Racing Engines - Power Tips
How do the best teams make their racing engines more powerful and more fuel efficient than the other guys? Here are some basic reminders from the best in the business:
Lightweight Parts. Decreased weight helps racing engines perform better. For instance, the lighter the piston, the less energy expended by the engine each time the piston changes direction in the cylinder.
Compression Ratio. Higher compression ratios produce more power. However, the more the air/fuel mixture is compressed, the more possible an early explosion before timed ignition. One basic reminder: Higher octane fuels can help prevent spontaneous combustion as you're trying to pull higher compression ratios for more power.
Displacement. Increased displacement means the engine can burn more gas during each cycle, which produces more power. The basic formulas for increased displacement: More and/or bigger cylinders.
Cylinders. In addition to increasing their size, another way to get more power from your cylinders is to increase the amount of fuel/air mixture packed into each cylinder. One way to do this is to pressurize the incoming air with turbochargers or superchargers. In addition, fuel injection can help by metering the specific fuel/air amount going to each cylinder.
Cooler Air. As you increase power through increased compression, your engine will increase its temperature. This reality is the million-dollar tradeoff in the motor sports game. Simply, the cooler the air in the cylinders, the more it will expand during the combustion cycle. One approach is to pass the compressed air through an intercooler before it enters the cylinder.
More Air In. More air into each cylinder during the intake stroke equals more power! Air resistance during intake impedes piston movement and curtails compression. Air flow can be increased by putting two intake valves in each cylinder. In addition, air flow can be increased through bigger air filters and by polishing and/or coating intake manifolds.
More Exhaust Out. More air out of each cylinder during the exhaust stroke equals more power! If anything impedes the ejection of exhaust from the cylinder, it decreases engine power. Similar to adding a second intake valve, exhaust flow can be increased by adding a second exhaust valve to each cylinder. In addition, larger exhaust pipes, dual exhaust pipes, more efficient mufflers, and headers can help alleviate the back-pressure that blocks the efficient emission of exhaust.
Racing Engines - Power Solutions
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