Developing racing exhaust system performance using computational fluid dynamics software

Abstract

The exhaust system is one of the most important parts for internal combustion engine-powered car, serve as the only device which supports the exhaust process to dispose the combustion residue from combustion chamber caused by the combustion process. Exhaust system design can affect the entire engine performance and efficiency so its very crucial when it comes into designing the exhaust system and it is important to understand how to design a suitable exhaust system for certain engine when it comes to racing purpose or motorsports. In motorsports, a well design exhaust system proved in increasing the engine efficiency which means higher engine efficiency creates more power output which is needed in the world of motorsports to increase the probability of winning. When it comes into exhaust tuning, the width diameter and length of the exhaust system proved to affect the torque of the engine and its very crucial to tune the torque performance to suit the engine characteristics so the engine can perform in optimal performance and higher efficiency. For motorsports, its not only concerned about how much power that can be produces from the engine, but also about the durability of the engine because higher power output produces more heat and combustion residue due to high piston and crankshaft revolution which means the combustion residue in the combustion chamber needed to be emptied quickly to the exhaust system for the next combustion process. In this research, it will be explained how to design a 3D racing exhaust system based on CAD software and obtain the fluid velocity data based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software. In future, this method will be useful for car manufacturers to develop a suitable exhaust system for a lower cost.