I'm going to be making my own carbon fibre air box when I get chance, basically reworking the standard airbox to provide better air mass and lower induction temperatures, combined with a bypass valve to counteract the problem of water ingress during winter. It's going to be similar to the ITG Maxogen kits but a hell of a lot cheaper, although i'm considering using one of their filters depending on which shape will provide the best air flow for the design.
Few things -
1. Air flow is at is densest (higher pressure) at the leading edge of the car, right? So the optimal place to have the trumpet for the feed is going to be pretty central to the car?
2. Possible ramming of the air is needed to negate the resistance the filter provides relative to the required air draw of the engine, is that correct? ie. running with no filter would be the optimum for performance with the downside of zero filtration?
3. Does the shape of the pipework before the filter at all affect the air flow after the filter? ie. would pipework with a lot of bends, or with flexi sections, negatively affect the flow of air? Is the straightest possible path ideal?
4. If you were to have a kind of "swirl pot" for the air, a cylindrical box with air entering to one side at the bottom, what shape of filter would be best, a conical or cylindrical filter?
5. Would having a trumpeted piece on the end of the induction hose have the same effect as trumpets on throttle bodies? What is that exactly? Increasing flow and reducing turbulence? If a flexi section was fitted to it, before the air filter, would it make any difference?
Lots of question still to come, does anyone have any links to this kind of research online anywhere? Motorsports journals etc?
I feel a project coming on
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Bye bye Sundance Kid