International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056

Volume: 10 Issue: 12 | Dec 2023 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

Design and Analysis of Air Intake Manifold for Formula Student Cars

Devesh Wani1, Anish Sudhakar2, Darshan Bhivate3, Abhay Shinde4

Ass. Prof. K. R. Kapdani

Students, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, P.E.S Modern College of Engineering, Pune, Maharashtra, India
---------------------------------------------------------------------***---------------------------------------------------------------------
Abstract - This paper focuses on making a venturi-type 2. Air Intake Manifold
restrictor better for a Formula SAE car engine's intake
manifold. The main rule in FSAE is that a 20mm restrictor in The primary role of the intake manifold is to supply air to
the intake manifold is to control the amount of air going to the the engine, making it a crucial element in designing a high-
engine, which helps lower its maximum power. We did some quality intake system. The engine's efficiency is directly
math using standard results to figure out the most air the influenced by the intake design geometry, and several key
engine could handle. We also used a tool called CFD to find the considerations should be taken into account in the design of
smallest pressure drop across the restrictor. We did this by an intake manifold:
changing the angles of the venturi where the air passes
through. 1. Enhance air velocity within the engine cylinder.
2. Minimize pressure losses.
Key Words: Runner, Venturi, Plenum, Restrictor, 3. Aim for a mass flow rate of air close to Mach no. 1
Throttle Body, Air Intake Manifold, CFD, SolidWorks 4. Eliminate sharp corners in the design to mitigate
vibrations in the intake manifold.

1. INTRODUCTION

The goal of this project is to create a special part called an

intake manifold for a Formula SAE race car. Formula SAE is a
big contest for students who design cars, and it's organized
by the Society of Automotive Engineers International.

In this context, there's a rule that limits how much power the
car's engine can have. They use a small device called a 20
mm intake restrictor to control the engine's power. The
engines used in Formula SAE are only allowed to have 610 cc
(cubic centimeters) and can produce 120 horsepower at
15,000 revolutions per minute (RPM). After adding the 20
Figure 1 : Air Intake Manifold
mm restrictor, the engine's speed is controlled to be between
10,000 and 7,500 RPM.
The intake manifold comprises key elements, including the
throttle, restrictor, plenum, runner, and air filter. The
When the engine is running really fast, it needs a lot of air to
arrangement of these components is as follows:
burn fuel properly. So, the challenge is to make sure the air
flows into the engine at a very high speed to meet its needs.
Studies show that the amount of air (called mass flow rate) is 1. Air filter
a fixed thing when you use a 20 mm restrictor. 2. Throttle

Therefore, the main goal of our project is to let in as much air 3. Venturi / Restrictor
as possible while causing the least amount of pressure drop 4. Plenum
in the special part we're designing, called the venturi-type
restrictor. 5. Runner
2.1 Air Filter
An air filter typically consists of a fibrous or porous material,
often pleated paper or cloth enclosed within a cardboard
frame. Its primary purpose is to deliver and ensure the

© 2023, IRJET | Impact Factor value: 8.226 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal | Page 620
 International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 10 Issue: 12 | Dec 2023 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

circulation of fresh and clean air. The air filter effectively The mass flow rate from above equation is calculated using
eliminates solid particles like dust, pollen, mud, and bacteria the following data values:
from the air, preventing their direct impact on the engine's
M= 1
power and performance.
A = 0.001256 m2 (20 mm restriction)
Drawbacks of vehicles lacking an air filter: R = 0.286 KJ/Kg-K
ϒ = 1.4
1. Disruption of the air-fuel mixture.
Pt= 101325 Pa
2. Potential risk of engine seizure. Tt = 300 K
Max. Mass flow rate = 0.0703 kg/sec
We conducted simulations at various convergent and
2.2 Throttle divergent angles. The restrictor operates on the principle of
The throttle body is a mechanism utilized to regulate the minimizing pressure differences. Following the SolidWorks
quantity of air entering the engine cylinder. Within the simulation, we obtained results indicating a convergent angle
throttle body, there is a throttle plate—a butterfly valve of 10.5 degrees and a divergent angle of 6 degrees, as they
responsible for managing the airflow. resulted in the minimum pressure drop.

