21/9/2016

Blog:ATechnicalDiscussionofIntakesandTurbocharging:StratifiedAutomotiveControls

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ATechnicalDiscussionofIntakesandTurbocharging
PostedonJanuary16,2014byStratified
Megusta A34personaslesgustaesto.Selprimerodetusamigos.

DecalsandSwag

Iseeagoodamountofintakediscussionspoppinguponforumsandwantedtodoa

AllProducts...

smallwriteupaboutwhattolookforwhenchoosinganintakeandsometurbocharger
andairflowtheory.

CURRENCIES

USDollar

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Ihadrecentlyfinishedwith
allthemodificationsthatI...

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Theruleofthumbwithintakesisthatthelargerthediameter,theshortertheintakeand
thefewertheturnsthebetterintermsofwhattheturbolikes(lesslosses=more
power).Letselaborateonthisalittlebit.
Turbochargercompressors(thesilvercoldsideoftheturbo)operateatwhatiscalleda
pressureratio.Whatthismeansisthatthecompressorincreasesthepressureoftheair
fromtheInlet(fromintake)totheOutlet(tointercooler)ofthecompressorwhentheyare
spunupbytheexhaustgases(spooledup).ThisgivesusBOOST!
Boostgivestheenginemoreairflowthanitcandrawthroughitself(essentiallyincreasing
thevolumetricefficiency)allowingittomakemorepower.Theamountofairflowneeded
isdefinedbythesizeandvolumetricefficiencyoftheengineandthepowerrequirements.
Wellgointomoredetailonthisinanotherwriteup.
Turbochargercompressorperformanceisillustratedbyacompressormap.Asample
compressormapisshownbelowwiththefeatureshighlighted.Youcanreadmoreabout
compressormapsinthisexcellentseriesbyGarrett/Honeywell:

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Now,thesizeofthecompressorandturboreallydependsonapplication.Generally,we
wantverylittlelaganddecenttopendsotheturbowechoose(andthestockoneinmost
carsespecially)isdrivenveryhard.Insuchacase,thelowerthiscompressorpressure
ratio,themoreefficientlytheturboworksandthelessworktheexhausthastoputinto
theturbinetomakeitspin.
Thisreducespumpinglosses(increasesvolumetricefficiency),reducesheat,andallows
denserairtoreachthemotorwhileincreasingtheknockthreshold.Allgoodthingsand
thisappliestoANYturbounlessitisgrosslyoversizedfortheengineinwhichcasethere
arebiggerproblemstoaddress.
Howisthisrelatedtointakeandboostwemeasureatthemanifold?
Youcanimagineairfollowsthispathintothemotor:
AirFilterIntakeTubing/MAFSensorCompressorInletCompressorOutlet
HotsideTubingIntercoolerColdSideTubineThrottleBodyIntakeManifold
IntakeValves/HeadExhaustValves/HeadTurboTurbineDownpipeRestof
exhaust.
Theimagebelowshowsthisusinganillustration.

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Thecompressormapshowsyouhowmuchaturboflowsatagivenpressureratio
(pressuredifferencebetweencompressorinletandoutlet)atastandardtemperature.
Theairflowisonthehorizontal(xaxis)andthepressureratioisonthevertical(yaxis).
AstheRPMsincreasethemotorrequiresmoreairtoproducemorepower.Forsimplicity,
letssaywearerunning20psiofboostatthemanifold.Youcanplotoutwherethemotor
operatesonthecompressormapbasedonhowmuchairitconsumesatthat20psiwith
thatparticularturbo(thiscaseaK03).Thislookssomethinglikethiswhentheengineis
doingapullinasinglegear.

