Air Charging Methods

Maximum engine power is limited by the amount of fuel that can be

Air Charging of Engines
Dr. M. Zahurul Haq
Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET)
Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh
zahurul@me.buet.ac.bd
http://teacher.buet.ac.bd/zahurul/
ME 401: Internal Combustion Engines
c Dr. M. Zahurul Haq (BUET) Air Charging of Engines
c Dr. M. Zahurul Haq (BUET) Air Charging of Engines ME 401 (2011)
burned efficiently inside cylinder. This is limited by the amount of air
that is introduced into each cylinder as fuel system can always be
designed to provide the required amount of fuel this air flow.
Natural Aspiration: induction process relies solely on the
pressure difference that exists between retreating piston and air
intake arrangements. Natural charging is enhanced by utilizing:
1 Ram effect of incoming charge
2 Pressure wave tuning
Forced Induction: charge is forced to enter into the cylinder at a
pressure substantially above that of the atmosphere, although the
mean gas velocities through the intake part remain unchanged for
the same engine speeds.
1 Mechanical supercharging
2 Turbocharging
3 Pressure wave supercharging
ME 401 (2011) 1 / 14
2 / 14

With SI engines, boosting the pressure in the induction system

has the effect of increasing the overall compression ratio. To avoid
knock as the boost pressure increases, the engine compression ratio
must be reduced relative to that required for natural aspiration.
Because only air is compressed in CI engines, problems associated
with knock don’t not arise. Moreover, increasing the density of the
air reduces the delay period, thus actually producing more
favourable rate of pressure rise during combustion.
For every charge temperature rise of l00o C due to pressure
charging a SI engine, the increase in absolute temperature at the
end of compression will be approximately 200o C. In a CI engine,
with its higher compression ratio, the temperature at the end of
compression will be of the order of 300o C higher. In both
instances, these effects increase the rate of heat generation, and
therefore temperature rise, during combustion.
c Dr. M. Zahurul Haq (BUET) Air Charging of Engines ME 401 (2011)
c Dr. M. Zahurul Haq (BUET) Air Charging of Engines ME 401 (2011)
Inertia Ramcharging
At high engine speed charge flowing through the intake system
moves at a high velocity and its momentum keeps it moving
toward the cylinder and can continue to compress the charge into
the cylinder at the end of intake stroke even after the piston has
started upward on the compression stroke (if IV is open).
Induction work A of the piston
correspond to compression work B.
e786
By properly tuning the intake valve closing, the amount of charge
trapped inside the cylinder can be increased. This phenomenon,
called the ram effect, increases with air velocity and therefore
with engine speed.
3 / 14
4 / 14
Pressure Wave Tuning

The high-pressure wave, created when the exhaust valve opens

and rapidly blows down the cylinder contents, travels to the end
of exhaust pipe and is reflected as a low-pressure wave or
rarefaction wave. If this wave is timed to enter the cylinder near
the end of the exhaust stroke it can assist in evacuating the
residual gases and draw in fresh charge as the intake valve opens.
Similarly, rarefaction waves in the intake system are reflected from
the open end of the intake as pressure waves that will force more
charge into the cylinder.
e856
The process, known as Tuning, is highly dependent on the √
Suction wave moves at sonic speed, Co = γRTo along the pipe
relationship between valve timing, pipe lengths and the speed of length, L. After time t = L/Co , the wave reaches the open manifold
the sound in intake and exhaust gases. As a results, the benefits of end and is reflected as pressure wave which returns to intake valve at
tuning tend to be concentrated at specific engine speeds and the same speed. If the intake valve is still open, then this can boost ηv .
effects at other speeds may actually be negative. Travel time ∆t = 2L/Co must be shorter than valve opening duration.
c Dr. M. Zahurul Haq (BUET) Air Charging of Engines ME 401 (2011) 5 / 14 c Dr. M. Zahurul Haq (BUET) Air Charging of Engines ME 401 (2011) 6 / 14

