THE INDUCTION SYSTEM AND SUPERCHARGING

The complete induction system for an aircraft engine includes three principal sections:

i. The air scoop and ducting leading to the carburetor,

ii. The carburetor or air-control section of an injection system,

iii. The intake manifold and pipes.

The sections constitute passages and controlling elements for all the air which must be supplied to
the engine.

AIR SCOOP AND DUCTING

A typical air scoop is simply an opening facing into the airstream. This scoop receives ram air, usually
augmented by the propeller slipstream. The effect of the air velocity is to “supercharge” the air a
small amount, thus adding to the total weight of the air received by the engine. The power increase
thus afforded may be as much as 5%. The design of the scoop has a substantial effect on the amount
of increased ram air pressure.

The ducting system of a non-supercharged engine comprises four principal parts, namely:

i. Air scoop

ii. Air filter

iii. Alternate air valve and carburetor air heater or muff.

iv. Intake manifolds

The air filter is installed at or near the air scoop to remove dust, sand, and larger foreign particles
from air before it is carried to the engine. The filter usually consists of a mat of metal filaments
encased in a frame and dipped in oil. The oil film on the metal filaments catches and hold dust
particles. Normally the filter should be removed, cleaned and re-oiled every 25h of engine operation.
If the airplane is operating in a particularly dusty or sandy area, the filter should be removed,
serviced at more frequent intervals. Modern aircraft engines are equipped with non metallic air
filters that are cleaned on a frequent basis merely by blowing air through them from the inside out.

The alternate air valve is operated by means of the carburetor heat control in the cockpit. The valve
is simply a gate which closes the main air duct and opens the duct to the heater muff when the
control is on.

Some induction systems are designed to permit direct ram air to enter the carburetor without first
passing through an air filter. In such a case, the air filter is installed in an alternate duct. When the
airplanes is operating on the ground in sandy or dust conditions, the direct air duct is closed by
means of the gate valve and air is drawn into the carburetor through the air filter. After takeoff,
when the airplane is flying in clear air, the air intake is shifted back to the direct duct. The alternate
air source is also useful when flying through heavy rains. The protected air from within the nacelle
being free of rain enables the engine to continue in a normal manner. It must be remembered that

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the air filter reduces air pressure to the carburetor to some extent, thus reducing the power output.
For maximum power, therefore, it is desirable that a free flow of unheated air be provided for the
engine. Heated air is less dense than cool air and results in a loss of power.

Since many engines on light aircraft don’t use any type of compressor or supercharging device, they
are classified as unsupercharged or normally aspirated and may be equipped with either a
carburetor or fuel injection system.

NON SUPERCHARGED INDUCTION

Commonly used on light aircraft and may be equipped with carburetor or fuel injection system. Two
other units vital for engine operations are installed, these are:

(a) Pre heat

(b) Fluid icing unit

Induction ice is prevented by raising temperature of air to system inlet and ahead of icing zones.
Heat obtained from a control valve that opens to the warm air circulating in the engine
compartment. Engine compartment heat is increased by closing the cowl flaps and thus increasing
engine power.

CAUTION!

Increase of air temperature causes it to expand and decrease in density, action which reduces the
weight of charge to cylinder and causes a lean power due to decrease in volumetric efficiency,
detonation and failure especially at takeoff and high power operation. Therefore, carburetor
temperature must afford the greatest protective against icing and detonation.

INDUCTION SYSTEM ICING

Ice can form in the induction system when the aircraft is flying in cloud, rain, sleet, snow or air with
moisture content. The effect of ice on carburetor is to reduce the amount of fuel/air mixture
entering the cylinder which results into low volumetric efficiency and engine power output.

If the carburetor or inlet air filters ices over, the alternate air valve is opened to take in warm air,
which is, slightly heated from cooling the cylinders. In some cases, air heated by the exhaust gases
passing through the mufflers is drawn into the cylinder via the carburetor to melt the ice.

IMPORTANCE OF GASTIGHT SEAL

The portion of the intake system of an engine between the carburettor and the cylinder must be
installed gastight to provide proper engine operation. When the manifold pressure is bellow
atmospheric pressure, which is always the case with unsupercharged (naturally aspirated) engines,
an air leak in the manifold system will allow air to enter and lean out the fuel-air mixture. This can
cause overheating of the engine, detonation, backfiring, or complete stoppage.

