Intake
Encyclopedia
An intake , or especially for aircraft inlet, is an air intake for an engine
. Because the modern internal combustion engine
is in essence a powerful air pump
, like the exhaust system
on an engine, the intake must be carefully engineered and tuned to provide the greatest efficiency and power
. An ideal intake system should increase the velocity of the air until it travels into the combustion chamber
, while minimizing turbulence
and restriction of flow.
A modern automobile air intake system has three main parts, an air filter
, mass flow sensor
, and throttle body. Some modern intake systems can be highly complex, and often include specially-designed intake manifolds to optimally distribute air and air/fuel mixture to each cylinder. Many cars today now include a silencer
to minimize the noise entering the cabin. Silencers impede air flow and create turbulence which reduce total power, so many performance enthusiasts often remove them.
All the above is usually accomplished by flow testing on a flow bench
in the port
design stage. Cars with turbocharger
s or supercharger
s which provide pressurized air to the engine usually have highly-refined intake systems to improve performance dramatically.
Production cars have specific-length air intakes to cause the air to vibrate and buffett at a specific frequency to assist air flow into the combustion chamber. Aftermarket companies for cars have introduced larger throttle bodies and air filters to decrease restriction of flow at the cost of changing the harmonics of the air intake for a small net increase in power or torque
.
Porsche
in the 1980s designed an intake system for their cars that changed the length of the intake system by alternating between a longer and shorter set of tubing using a butterfly valve
, creating a small amount of positive pressure which increased overall performance of the engine. Audi
began to use a similar system in some cars in the 1990s. Alfa Romeo
used variable-length intakes in their 2.0 Twin Spark engines powering the model 156.
speeds, it was necessary to design inlets for optimal air flow at any speed, which allowed the compressor stage
to operate at its optimum flow speed of just-subsonic, regardless of the velocity of the ambient air at the mouth of the intake. These designs are highly complex due to the requirement to manage flow and shock front
formation through the subsonic, transonic
, and supersonic flight regimes.
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
. Because the modern internal combustion engine
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
is in essence a powerful air pump
Air pump
An air pump is a device for pushing air. Examples include a bicycle pump, pumps that are used to aerate an aquarium or a pond via an airstone; a gas compressor used to power a pneumatic tool, air horn or pipe organ; a bellows used to encourage a fire; and a vacuum pump.The first effective air pump...
, like the exhaust system
Exhaust system
An exhaust system is usually tubing used to guide reaction exhaust gases away from a controlled combustion inside an engine or stove. The entire system conveys burnt gases from the engine and includes one or more exhaust pipes...
on an engine, the intake must be carefully engineered and tuned to provide the greatest efficiency and power
Power (physics)
In physics, power is the rate at which energy is transferred, used, or transformed. For example, the rate at which a light bulb transforms electrical energy into heat and light is measured in watts—the more wattage, the more power, or equivalently the more electrical energy is used per unit...
. An ideal intake system should increase the velocity of the air until it travels into the combustion chamber
Combustion chamber
A combustion chamber is the part of an engine in which fuel is burned.-Internal combustion engine:The hot gases produced by the combustion occupy a far greater volume than the original fuel, thus creating an increase in pressure within the limited volume of the chamber...
, while minimizing turbulence
Turbulence
In fluid dynamics, turbulence or turbulent flow is a flow regime characterized by chaotic and stochastic property changes. This includes low momentum diffusion, high momentum convection, and rapid variation of pressure and velocity in space and time...
and restriction of flow.
Automobile Engine Intakes
Early automobile intake systems were simple air inlets connected directly to carburetors. The first air filter was implemented on the 1915 Packard Twin Six.A modern automobile air intake system has three main parts, an air filter
Air filter
A particulate air filter is a device composed of fibrous materials which removes solid particulates such as dust, pollen, mold, and bacteria from the air. A chemical air filter consists of an absorbent or catalyst for the removal of airborne molecular contaminants such as volatile organic compounds...
, mass flow sensor
Mass flow sensor
A mass air flow sensor is used to find out the mass flowrate of air entering a fuel-injected internal combustion engine. The air mass information is necessary for the engine control unit to balance and deliver the correct fuel mass to the engine. Air changes its density as it expands and contracts...
, and throttle body. Some modern intake systems can be highly complex, and often include specially-designed intake manifolds to optimally distribute air and air/fuel mixture to each cylinder. Many cars today now include a silencer
Muffler
A muffler is a device for reducing the amount of noise emitted by the exhaust of an internal combustion engine. A US Patent for an Exhaust muffler for engines was granted to Milton and Marshall Reeves in 1897....
to minimize the noise entering the cabin. Silencers impede air flow and create turbulence which reduce total power, so many performance enthusiasts often remove them.