(1) Resonance chamber (2) Adjuster

(3) Resonance chamber
Mechanical Supercharging

e862

e863 Variable-length intake runners

In tuned-intake tube charging, resonance chambers are connected e781 e852

to the atmosphere or a common chamber by tuned tubes, and act In mechanical supercharging, the supercharger is powered directly
as Helmholtz resonators. by the engine, which usually drives it at a fixed transmission ratio.
At low rpm the variable-length intake runners operate in Mechanical or electromagnetic clutches are used for its activation.
Simple unit on ‘cold side’ of the engine & exhaust is not involved.
conjunction with an initial resonance chamber. The length of the
Responds immediately to load changes.
intake runners is adjusted continually as engine speed increases.
Directly engine driven, so causes increased fuel consumption.
c Dr. M. Zahurul Haq (BUET) Air Charging of Engines ME 401 (2011) 7 / 14 c Dr. M. Zahurul Haq (BUET) Air Charging of Engines ME 401 (2011) 8 / 14
Superchargers Exhaust-gas Turbocharging
Superchargers are air pumps, commonly called blowers. These can
easily produce 50% more power than a normally aspirated engine of
the same size. The crack-shaft usually drives the supercharger with a
belt, but it is sometimes driven by a chain or gears.

e782
e758

In turbocharging, exhaust-driven turbine is employed to convert

the energy in the exhaust gases into mechanical energy, making it
e864
possible for the turbocharger to compress the induction gas.
Considerable increase in specific output from a given configuration;
enhanced torque within the effective engine-speed range; significant
reduction in fuel consumption; improvement in exhaust-emissions.
Installation of turbocharger requires materials resistant to high
temperatures; space requirements for turbocharger and intercooler;
e853
e854 low base torque at low engine speed.
c Dr. M. Zahurul Haq (BUET) Air Charging of Engines ME 401 (2011) 9 / 14 c Dr. M. Zahurul Haq (BUET) Air Charging of Engines ME 401 (2011) 10 / 14

Typical Turbocharger Configuration

e855
e784 e753
e783

A Turbo-Compounded Engine With Intercooler & Waste gate In turbocharging, the losses due to back-pressure generated in the
In Turbo-compounding system, a second turbine (power turbine) exhaust system are more than offset by the effect of the higher
in the exhaust is directly geared to the engine drive shaft which induction pressures in reducing specific fuel consumption and
results in higher engine power and efficiency. increasing power.
Charge cooling prior to entry to the cylinder, can be used to Turbocharger lag: Owing the inertia of the rotating assembly, it
increase further the air or mixture density. A waste-gate allows a can take as long as several seconds to respond to higher load
portion of the engine’s exhaust gas to bypass the turbine. demand.
c Dr. M. Zahurul Haq (BUET) Air Charging of Engines ME 401 (2011) 11 / 14 c Dr. M. Zahurul Haq (BUET) Air Charging of Engines ME 401 (2011) 12 / 14
Wave-Compression Devices (Comprex Supercharger)
Pressure wave superchargers make use of the fact that if two fluids During each revolution of the drum, one end of each cell in turn passes
having different pressures are brought into direct contact in low narrow
the end of the exhaust passage 4 . This allows the exhaust gas, at the
channels, equalization of pressure occurs faster than mixing. pressure in that passage, to flow along the cell, compressing the air
Comprex Supercharger: (1) Engine, that it already contains against the closed far end. Further rotation
opens a port at the latter end, which allows the air thus compressed to

(2) Cell wheel or rotor, (3) Belt drive,
(4) High-pressure Exhaust gas, flow into the inlet passage 5 , which is then closed again when the cell
(5) High-pressure air, (6) Low-pressure passes it. Closure of the port reflects a pressure pulse back to the other
air, (7) Low-pressure exhaust gas end, which is now open to the exhaust downpipe through 7 .
Consequently, the exhaust gas is discharged to atmosphere, at the same
Because this unit does not have to com- time generating a suction wave which travels along the cell. When this
press the gas it absorbs no more than
between 1 and 2% of the power output

reaches the opposite end, the port to the inlet pipe 6 is open, so a
fresh charge of air is drawn into the cell, and the cycle begins again.
of the engine. Pressure ratios of up to
3:1 are said to be attainable. It is prin-
cipally designed for CI engines.
e851
c Dr. M. Zahurul Haq (BUET) Air Charging of Engines ME 401 (2011) 13 / 14 c Dr. M. Zahurul Haq (BUET) Air Charging of Engines ME 401 (2011) 14 / 14