Design of a new SI engine intake manifold with variable length plenum

This paper investigates the effects of intake plenum length/volume on the performance characteristics of a spark-ignited engine with electronically controlled fuel injectors. Previous work was carried out mainly on the engine with carburetor producing a mixture desirable for combustion and dispatching the mixture to the intake manifold. The more stringent emission legislations have driven engine development towards concepts based on electronic-controlled fuel injection rather than the use of carburetors. In the engine with multipoint fuel injection system using electronically controlled fuel injectors has an intake manifold in which only the air flows and, the fuel is injected onto the intake valve. Since the intake manifolds transport mainly air, the supercharging effects of the variable length intake plenum will be different from carbureted engine. Engine tests have been carried out with the aim of constituting a base study to design a new variable length intake manifold plenum. Engine performance characteristics such as brake torque, brake power, thermal efficiency and specific fuel consumption were taken into consideration to evaluate the effects of the variation in the length of intake plenum. The results showed that the variation in the plenum length causes an improvement on the engine performance characteristics especially on the fuel consumption at high load and low engine speeds which are put forward the system using for urban roads. According to the test results, plenum length must be extended for low engine speeds and shortened as the engine speed increases. A system taking into account the results of the study was developed to adjust the intake plenum length. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.