can force more air—and proportionately more fuel—into the combustion chamber than atmospheric pressure alone.
A harmless but noticeable result of using a short ram air intake is an increase in intake noise, which may manifest as a sucking sound, and the loss of any silencing properties that the factory intake had.
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Related Research Articles
A carburetor or carburettor is a device that mixes air and fuel for internal combustion engines in the proper air–fuel ratio for combustion. It is sometimes colloquially shortened to carb in the UK and North America or carby in Australia. To carburate or carburet means to mix the air and fuel or to equip with a carburetor for that purpose.
In internal combustion engines, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is a nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions reduction technique used in petrol/gasoline and diesel engines. EGR works by recirculating a portion of an engine's exhaust gas back to the engine cylinders. This dilutes the O2 in the incoming air stream and provides gases inert to combustion to act as absorbents of combustion heat to reduce peak in-cylinder temperatures. NOx is produced in high temperature mixtures of atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen that occur in the combustion cylinder, and this usually occurs at cylinder peak pressure. Another primary benefit of external EGR valves on a spark ignition engine is an increase in efficiency, as charge dilution allows a larger throttle position and reduces associated pumping losses.
Engine tuning is the adjustment or modification of the internal combustion engine or Engine Control Unit (ECU) to yield optimal performance and increase the engine's power output, economy, or durability. These goals may be mutually exclusive; an engine may be de-tuned with respect to output power in exchange for better economy or longer engine life due to lessened stress on engine components.
Aircraft engine controls provide a means for the pilot to control and monitor the operation of the aircraft's powerplant. This article describes controls used with a basic internal-combustion engine driving a propeller. Some optional or more advanced configurations are described at the end of the article. Jet turbine engines use different operating principles and have their own sets of controls and sensors.
In automotive engineering, an inlet manifold or intake manifold is the part of an engine that supplies the fuel/air mixture to the cylinders. The word manifold comes from the Old English word manigfeald' and refers to the multiplying of one (pipe) into many.
The environmental control system (ECS) of an aircraft provides air supply, thermal control and cabin pressurization for the crew and passengers. Avionics cooling, smoke detection, and fire suppression are also commonly considered part of an aircraft's environmental control system.
Manifold vacuum, or engine vacuum in an internal combustion engine is the difference in air pressure between the engine's intake manifold and Earth's atmosphere.
A ram-air intake is any intake design which uses the dynamic air pressure created by vehicle motion to increase the static air pressure inside of the intake manifold on an internal combustion engine, thus allowing a greater massflow through the engine and hence increasing engine power.
A mass (air) flow sensor (MAF) is a sensor used to determine the mass flow rate of air entering a fuel-injected internal combustion engine.
Carburetor, carburettor, carburator, carburettor heat is a system used in automobile and piston-powered light aircraft engines to prevent or clear carburetor icing. It consists of a moveable flap which draws hot air into the engine intake. The air is drawn from the heat stove, a metal plate around the exhaust manifold.
Carburetor Icing, or carb icing, is an icing condition which can affect any carburetor under certain atmospheric conditions. The problem is most notable in certain realms of aviation.
MAFless tuning is a method of operating the fuel injection system on a gasoline-powered motor vehicle whereby the mass airflow meter, or MAF, is removed.
A throttle is the mechanism by which fluid flow is managed by the constriction or obstruction.
A heated air inlet or warm air intake is a system commonly used on the original air cleaner assemblies of carburetted engines to increase the temperature of the air going into the engine for the purpose of increasing the consistency of mixing of the air and fuel in order to reduce engine emissions and fuel usage.
The Quadrajet is a four barrel carburetor, made by the Rochester Products Division of General Motors. Its first application was the new-for-1965 Chevy 396ci engine. Its last application was on the 1990 Oldsmobile 307
V8 engine, which was last used in the Cadillac Brougham and full size station wagons made by Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and Buick. In several areas, especially among the more performance minded, the Quadrajet was not desirable.
A Velocity air meter measures the force of air rushing into an engine against a spring-loaded door in an air tunnel. A linear potentiometer rotated along with the hinge of the air door measures the angle of the opening and sends an electrical signal to the engine control unit (ECU) that changes as the door opens more or less. The ECU can deduce airflow into the engine based on this value after making certain corrections. The problem is that the force against the door is a function of two variables – weight of the air and speed of the air - and the ECU cannot distinguish, for a given door angle, whether the air is less dense but traveling faster or whether the air is denser but traveling more slowly. Therefore air velocity must be corrected for air density in order to reflect air mass.
This article briefly describes the components and systems found in jet engines.
Radiators are heat exchangers used for cooling internal combustion engines, mainly in automobiles but also in piston-engined aircraft, railway locomotives, motorcycles, stationary generating plant or any similar use of such an engine.
