Air Cleaner

Introduction
• Atmospheric air consists of a large quantity of dirt and dust.
Uncleaned air will cause faster wear of and damage to the engine
parts, so air is filtered before entering inside the cylinder bore.

• Purpose of air cleaner

• It cleans the intake air.
• It reduces the noise of the intake air.
• It acts as a flame arrester during engine backfire.

• Location
• It is mounted either on the top of the carburettor or on the air inlet manifold.
Type of air cleaner
• Wet-type
• Dry-type
Wet-type
• The wet-type. or oil bath, air cleaner consists of the main
body, the filter element that is made of woven copper
gauze, and the cover (fig. 4-15). Operation is as follows:
Incoming air enters between the cover and the main body.
The air is pulled down to the bottom of the main body
where it must make a 180-degree turn, as it passes over the
oil reservoir.
• As the air passes over the oil reservoir, most of the particles
will not be able to make the turn, and they will hit the oil
and be trapped.
• As the air continues upward and passes through the filter
element, the smaller particles that bypassed the oil will be
trapped.
• The air keeps the element soaked with oil by creating a fine
spray, as it passes the reservoir.
• The air then makes another 180-degree turn and enters the
carburetor.
Dry-type
• The air filter contains a ring of filter material (fine-mesh
metal threads or ribbons, pleated paper, cellulose fiber,
or polyurethane), as shown in figure 4-16. These types
of filter materials provide a fine maze that traps most of
the airborne particles.

• The air cleaner also muffles the noise of the intake air
through the carburetor or fuel injection system,
manifold, and valve ports. This noise would be very
noticeable if it were not for the air cleaner. In addition
the air cleaner acts as a flame arrester in case the
engine backfires through the intake manifold. The air
cleaner prevents the flame from escaping and igniting
gasoline fumes outside the engine.
Carburetion
• Functions of the carburetion system are:
• To mix the fuel with the proper proportion of air.
• To vaporize the fuel
• To deliver the correct amount of the air-fuel mixture to the cylinder.
• A carburetor may be defined as:
• A device for automatically mixing fuel in the proper proportion with air to
produce a combustible gas mixture.

6
• Venturi: An area in an air flow tube of a carburetor that restricts the
flow of air through the tube resulting in a high velocity and low
pressure at the restricted area.
• Throttle: regulate engine operating speed a throttle valve is employed
to restrict air flow.
• This is mounted just beyond or above the venturi.
• When the throttle valve is fully opened the air flow is affected very little.
• Chokes: Starting an engine when it is cold requires a richer air-fuel
mixture than when it is warm.
• The choke regulates the pressure in the venturi, thereby increasing the flow
of fuel from the discharge nozzles.
Carburettor
• Principle of carburation
• The carburettor is a device for atomising and vaporising
fuel and mixing it with air in varying proportions to suit
the changing operating conditions such as varying engine
speed, load and operating temperature of the motor
vehicle engine.

• During the suction stroke air is drawn through the air

cleaner and it passes through the air cleaner. A discharge
tube is connected venturi and float chamber. When the
air passes through the venturi it creates vacuum at the tip
of the discharge tube and sucks fuel from the float
chamber.
Types of carburettors
• Carburettors are divided into two types.
• Constant choke
• Constant vacuum
Again they are classified as stated below. As per draft
• Up draft
• Down draft
• Horizontal draft
As per venturi arrangement
• Single Venturi
• Double Venturi
• Triple venturi
• Multi-venturi
Various systems or circuits in the carburettor

• Float system
• Idling and low speed system
• High speed system
• Power system
• Anti-percolator
• Accelerating pump system
• Choke system
Float system

AIR CLEANER
CHOKE

VENTURI
Float Valve

Float Arm

Float Chamber Float

THROTTLE VALVE
Idling and low speed system
• Rich mixture is needed- 10:1
• It consists of idle passages for fuel and air
• Idling system – starting, idling and low speeds
• Cut off when speed increases to about 40kmph
High speed system
• Throttle valve is sufficiently opened
• Faster air flow through the air horn and greater the vacuum created
in the venturi
• Additional fuel will be discharged
• This system comes in action as soon as the engine speed increases
from 33 KMPH
Power system
• When the engine is under strain requiring more power, a richer, a
more powerful mixture
• Power system is either manually operated or vacuum controlled
Anti-percolator
• This device is to relieve the vapour pressure that develops in the
carburettor due to the vaporization of fuel in hot weather
• This pressure causes flooding of fuel
• This valve relieves the pressure by venting the passage in the
discharge nozzle to the atmosphere
Accelerating system
• For rapid acceleration, additional fuel must be delivered by
carburettor
• Quick opening of throttle valve
• Produces leaner mixture instead of being richer
• Accelerating pump is used to provide correct A-F mixture, discharges
directly into mixing chamber
Choke
• For starting the cold engine, a rich mixture is needed
• Choke is operated to shut off the air supply to carburettor
• During the suction stroke less amount of air, and more amount of fuel
is sucked thus a rich mixture is obtained
• After starting the engine choke should be opened to atmosphere–
else flooding