Analysis of Boosting Engine Torque and Horsepower via Diffuser Installation on the Exhaust Pipe

Abstract

The Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) that runs on fossil fuels is still commonly utilized as a mode of transportation. In ICE, there typically happens an overlapping stage in which the intake and exhaust valves are both open. There are advantages to overlapping in an engine, such as working on the chamber scavenging process and lowering the temperature in preparation for the following work cycle. However, engine overlap also has drawbacks, such as the possibility of wasting the fresh air and fuel combination in the exhaust, which can decrease engine performance. The majority of overlapping studies are conducted on heavy-duty engines, making research on the effect of overlapping on motorcycle ICE exceptionally rare. As a result, an experiment will be carried out in this study to improve the light-duty ICE's performance by lowering the amount of fresh mixture wasted during the overlap process utilizing a diffuser. The Diffuser works on the principle of decreasing flow and increasing pressure. By adding a diffuser, it is believed that the amount of fresh mixture lost along with the exhaust can be reduced. This study's diffuser is an aluminum ring with various angles of 40°, 50°, and 40°. Each Diffuser Ring is installed to the exhaust pipe, and a Dynotest is conducted to collect engine performance data, specifically Torque and Power. The torque and power data results of a motorcycle equipped with a diffuser are then compared to the torque and power data results of a motorcycle operating under normal conditions or without a diffuser installed. The findings suggest that the smaller the angle of the diffuser, the better the torque and power output. Through this article, it is envisaged that, in the future, the diffuser will also be applicable to vehicles carrying greater loads and heavy-duty engines.