In a supercharged engine, a portion of the fuel-air mixture will be lost if leakage occurs in the intake
manifold or pipes. This, of course, will cause a reduction in power and waste fuel.

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One of the methods of forming a gastight connection for intake pipes is to provide a synthetic-
rubber packing ring and a packing-retaining nut to form a slip-joint seal at the distribution-chamber
opening while the metal of the engine cylinder is expanding and contracting from changes of
temperature. Obviously, it is necessary to place a gasket at the cylinder intake port between the pipe
flange and the cylinder port and secure the flange rigidly by bolts and nuts

Another method for forming a gastight connection for intake pipes is to use a packing ring and
packing-retaining nut which screws into or over the intake-port opening. Still another method is to
have short stacks protruding from the intake ports, using rubber coupling to connect the pipes to
these protruding stacks.

PISTON ENGINE SUPERCHARGERS

The power output of an engine depends basically on the weight of mixture which can be burnt in the
cylinders in a given time, and weight of mixture which is drawn in the cylinder on the induction
stroke depends on the temperature and the pressure of the mixture in the induction manifold. On a
normally-aspirated engine the pressure in the induction manifold at full throttle is slightly less than
atmospheric pressure because of duct losses, and manifold pressure decreases with any increase in
altitude. Power output, therefore, decreases with altitude, although some of the loss is recovered in
better scavenging of the cylinders as a result of reduced back pressure on the exhaust. In order to
increase engine power for takeoff and initial climb, and/or to maintain engine power at high
altitude, the manifold pressure must be raised artificially, and this is done by supercharging.

INTERNALLY-DRIVEN SUPERCHARGERS

This is a supercharger which is located between the carburetor and the cylinder-intake. The most
commonly used supercharger is a gear driven impeller that turns at approximately ten times the
crankshaft speed. Air is taken in through the carburettor and mixed with fuel. The fuel-air mixture is
compressed in the supercharger and directed into the cylinders through the thin metal intake pipes.

The sea level power of the engine is increased by a single-stage internal supercharger, but the power
of such a ground-boost engine drops with altitude. Boost is a term used to describe manifold
pressure that has been increased above the ambient atmospheric pressure by a supercharger;
hence, a ground-boosted engine is one whose sea level horsepower is increased by use of a
supercharger.

Some large reciprocating engines have two-speed superchargers. Takeoff is made with a
supercharger control in the LOW BROWER position. The power drop with altitude as it does with a
single-speed system. But at a specified altitude, the pilot can shift the control to HIGH BROWER, and
the supercharger speeds up and increases the induction system pressure enough to produce sea-
level power. From there the power drops off with altitude.

Gear driven superchargers use a great deal of engine power, but they enable the engine to produce
more power than they use.

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EXTERNALLY-DRIVEN SUPERCHARGERS

The main differences between an internally-driven and an externally-driven supercharger are in the
method of driving the impeller and in the fact that the letter delivers compressed air to the throttle
and carburetor. Externally-driven superchargers are powered by the energy of the engine exhaust
gases and do not directly lower the power output of the engine; they are generally known as turbo-
supercharged or turbochargers. Some turbochargers are designed to maintain approximately sea-
level air pressure in the engine air intakes up to a high altitude, and are known as Altitude
Turbochargers. Others are designed to provide an intake pressure which is higher than sea-level
pressure, and thus produce a higher power output at all altitudes than would be available from
unsupercharged engine, and these are known as Ground Boosted Turbochargers. The former type
may be fitted without significant engine design changes to normally-aspirated engines in order to
maintain sea level power up to a high altitude, but the letter may only be fitted to engines which are
designed to withstand the higher stresses imposed by the higher combustion pressures.

A few large engines with internally-driven superchargers are also fitted with a turbocharger, which is
used to increase the altitude at which a given power can be developed; because of the increased air
temperature arising from the two stages of compression, it may be necessary to fit an intercooler
between the turbocharger and the carburetor.

An intercooler is an air-to-air heat exchanger installed between a turbocharger and the carburetor.
Intercoolers decrease the temperature of compressed air to prevent detonation.

