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Engine Breathing

Contents

Basic overview of an engines breathing


requirements;

Design considerations
Valve Flow
Valve Sizing, Timing & Lift
Breathing Efficiency is
Torque & Power

Volumetric Efficiency

Torque
Breathing Optimisation

Breathing performance is often a compromise;


The induction system is required to produce swirl, tumble,
turbulence this reduces volumetric efficiency
Often high power requirements contradict the needs of good
driveability and fuel economy
Similarly good transient performance is compromised by
steady state requirements
Induction and exhaust noise control will affect breathing
Induction and exhaust system packaging always an issue
Design Factors Affecting
Breathing
Inlet manifold system design (runners & plenums)

exhaust system design (runners, catalyst position)


valve train design (timing, dynamics)
bore to stroke ratio
cylinder capacity (piston area)
compression ratio
cooling system charge air induction heating
pressure charging
How is Breathing
Affected ?
Valve Flow Efficiency

Poppet Valves (as used in 4 stroke engines) are very poor flow
devices
During the valve lift cycle the flow streams detach from the surfaces
due to boundary layer build up

At medium and high lifts the effective flow area is considerably


less than the geometric area
Valve Flow Efficiency

Valve Mass Flow can be estimated from steady flow equations and
through the use of a flow efficiency coefficient (or discharge
coefficent) Cd
1
2
1
2
p01 Ae 2 p2 p2
2

m 1
a01 1 p01 p01

Ae Ar DLv
cd
Ar
Note Ar = curtain flow area (could be port area)
Valve Flow Efficiency

The discharge flow


coefficient follows
the flow steam
trends

Note that the flow is


at best 65% of the
theoretical maximum
Flow Loss Coefficients

Flow Loss Coefficients (rather than Discharge Coefficients) are


commonly used in commercial engine simulations eg WAVE

Flow Loss Coefficients defined as the ratio between the actual mass
flow and the loss-free isentropic mass flow for the same stagnation
pressure and the same pressure ratio

The difference between a discharge coefficient and a flow loss


coefficient is important;
The discharge coefficient applies to flow between stagnant
reservoirs passing through a frictionless nozzle.
The flow loss coefficient applies to steady or pulsating flow
through the cylinder head
Flow Loss Coefficients

d vi2 Actual area = port area


Ae coeff
4
Valve Sizing

Valve Diameter is dependent on bore dimensions and


combustion chamber shape
Due to available pressure ratios the inlet valve diameter is
always greater than the exhaust diameter

Typical relative valve diameters

Valve area ratio trends with bore diameter


Gulp Factor

The Mach Index, Z, or Gulp Factor is often used in steady


state flow bench testing to optimise the valve size
A Gulp Factor of about 0.5 has been shown to produce good
volumetric efficiencies
Valve Timing

Valve timing tends to be largely symmetric and tries to reflect the


opposing needs of high speed full load operation and part load, low
speed.

Valve Event Typical Value Range Performance Sensitivity

IVO 10 to 25 deg BTDC Low

IVC 40 to 60 deg ABDC high (low & high speed)

EVO 50 to 60 deg BBDC medium

EVC 8 to 20 deg ATDC high (idle & max power)


Valve Timing

Good low-speed torque


Early IVC 15 deg ABDC
Minimum Overlap 10 deg

Good high-speed torque


Late IVC 70 deg ABDC
Early IVO 30 deg BTDC
Maximum Overlap 50 deg

IVO EVC

IVC EVO
Valve Lift

Valve Lift will increase flow


Limited by ;
- Port choking
- mechanical loads on the
valve train system
:
Tuning
Induction tuning provides opportunities for volumetric efficiency
improvements over limited speed ranges;
Ram tuning is simply forced air compression
Wave tuning is caused by the propagation of pressure waves
within the intake runners at the speed of sound
A rarefaction wave is generated at the port at IVO
The wave travels up the runner to the plenum and reflects
back towards the cylinder a compression wave
For optimum tuning the wave travel time should
correspond to about 85 degs
The optimum length is estimated at 7.1 c/rpm where c =
speed of sound and rpm = engine speed
More on tuning in the next lecture
Thank you for listening

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