2.4 Plenum

The plenum facilitates the introduction of an air and fuel

mixture into the cylinder by ensuring that the pressure
within the manifold surpasses that in the cylinders. The
plenum adheres to the RAM theory, asserting that a ram air
intake is an intake design utilizing dynamic air pressure
generated by vehicle motion. This design aims to elevate the
static air pressure within the intake manifold of an internal
combustion engine, thereby enabling a greater mass flow
through the engine and consequently boosting engine power.
Figure 2 : Throttle Body
The plenum volume is designed to be 1.5 to 3 times the
2.3 Venturi / Restrictor engine displacement.

A restrictor is a mechanism positioned at the engine intake to Calculations:

control its power output. In FSAE competitions, a regulation Engine Capacity = 373.2 cc
is enforced to restrict the engine's power, specifying a i.e. 373.2 x 3 = 1119.690 cc
maximum allowable diameter for the restrictor at 20mm. 1119.690 cc ≅ 1.11969 Ltr
Mass flow rate can be calculated as follows: i.e. Volume of Plenum =1.119 ltr

m=r.V.A The volume of the plenum is 1.19 liter, which is almost 3

For an ideal compressible gas: times the engine displacement.

2.5 Runner

The runner, connecting the plenum and restrictor with the

engine, plays a crucial role. Determining the runner length
can be achieved through any of the two theories:

1. The Induction Wave theory

2. The Helmholtz Resonator theory

2.5.1. Induction wave theory:

The induction wave theory states that the length of the
runner depends on factors such as EVCD, RPM, Speed of
sound, RV, and Runner diameter.
Formula:
Length = (EVCD*0.25*V*2) / (RPM*RV) - (0.5D)
Figure 3: Pressure Contour Where,

© 2023, IRJET | Impact Factor value: 8.226 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal | Page 621
 International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 10 Issue: 12 | Dec 2023 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

EVCD = Effective valve close duration. successive layers. The most commonly employed 3-D
V = Speed of Sound in feet per second. printing process is fused deposition modeling (FDM). Several
RPM = Revolutions per Minute. factors are taken into account when selecting the filament,
RV = Reflective Valve such as melting point, durability, impact resistance, rigidity,
D = Runner diameter heat resistance, and flame performance.
Cam specifications: The optimal filaments for 3-D printing include:
IVO 2 degrees BTDC (Cam specifications of 1. ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)
IVC 44 degrees ATDC 390cc Engine) 2. Nylon
EVCD = 720° – ECD - 20°

Where,
ECD= 180° +2° BTDC + 44° ATDC
ECD = Effective Cam Duration.
BTDC = Before Top Dead center.
ATDC = After Top Dead Centre.
4 strokes = 720°
Therefore,
ECD= 226°
EVCD = 474°
Diameter of Runner = 56mm = 2.2047 inches Table 1: Properties of Filament
Length = (474°*0.25*1125*2) / (4500 * 4) – (0.5*2.2047)
= 348.23 mm 3. PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate)
Length = 13.71015 inches 4. PLA (Poly Lactic Acid)
5. TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane).
2.5.2 Helmholtz Resonator theory The complete air intake system will be manufactured
using the 3D printing technique with ABS plastic material.
Heat Deflection Temperature: 105°C
At the end, the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis
for the entire air intake system is also conducted using Ansys
Fluent, with the application of suitable boundary conditions
Where, after the process.
Fp= Engine rpm
K=2.0 to 2.5
C= Speed of sound, ft/s.
V= Displacement of cylinder
L= Inlet pipe length
A= Inlet pipe cross-sectional area
R= compression ratio
162 constant incorporating units.

