Title: Studies on the effect of turbulence on the performance characteristics of a spark-ignition engine

Authors: M.K. Gajendra Babu, R. Sabharwal, P. Sarcar, J.P. Subrahmanyam

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, India. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, India

Abstract: Turbulence in a spark-ignition engine significantly influences the performance and emission characteristics. Furthermore, it has been recognised that the presence of turbulence in the inlet manifold of a spark-ignition engine up to a certain level does improve the fuel economy. Hence, in this article, experimental investigations relating to the effect of turbulence generation in the inlet manifold on the overall performance of a spark-ignition engine are reported. Turbulence generators creating 50 and 75 per cent blockage with delta-wing-type blades were used in the inlet manifold of a single-cylinder spark-ignition engine. Subsequently, blade-type turbulence generation were introduced in the same manifold. A comparison between the two cases was made with reference to the overall performance of the engine by measuring the engine power and the turbulence with the help of a hot-wire anemometer. These investigations have shown that blade-type turbulence generators create a significantly larger amount of turbulence, leading to a loss of engine power compared with the delta-wing-shaped generator. However, it is noticed that there is a slight improvement in the performance of the engine when the delta-wing-type of turbulence generator is used compared with the conventional engine.

Keywords: anemometry; turbulence generators; fuel consumption; RMS values; spark ignition engine; SI engines; inlet manifold; engine performance; vehicle design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.1991.061688

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 1991 Vol.12 No.3, pp.336 - 344

Published online: 27 May 2014 *

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