VARIABLE INTAKE MANIFOLD LENGHT

ABSTRACT
Gas dynamics of intake system plays a key role in deciding the
performance of an engine. This dynamics are different for fuel injected
and carbureted engine and vary according to type of engine, number of
cylinders, temperature at inlet, valve timing, valve angle and other
factors. Careful design of the manifolds enables the engineer

to

manipulate the characteristics to the desired level. We will investigate the

effects of intake runner length on the performance characteristics of a
four-stroke, single-cylinder spark-ignited engine .

Engine performance

characteristics such as brake torque, brake power, brake mean effective

pressure and specific fuel consumption we will take into consideration and
virtual simulation software LOTUS ENGINE SIMULATION will be

used to

evaluate the effects of the variation in the length of intake plenum on

these parameters. It was found that change in runner length had a
considerable effect on the rpm at which peak value of torque was
obtained. Accordingly a system to adjust the manifold length (tuned
adjustable intake pipe) will be designed and developed. In order to
increase the torque performance, plenum length must be extended for low
engine speeds and shortened as the engine speed increases

INTRODUCTION
Effectively adjusting the operating parameters such as the relative airfuel
ratio, ignition timing, spark advance fuel injection timing, valve timing,
compression ratio in SI engines at different load conditions improves
significantly the engine characteristics. The effects of these parameters
have been exploited to a great extent using TDCI, Quadrajet, DTS-Si,
twinspark, triple-spark technologies. The acoustic and inertial ram effects
have not been used to a great extent to increase engine performance.
These phenomena contrary to other methods of increasing engine torque
allows engine performance to increase without use of extra additional fuel
or regulating device. The pulsating nature of the airflow produced through
the intake manifold and runner due to valve opening and closing results in
resonances in the airflow at certain speeds. Conventional intake manifolds
for vehicles have fixed air flow geometry and static intake manifold. The
static intake manifold can only be optimized for only a specific rpm and
this rpm corresponds to maximum torque rpm of a given engine. So it is
beneficial to develop a method to vary the intake length, to broaden the
torque curve since the engine operates over a large speed range. Various
designs for variable intake geometry have met with varying degrees of
success.

SELECTION OF TOPIC
As we know we get high torque at a particular rpm so we thought what if
we can get high torque at various rpm. So for this we have to increase the
volumetric efficiency of the engine so that we can achieve high amount of
torque. For increasing the volumetric efficiency we can change the length
of intake manifold so by the use of acoustics we will generate high
pressure waves and achieve high volumetric efficiency There are two
parts of a waves basically a compression wave and a rare faction wave.
Both these waves can be made useful to increase the volumetric
efficiency of the engine thus increasing its breathability. At certain

instances (i.e. rpm) the volumetric efficiencies of more than 100 % is

obtained. Thus increasing the torque output and performance of the
engine. The compression wave is generated when the momentum of the
airflow is halted suddenly by the closing of intake valve. This compression
travels back and forth along the closed intake runner length. Tuning
corresponds to adjusting the length of intake runner so that this pressure
wave arrives exactly at the time when the inlet valve opens. This effect is
also called as inertial ram effect and length is decided by Chryslers Ram
Theory

LITERATURE REVIEW
M A ceviz conducted experiments to study effects of intake plenum
volume variation on engine performance and emission. Brake and
indicated engine performance characteristics, coefficient of variation in
indicated mean effective pressure (COVimep) were taken into account. He
concluded that the engine performance can be increased by using intake
plenum volume that is continuously variable. M.A. Ceviz and M. Akn
investigated the effects of intake plenum volume on the performance of a
spark-ignited engine with electronic fuel injector. SI engines with
multipoint fuel injection system showed better characteristics than
carbureted one. The results showed that the variation in the plenum
length causes an improvement in fuel consumption at high load and low
engine speeds.
Rodrigo Caetano Costa conducted experiment on a engine with maximum
torque 235 N m and maximum power 110 kW and has explained Intake
pipe length and diameter can influence engine performance. Long intake
pipe produces higher volumetric efficiency, torque, and power at low
engine speeds, while, for high engine speeds, short pipe length produces
higher engine performance. For the engine tested, the minimum SFC and
the maximum thermal efficiency were noticed around 3,000 rev/min.
Large pipe diameter produce higher volumetric efficiency at high engine
speeds and lower volumetric efficiency at low speeds, but its effect on

engine torque and output power are hardly noticed. Intake pipe length and
diameter does not show a clear influence on specific fuel consumption and
on engine thermal efficiency. Overall, intake pipes with long length and
small diameter are recommended to improve engine performance at low
engine speeds, while, for high engine speed, it is suggested the use of
intake pipes with short length and large diameter
Bayas Jagadishsingh G conducted experiment Single cylinder 4-S CI
engine and has explained that the intake manifold geometry plays
significant role in deciding engines performance. As the engine speed
increases the length of intake manifold has to be reduced to achieve
optimum engine performance. Theoretical intake tuning methods closely
predicts the intake length required to obtain maximum possible volumetric
efficiency. Significant improvement in volumetric efficiency, brake torque
& brake power is obtained using variable intake lengths. Toque benefit is
obtained in lower as well as higher RPM band. Increase in volumetric
efficiency, BP, & brake torque at rated engine speed is near about 06%,
17% & 10%, respectively.