3. Materials & Manufacturing

Upon careful consideration of various factors, the primary

approach that emerges is the manufacturing process. The
manufacturing can be executed through several methods,
including 3-D printing, die casting, and injection molding. Figure 4: Velocity Streamline for Air Flow in Entire Intake
Our selection among these options is the 3-D printing Manifold Consisting of:
method due to its cost-efficiency and time-saving attributes. 1. Venturi
2. Plenum (Curved Central Axis)
3-D Printing is an additive manufacturing process that
constructs a three-dimensional object from a computer- 3. Runner
aided design (SolidWorks), typically by adding material in

© 2023, IRJET | Impact Factor value: 8.226 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal | Page 622
 International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 10 Issue: 12 | Dec 2023 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

[3] Ryan Ilardo, Christopher B. Williams Design,

Research, and Education for Additive Manufacturing
Systems Laboratory Department of Mechanical
Engineering Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University Randolph Hall, Blacksburg, VA, 24061-
0238 (540) 231- 3422; [email protected].

[4] DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF THE INTAKE SYSTEM

OF A FORMULA SAE CAR by OH YIDE, ANDRE
(B.Engr. (hons.), Nus) for the degree of master of
engineering department of mechanical engineering
national university of Singapore 2012.

Figure 5: Pressure Contour of walls of Entire Intake [5] Singhal, A., &Parveen, M. (2013). Air Flow
Manifold Consisting of: Optimization via a Venturi Type Air Restrictor. In
1. Venturi Proceedings of the World Congress on Engineering.
2. Plenum (Curved Central Axis) London.
3. Runner [6] Shubham Raj, Ashish Kr. Singh, Tuhin Srivastava,
Vipul Vibhanshu. “Analysis of Air Intake for Formula
4. CONCLUSION SAE Vehicle” Krishna Institute of Engineering and
Technology Ghaziabad, UPTU, Vth International
Utilizing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for flow Symposium on “Fusion of Science & Technology”,
analysis allows for a detailed examination of the intake New Delhi, India, January 18-22, 2016.
manifold's flow dynamics. The optimization of the entire
intake system is crucial to minimize pressure loss and [7] Kaushal Kishor, “Design and Fabrication of Intake
enhance overall engine performance. A convergent angle of and Exhaust Manifold of a Prototype Race Car”,
10.5° and a divergent angle of 6° are chosen for the Department of Mechanical Engineering National
restrictor, as they result in the least pressure loss through Institute Of Technology, Rourkela, Rourkela-
the restrictor. The Plenum Volume is to be 1.119 liter and 769008, Odisha, India, May 2015.
the entire intake manifold is made of ABS Material.
[8] Analysis of Air Intake for Formula SAE vehicle, ID:
2016-ISFT-346, Vth International Symposium on
5. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT “Fusion of Science & Technology

We would like to express our sincere thanks to our friend

Pranav Lohar who helped us out in performing the
Computational Fluid Dynamics accurately, after a lot of
practice and hours put into it. Our sincere thanks to Prof. K.
R. Kapdani of the Mechanical Department for allowing us to
take up this paper, and for his guidance and supervision in
all respects of this paper.

6. REFERENCES

[1] Rahul Puri, Harshal Darade, Yogesh Supekar,

Sushant Ulavi, Santosh Kumar Bawage (2016),
“Design and Analysis of Intake and Exhaust System
of SAE Supra Race Car” International Research
Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET)
Volume: 03 Issue: 06 | June-2016 www.irjet.net ©
2016, IRJET | Impact Factor value: 4.45 | ISO
9001:2008 Certified Journal

[2] Shinde, P. A. (2014). Research and optimization of

intake restrictors for Formula SAE car engine.
International Journal of Scientific and Research
Publications, 4(4)

© 2023, IRJET | Impact Factor value: 8.226 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal | Page 623