The importance of getting cold, unimpeded air into the engine has always been a major concern of performance enthusiasts this is something we at Yella Terra have been addressing for many years. There are two major points to look at when comparing intake systems, the first being flow and the second being density.
Flow:
The engine is basically an air pump, as the piston travels down in the engine it creates a vacuum in the cylinder, as the intake valve is opened this vacuum draws air into the engine to be mixed with the fuel to start the combustion process. If the availability of this air is restricted the engine will draw in less air and power will suffer as a consequence. By looking at Air Induction as a whole you can see that the engine is only as efficient as its biggest restriction. This is why we concentrate on the complete air intake path and aim to remove restrictions of flow in order for the engine to draw in as much air as possible to maximise performance.
Below are the main restrictions to Air Induction flow:
The entrance to the air box, in most cases is very restrictive to minimise induction noise.
Air filter element, most factory filters are made of paper, very good at filtering but at the expense of outright flow.
The air box itself, it maybe to small and only offer a small filter area for the air to travel.
Induction tubing, again designed to minimise induction noise in most cases designed without flow in mind.
The throttle body, designed to flow the minimum amount of air, most engines will show an increase in power with a larger unit installed.
The intake manifold, cylinder head, camshaft and valves all contribute to airflow into the engine, these point are covered in other sections of the Yella Terra website.
Density:
The Density or temperature of the air has a lot to do with the power making potential of air drawn into the engine. The amount of oxygen molecules in the air drawn into the engine dictates its power making potential, cooler air contains more oxygen molecules than hot air. This is why your car always feels more powerful at night then during the day as the engine gets to draw in cool dense night air. The air under the bonnet of your running engine has gone through the hot radiator and heated up to around 80+ degrees Celsius. This is why in designing intake systems it is important to make sure the air is drawn in from outside of the engine bay and to use materials that do not conduct heat easily.
Below are the main concerns in regards to Density:
The air box inlet is sealed from engine bay heat
The air inductions products are insulated from engine bay heat
The air inductions draw air from outside of the engine bay
All Yella Terra Air Induction products take these basic principals into account and will provide you with cool, unrestricted air into your engine ensuring maximum performance.