All the above is usually accomplished by flow testing on a flow bench
Air flow bench
An air flow bench is a device used for testing the internal aerodynamic qualities of an engine component and is related to the more familiar wind tunnel.Used primarily for testing the intake and exhaust ports of cylinder heads of internal combustion engines...
in the port
Cylinder head porting
Cylinder head porting refers to the process of modifying the intake and exhaust ports of an internal combustion engine to improve the quality and quantity of the air flow. Cylinder heads, as manufactured, are usually suboptimal due to design and manufacturing constraints...
design stage. Cars with turbocharger
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
s or supercharger
Supercharger
A supercharger is an air compressor used for forced induction of an internal combustion engine.The greater mass flow-rate provides more oxygen to support combustion than would be available in a naturally aspirated engine, which allows more fuel to be burned and more work to be done per cycle,...
s which provide pressurized air to the engine usually have highly-refined intake systems to improve performance dramatically.
Production cars have specific-length air intakes to cause the air to vibrate and buffett at a specific frequency to assist air flow into the combustion chamber. Aftermarket companies for cars have introduced larger throttle bodies and air filters to decrease restriction of flow at the cost of changing the harmonics of the air intake for a small net increase in power or torque
Torque
Torque, moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....
.
Porsche
Porsche
Porsche Automobil Holding SE, usually shortened to Porsche SE a Societas Europaea or European Public Company, is a German based holding company with investments in the automotive industry....
in the 1980s designed an intake system for their cars that changed the length of the intake system by alternating between a longer and shorter set of tubing using a butterfly valve
Butterfly valve
A butterfly valve is a valve which can be used for isolating or regulating flow. The closing mechanism takes the form of a disk. Operation is similar to that of a ball valve, which allows for quick shut off. Butterfly valves are generally favored because they are lower in cost to other valve...
, creating a small amount of positive pressure which increased overall performance of the engine. Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
began to use a similar system in some cars in the 1990s. Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
used variable-length intakes in their 2.0 Twin Spark engines powering the model 156.
Aircraft intakes
With the development of jet engines and the subsequent ability of aircraft to travel at supersonicSupersonic
Supersonic speed is a rate of travel of an object that exceeds the speed of sound . For objects traveling in dry air of a temperature of 20 °C this speed is approximately 343 m/s, 1,125 ft/s, 768 mph or 1,235 km/h. Speeds greater than five times the speed of sound are often...
speeds, it was necessary to design inlets for optimal air flow at any speed, which allowed the compressor stage
Gas compressor
A gas compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume.Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can transport the fluid through a pipe. As gases are compressible, the compressor also reduces the volume of a gas...
to operate at its optimum flow speed of just-subsonic, regardless of the velocity of the ambient air at the mouth of the intake. These designs are highly complex due to the requirement to manage flow and shock front
Shock wave
A shock wave is a type of propagating disturbance. Like an ordinary wave, it carries energy and can propagate through a medium or in some cases in the absence of a material medium, through a field such as the electromagnetic field...
formation through the subsonic, transonic
Transonic
Transonic speed is an aeronautics term referring to the condition of flight in which a range of velocities of airflow exist surrounding and flowing past an air vehicle or an airfoil that are concurrently below, at, and above the speed of sound in the range of Mach 0.8 to 1.2, i.e. 600–900 mph...
, and supersonic flight regimes.
See also
- Cold air intakeCold air intakeA cold air intake is an aftermarket assembly of parts used to bring relatively cool air into a car's internal-combustion engine.Most vehicles manufactured since the mid-1970s have thermostatic air intake systems that regulate the temperature of the air entering the engine's intake tract, providing...
- Warm air intakeWarm air intakeFor other uses, see Warm air intake .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...
- Short ram air intakeShort ram air intakeThe short ram air intake is a form of aftermarket air intake for automobiles with internal combustion engines.It basically replaces the OEM air intake with a short metal pipe and a conical air filter inside the engine bay...
- Ram-air intakeRam-air intakeA 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 engine, thus allowing a greater massflow through the engine and hence increasing engine power.The ram air intake works by...
- Intake rampIntake rampAn intake ramp is a rectangular, plate-like device within the air intake of a jet engine, designed to generate a shock wave to aid the inlet compression process at supersonic speeds. The ramp sits at an acute angle to deflect the intake air from the longitudinal direction...