IIT-Intake and Exhaust Manifold Design
IIT-Intake and Exhaust Manifold Design
IIT-Intake and Exhaust Manifold Design
Design: Part 1
John Kerr
Junior Physics Major
Outline
• Purpose and background of the project
• Intake manifold design
• Exhaust manifold design
• Proto-type design
• Testing and Goals
• Conclusion
Purpose
• Design an intake manifold to suite the high
rpm function of my race car.
• Manifold must produce and hold power to
at least 9500 RPM and also must have a
usable power band.
• The manifold must be pleasing to look at
and fit inside the engine bay of the race
car.
What is an intake manifold?
• An intake manifold’s job is to guide the air
into the cylinder head.
• In a fuel injected car a throttle plate or
throttle body is attached to one end and is
used to control the air flow entering the
manifold.
• Many race engines use a separate throttle
plate for each cylinder opposed to a street
driver car which normally uses one.
Parts to the manifold
• Plenum
– The plenum is the big usually circular part of
the manifold. All of the runners are fed by the
plenum.
– Plenum size should be 50-70% of the actual
engine displacement.
Runners
• The runners stem from the plenum and are
connected to the cylinder head.
• They have a tapered shape starting large at the
plenum and gradually get smaller near the
cylinder head.
• Variable runner length effects the power band of
your car. (Explained in detail later)
• Short runners and wide are optimal for higher
engine function and Long and narrow runners
are optimal for low-mid rpm function.
Throttle Body or Throttle Plate
• Controls the air flow into the intake
plenum.
• Size of the throttle body effects the speed
at which the air enters.
• The air velocity should be kept at
approximately at 300 ft/sec for smooth
throttle response.
– V = (Airflow rate / Area of section)
Fuel Injector Location
• Two main guidelines to follow
– Aim directly down the center of the port,
located on each runner.
– Discharge at a point where velocity is
greatest and at an angle of less than 20* with
respect to the runner.
• High velocity helps to atomize the fuel with
the air. Also decreases the chance of fuel to
puddle inside the manifold.
• A secondary injector can also be added and it
can be placed so it discharged upstream, BUT
the airflow must be large. This can also help in
atomization.
Ram Air Theory
• This theory is used to help explain the boost at a
certain RPM that is noticed when varying runner
lengths.
• To describe how this works we have to take into
account that mass air flow can be explained if
you characterize it as a sound wave and its
corresponding frequencies.
• You can think of the air as pulsating up and
down the runner as a wave, not just entering the
cylinder head at will.
• When the piston drops in a naturally aspirated
engine, it creates a low pressure area inside the
cylinder. This allows the atmospheric pressure to
enter the valve once it opens. But the air does
not just stop once the valve shuts. The air (as a
sound wave) gets reflected back up the intake
manifold runner which in return hits the plenum
and is reflected back down the runner.
• The plenum acts as a resonance chamber. Each
reflection from the resonance chamber adds
more (energy,tone,amplitude) to the sound
wave.
• The idea is to get these maximized waves to the
valves so they enter the motor with increased
energy, which in some cases can be over
atmospheric pressure.
Example Calculation
• Engine B18C1 DOHC 1.8 VTEC
• Intake valve open for 230* of crank
rotation
• Speed of sound 1,125 ft/sec
• Runner Length = 6.9”
• Crank rotates 720* for 1 intake cycle
• Max Torque estimation 8000 RPM
David Vizzard’s Rule: Runner Length
• Begin with 17.8cm and a max torque of 10,000
RPM.
• For every 1000 RPM you want max torque to be
lower, add 4.3cm to the runner length.
• Example: Max tq at 6000 RPM
– L = 17.8 +(4x4.3) = 35 cm or 13.7”
http://www.rbracing-rsr.com/runnertorquecalc.html
Helmholtz Approximation
• RPM = = 218,280 x [ SQRT (S/[L x V] ) ] x
[ SQRT { (CR-1)/ (CR+1) } ]
• S= Runner Area
• L= Runner Length
• CR = Compression Ratio
• V= Displacement per cylinder
• This approximation uses the resonance
chamber, just like the ram air theory.
What is a turbo?
• A turbocharger is used on race engines to
overcome 100% volumetric efficiency. This
can’t be done without some sort of forced
induction into the engine. It basically adds
more air to the motor.
• It is driven by exhaust gases from the
motor.
Overview of Turbo Manifold Design
• Goal of the manifold is to direct the exhaust
gases through the turbine side of the turbo.
• Manifolds are commonly built of 304
stainless steel. It is strong and resists
cracking at the high temperatures that the
turbo manifold will see.
• Manifold should have wastegate priority. The
wastegate is what regulates the boost
pressure of the compressor side of the turbo.
• Volume of runners and runner length should
be optimized. For the test vehicle, a long
runner manifold such as a top mount or a
ramhorn manifold should be used, with fluid
bends not sharp angles.
Examples