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Intake manifold information

It would be cool to get a really good n/a manifold designed and optimized using CFD and then printed on a 3D printer. I don't think Wilson Manifolds use 3D printers yet, though.

Material choice will be effected by the EGR design, if you intend to retain the EGR. However a 3D Print to mold could be used to generate a cast manifold.
 
My point was due to the design of the EGR system the final intake would need to be made of a material other than plastic. However the design can be printed and trial fit in plastic and the a mold made from that piece to have a cast
Intake made that can deal with the EGR temps, or you could delete the EGR and run the printed plastic design.

Most modern cars do not use an EGR as the engine managment and design improvments have allowed for the removal of the EGR as a required emmisions device.


Dave

I think you can 3D print a fully functional intake manifold nowadays, not just a mold. See this article: http://www.racecar-engineering.com/articles/features/3d-printing-at-the-cutting-edge-of-racing/
 
You can 3D print aluminum nowadays so it should be possible to print a fully functional aluminum intake manifold with an EGR port, I'd think.

The NSXs EGR system isn't that bad. At full throttle, it shuts off so the engine inhales as much oxygen and burns as much fuel as possible so it doesn't cost you any horsepower. The EGR is only active at part throttle. It increases the volume of gasses the engine inhales when the throttle is restricting the airflow so the pistons have to fight against less of a vacuum on their downward stroke. The EGR does get soot into the intake manifold, though.
 
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Well you learn something new everyday, I knew about, plastics, ceramics and other print media but I did not know they were able to print straight to metal. Looking at the process in a few articles there is nothing cheap about the process. Looks like for now the plastic to mold then cast would be the cheapest way to make an item you wish to duplicate, if it was a one off part then printing to metal would likely be faster but still not cheaper. Some day this will change the way all products are developed and produced, I can not wait.

Dave

You can 3D print aluminum nowadays so it should be possible to print a fully functional aluminum intake manifold with an EGR port, I'd think.

The NSXs EGR system isn't that bad. At full throttle, it shuts off so the engine inhales as much oxygen and burns as much fuel as possible so it doesn't cost you any horsepower. The EGR is only active at part throttle. It increases the volume of gasses the engine inhales when the throttle is restricting the airflow so the pistons have to fight against less of a vacuum on their downward stroke. The EGR does get soot into the intake manifold, though.
 
Making a cast would be ideal from a cost standpoint. But, why not just extrude hone the existing manifold? The design/layout is sound, it's just that the ports are too small and restrict power at anything beyond 3.0L or with FI.
 
I don't think it's just the ports that are too small.

In current Ferrari and Wilson intake manifolds that have an intake opening on one end, the air enters the plenum and then has to turn about 90° to get into the runners, which aim straight down the intake ports.

In an OEM NSX intake manifold, the air has to make that 90° turn to get into the runners but it is forced through other turns as well. The intake air has to snake down through an S-shaped bend in order to get into the plenums and it has to flow through runners that are curved 142° before entering the cylinder heads. The basic shape of the intake manifold with those extra curves and bends looks like it will cause an extra restriction that modern Ferrari and Wilson intake manifold designs avoid.
 
So what were your results? Looks like that thread was a cliffhanger... Interesting TB placement for turbo btw-
 
Well you learn something new everyday, I knew about, plastics, ceramics and other print media but I did not know they were able to print straight to metal. Looking at the process in a few articles there is nothing cheap about the process. Looks like for now the plastic to mold then cast would be the cheapest way to make an item you wish to duplicate, if it was a one off part then printing to metal would likely be faster but still not cheaper. Some day this will change the way all products are developed and produced, I can not wait.

Dave

Parts are already being designed for cars with 3d printer. Koenigsegg's latest car has printed aluminum and titanium pieces on it. 3d Printers have already come a long way. At an average of $2000 for a very good personal printer it is becoming even easier to see how things are heading. The days of taking small projects to a lathe or CNC machine to get made are slowly coming to an end.
 
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