FEASIBILITY STUDY
TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY
An intake system works according to the principle of resonance charging,
that is, high and low-pressure waves are used to charge the cylinder, in
order to achieve greater volumetric efficiency. Consider the events in the
intake tract. The inlet valve opens. The piston moves downwards in the
cylinder, in the direction of bottom dead centre (BDC). It creates a lowpressure wave in the vicinity of the inlet valve. The inlet valve opens. The
piston moves downwards in the cylinder, in the direction of bottom dead
centre (BDC). It creates a low-pressure wave in the vicinity of the inlet
valve

Fig. 1 Start of resonance charging

This low-pressure wave propagates itself though the resonance pipe to the
other end, which protrudes into a collector. The low-pressure wave at the
end of the pipe acts on the volume of air present in the collector.

Fig. 2 Propagation of low pressure wave

The pressure of the volume of air in the collector is approximately equal to

ambient air pressure. This is significantly higher than the air pressure at
the open end of the resonance pipe. The low pressure now present at the
end of the pipe pulls along the air mass present here. They force
themselves simultaneously into the resonance pipe so that where the lowpressure wave was, an equally large high-pressure wave develops, which
propagates itself towards the inlet valve

Fig. 3 Development of high pressure wave

This effect is also called as Ram-Effect charging which is further explained

below. The low-pressure wave is reflected at the open end of the pipe in
the collector. This high-pressure wave travels back through the resonance
pipe and pushes the air mass past the still-open inlet valve into the
cylinder. This continues until the pressure before the inlet valve and the
pressure in the cylinder are equal. The engine experiences rameffect
charging. The volumetric efficiency reaches values of about 1.0 and even
above. As a result, when the inlet valve closes, backflow of the ram-effect
charging into the intake pipe is prevented. The time t (in milliseconds)
required by the low and high-pressure waves to cover the distance S from
the inlet valve to the collector and back is always the same because they
move at the speed of sound, v.
t = (s = constant(length of resonance pipe))/(v = constant
(speed of sound))
But the time period during which the inlet valve is opened is dependent on
engine speed. As engine speed increases, the period of time during which
the inlet valve is open and air can flow into the cylinder decreases. A highpressure wave returning through a resonance pipe designed for low
engine speeds will run into an inlet valve which has already closed, Ram-

effect charging cannot take place. It is clear that resonance pipes of

different lengths are required for optimal charging at every engine speed.
As we can see from above diagram we just have to change the length of
the intake manifold to increase the volumetric efficiency and torque and
various other parameters at lower speed as the conventional intake
manifolds are of an average size which is a compromise between
efficiency and torque. As we can see that this is quite feasible
COST FEASIBILITY
According to working of variable intake manifold system in extension we
require an microcontroller, hall effect sensor, DC stepper motor, rack and
pinion arrangement

as it will increase a little more cost of the overall

system but the increased efficiency and torque will overcome the cost of
the system

METHODOLOGY
Inlet manifold generally experiences two kind of pressure waves one being
compression & other is suction wave. Intake manifold can be tuned in
such a way that the volumetric efficiency of more than 100% can be
achieved. Thus improvement in the torque output and power of the engine
is possible. Air flowing through the intake manifold runner, past the intake
valve and into the cylinder flows alike until the intake valve closes. After
the closure of valve air strikes on the closed valve & high pressure wave is
created. This is the compression wave & travels back and forth along the
closed intake runner length. Tuning the intake manifold is nothing but
making the compression wave come back at the inlet valve exactly when
it opens. This compression wave then rushes into the cylinder to the feel it
at values more than that of normal one & maximum volumetric efficiency
is achieved. The effect is termed as Ram effect charging & length of intake

manifold to achieve that Ram effect can be predicted by Chryslers Ram

Theory.

Another wave is the rarefaction or suction wave, it generates

when the inlet valve opens & the vacuum of the cylinder is exposed to the
inlet manifold. This low pressure when travels from inlet valve opening to
the other end of intake manifold i.e. To the atmosphere in case of single
cylinder engine & gets reflected as pressure wave. The high pressure
wave then generated travels back towards inlet valve. The timing of
arrival of this reflected high pressure wave can be tuned with opening of
the intake valve by appropriately designing the inlet manifold. Tuning of
the intake manifold in this way increases the local density of the air at the
inlet. In cylinder pressure get increased at ivc causing maximum possible
volumetric efficiency
Chrysler Ram Theory
Air flowing inside the intake manifold runner, past the intake valve and
into the cylinder flows alike until the intake valve closes. After the closure
of valve air strikes on the closed valve & high pressure wave is created.
This high pressure wave oscillates in the inlet duct until the inlet valve
opens for next stroke. The time after which inlet valve opens again if
matches to the time of arrival of high pressure wave of air at inlet then
Ram effect occurs causing highest possible air pressure at IVC. Tuning
corresponds to adjusting the length of intake runner so that this pressure
wave reaches exactly at the time when the inlet valve opens. This effect is
also called as inertial ram effect and length is decided by Chryslers Ram
Theory.

BLOCK DIAGRAM

RACK AND
PINNION

DC STEPPER
MOTOR

BATTERY

MICROCONTROLLER
HALL EFFECT
SENSOR