A turbocharger consists of a turbine wheel and an impeller fitted on a common rotor shaft, the
bearings for which are contained within a bearing housing and are lubricated by oil from the engine.
The turbine and compressor casing are attached to the bearing housing and are connected to the
exhaust and intake systems respectively; the compressor is shielded from the heat of the turbine,
and intake or external air is ducted between the two casings to remove excess heat.

Exhaust gases are ducted to the turbine casing, where they pass through nozzles and impinge on
vanes on the turbine wheel, causing it to rotate; the gases then pass between the vanes and are
exhaust overboard. Since the impeller is attached to the same shaft as the turbine wheel it also
rotates, drawing in air from the intake duct and throwing it outwards at high velocity through
diffuser vanes in the compressor casing; these vanes convert the velocity energy into pressure
energy, and the compressed air is delivered to the engine.

For any particular power output the superchargers delivers a fixed weight of air to the engine in a
given time, and, since the density of air decreases with altitude, a greater volume of air is
compressed and the impeller rotates faster at high altitude than it does at low altitude. Therefore,
some form of control over compressor output must be provided, and this is done by varying the
quantity of exhaust gas passing to the turbine. A turbine by-pass, in form of an alternative exhaust
duct, is fitted with a valve (known as a waste gate) which shuts or regulates the decree of opening
the by-pass. When the waste gate is fully open nearly all the exhaust gases pass direct to
atmosphere, but as the waste gate closes gases are directed to the turbine, and the maximum rotor
speed is achieved when the waste gate is fully closed. The waste gate may be controlled manually by
the pilot, but in most turbocharger systems automatic controls are fitted to prevent over-boosting
the engine.

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In automatic control system, the waste gate is mechanically connected to an actuator, the position
of which depends on the opposing forces of a spring and engine oil pressure. Spring force tends to
open the waste gate and oil pressure tends to close it. Engine oil pressure is fed to an actuator
through a restrictor, and the waste gate controllers are placed in the return line. When a controller
opens the return line, oil flows through the actuator and controller back to the engine sump and
pressure in the actuator falls. The extent to which the oil pressure will fall depends on the size of the
restrictor and the size of the bleed through the controller; the larger the bleed the lower the oil
pressure will drop. Thus oil pressure in the actuator is controlled to regulate the position of the
waste gate according to engine requirements. Various types of controllers may be used to vary
waste-gate actuator oil pressure.

INDUCTION SYSTEM MAINTENANCE

Remove and clean or replace the induction air filter. Check the entire system for signs of damage. Be
very careful that there are no loose screws or rivets that could fall into the system and be sucked
into the cylinders.

Check the carburetor heat or alternate air valves to be sure they open and close fully, and do not
allow unfiltered air to flow into the engine when the valve is in COLD position.

Check all sections of flexible hose that connect the carburetor heat or alternate air boxes to the fuel
metering device and to the source of alternate air. These hoses should show no signs of chafing or
wear. No fluid lines or controls should rub against the hoses. If hoses show any evidence of collapse
or wear, they should be replaced.

EXHAUST SYSTEM

Carefully examine the exhaust stacks as they leave the cylinder for indication of loose nuts, leakage,
blown gaskets, or cracks. Check the exhaust gas temperature probe for indication of leakage around
it. Check the thermocouple wiring to be sure it is properly supported and is not chafing on anything.

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Remove the shroud from around the muffler. Examine the muffler very carefully for cracks, as it
takes only a small crack to release deadly carbon monoxide into the cabin.

TURBOCHARGER

The turbocharger operates at high temperature and at high speed that it must be inspected with
extreme care. Remove the cover and examine the turbocharger for signs of cracking or leakage.
Examine the mounting brackets for cracks or other damage. Check the waste gate actuator,
controller, relief valve, and all oil lines for linkages.

COOLING SYSTEM

Check all engine baffles for indication of cracks or missing pieces. Check the condition of the sealing
strips, and be sure they fold over in the correct direction to provide a seal.

Check the entire cowling for cracks or missing screws. Check the cowl flaps for proper actuation and
for indication of wear or looseness in the hinges. Lubricate the cowl flaps system as specified in the
aircraft service manual.

Prepared by: Mr. K. Phiri