How Does a Tuned Aircraft Exhaust System Affect Engine Performance?
The exhaust within aircraft has a major influence on the power, fuel efficiency, and performance of aircraft. As such, any plane owner should never compromise on the design, quality, and maintenance of the exhaust system. With this in mind, if you would like to increase the efficiency of your aircraft, you must tune your exhaust system. In aircraft piston engines, tuned exhaust systems improve overall operability. To better understand the function of exhaust systems, we must also cover the difference between a traditional and tuned engine.
Regular Combustion Engine
During the combustion process, the aircraft exhaust system goes through a four-stroke cycle: intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust strokes.
To begin, the intake valve is positioned on top of the cylinder. During the intake stroke, the piston moves up and down the cylinder to collect the fuel-air mixture through the open intake valve. After sucking the mixture, the intake valve closes and the piston moves back to its starting position. All of this movement compresses the mixture, causing a spark in the plug to ignite and explode the compressed fuel-air mixture. This explosion forces the piston down the cylinder and provides the necessary power to turn on the engine. At this point, the exhaust valve opens with the movement of the piston and the whole cycle starts up again.
Difference Between Tuned and Traditional Exhaust Systems
Originally, tuned exhaust systems were designed to remove gasses from the cylinder of an airplane engine. Over time, however, trained aviation welding technicians added heating and muffle systems in the tuned exhaust system. Despite these additions, there is still a lot of room for improvement. For instance, in the standard design of a traditional exhaust system, only 80% of the cylinder is emptied and the remaining 20% goes to waste. In a tuned exhaust system, on the other hand, all the gasses from the cylinder are expelled properly and nothing goes to waste. That being said, a tuned exhaust system is better at removing gasses from the cylinder when compared to a traditional exhaust system.
Advantages of a Tuned Exhaust System
There are a few key advantages to a tuned exhaust system. First, a tuned exhaust system enables an engine to clear out the engine cylinders more efficiently, saving a lot of gas in the process. Next, the engine takes advantage of a more efficient fuel burn which enables the aircraft to not only reach a higher RPM, but also travel greater distances with the same fuel consumption as compared to a traditional exhaust system. Lastly, since most of the gasses escape from the cylinder, the temperature at the collector is usually higher than it would be in a traditional exhaust system.
Maintenance
If your aircraft engine has a tuned exhaust system, then you must perform a thorough inspection of the engine’s cowling, control cables, and other related components. Additionally, pay close attention to all of the external surfaces of the engine, ensuring that there are no cracks, dents, or signs of wear. Similarly, carry out an in-depth assessment of the lead, flexible air ducts, fuel lines, and hoses. If you detect any imperfections, put a heat shield around such parts. This goes without saying, but have a professional aviation welding technician look over your exhaust system.
Conclusion
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