Noticehowinthiscasethepressureratiothattheturboisoperatingatisaround2.8on
theverticalaxis.Atsealevelthistranslatesinto26psiofboostpressurethecompressor
mustgenerate.ButIjustsaidthatthecarisoperatingat20psiofboostatthemanifold
right?Howcanthisbe?
Whenyoudrawairfromoutside,youaredrawingairinatatmosphericpressure.However
whenitgetspulledthroughthefilterandairtubing,thepressureactuallydropsBELOW
atmospheric.ThisisduetosomethingcalledtheBernoulliPrinciple.
Theturbothenpushesairthroughtothemotorbutacrossalltheotherintaketubingand
intercooleryoulosemorepressureduetothesameprincipleuntilitreachesthemanifold.
Whenyoumeasureboostattheintakemanifoldyouaremeasuringitagainstthe
atmosphericpressure(calledGaugePressure)butyourcompressorisactuallyoperating
atahigherpressureratio/boostlevel.

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Letsuseanexample:
Saythemanifoldpressureis20psiasmeasuredbytheECUoraboostgauge.
ThepressuredropfromtheintercoolerandthepipingAFTERtheturbois4psi(for
example).
ThepressuredropfromtheintakeandfilterBEFOREtheturboisanother2psi(again
anexample).
Thatmeansthatthecompressorisactuallypressurizingairto26psitogetyou20psiof
manifoldpressure.Themoreyoureducethispressuredropinfrontofandaftertheturbo,
thesloweryouneedtospintheturbo,themoreefficiencyyoullgain,andinthecaseof
undersizedturbosliketheOEM,youwillgainairflowallwhilekeepingyour20psiatthe
manifold.
Allthismeanstoyouisthatyourcarwillbefaster!Thediagrambelowshowsthesame
compressormapwiththesame20psiofboostatthemanifold(and26psiattheturboin
red).Now,letsassumewerunamoreefficientintercoolerandbiggerandmore
efficientintakeandtheseonlydroppressure1psieach.Thischangesthepressureratio
attheturboto22psitogetthesame20psiattheintakemanifold!Thisisshownin
green.

Whatcanweconcludeaboutrunningaturboalongthegreenline?Thankfullyall
goodthingsaboutbothpowerandreliability.
Turbospendsmoretimeinthehigherefficiencyislands.
Thegreenlineextendsfurthermeaningthattheturbowillflowmoreairwithoutover
spinning.
Theturbospinsslower,reducesexhaustbackpressure,increasesoverallengine
efficiency
Turborunscooleratlowerpressures.
Engineislesslikelytoknock.
Turbolifeisextended.
Howisthisrelatedtotheintake?
Largerdiameterintakesthatareshorter,havelessturns,andabetterflowingfilterwill
reallyhelphere.Believeitornoteventhefiltermakesameasurabledifferencewhen
youreworkingwithamaxedoutturbolikewhatisinstalledonmostOEMcarsandmost
mediumsizedturbos.Ofcoursetheintakemustalsofitintheenginebayandalso
importantlyshieldtheincomingairfromheatwithoutbeingrestrictive.
OEMcomponentsaresizedforthepowerrequirementsofthestockcarandnoise
constraintsbutoftendoagreatjobshieldingfromheat.Comparethesizes,locations,and
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designofOEMandaftermarketintakestoseethis.Someaftermarketintakesare
definitelybetterdesignedthanothers.
Theintercoolerandpipingaftertheturbohaveasimilareffectandshouldfollowthesame
lowrestriction,highefficiencyprinciple.Thereareafewmoredetailstochargeaircooling
thatwillbecoveredinadifferentarticle.
Thesearesomeofthethingstothinkaboutwhenchoosinganintakeforthe
MazdaSpeed,FocusST,oranyotherturbochargedcar!
HappyTurbocharging!
Alex@Stratified
ImageCredits:
http://www.capny153.org/forcesthrust.htm
http://blog.perrinperformance.com/altabillet56turboupgrade/
http://http://www.audizine.com
ThisentrywaspostedinTechTalk,TuningbyStratified.Bookmarkthepermalink
[http://stratifiedauto.com/blog/atechnicaldiscussionofintakesandturbocharging/].

2015StratifiedAutomotiveControlsALLRIGHTSRESERVED

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